The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-08-22
A PLEA FOR GOOD PIE.
IT IS 4 WHOLESOME FOOD IF IT
 IS PROPERLY MADE.

Thinness and Crisp and Flaky-Five
 Rules to be Observed in the Making
 of Perfect Pie.
 Although food theorists and food cranks have varying opinions as to the whOlesomeness of certain foods, they one and all agree in denouncing pie. It is the one dish most ardently con- demned, and yet the one dish most universally liked-at least by Amer jeans. Still, notwithstanding the bad reputation pie enjoys, is is a wholesome dish if properly made.
 In making it the average house wife rolls out a heavy, sodden crust, and then spreads it in thick layer over the bottom and sides of a pie plate. She fOrgets to rub this crust with the white of egg and immediately puts ill the filling of custard, fruit or mince meat, whose juices will later soak into
 the crust, making it still more sodden. She then covers the pie, perhaps, with another layer of thick pastery and puts it in an oven that is not hot enough. The oven should be so hot that the pastry will brown before the butter in it has barely chance to melt, The crust will then be crisp.
 Another reason why pies are so uni Versally disapproyed is that they are nearly always with lard, OF half lard and half butter. Lard should never be used in Il pie or in fact ill any dish. An eminent physiololugist in q leading 1 university says that lard is the bane of American cookery and is fit for no stomach except q pigs" A tiny bit of lard in a batch of bread may be ex- cusable, but even then butter is better. A pie crust, of course, should be of wafer-like thinness. Not only are properly made crusts harmless, but some popular filings are exceedingly wholesome. What, for, Instance, could be better than custard of a pumpkin , filling? The latter is, as a rule, only custard rich in eggs, with an addi- tion of pumpkin and a few spices, which are aids to digestion.
 1 Without doubt all pies should be eaten in moderate portions, especially by delicate persons, but this rule ap- plies to any dish. Even cream is not good for persons under certain condi- tions, yet no one but a crank would deny it to a person in good health. | Many food faddist expect healthy people to live daily on an invalid's diet. | There are five rules to observe in the making of a perfect pie. First rub the undercrustad with the white of an egg before putting in the filling to prevent it from soaking into the pastry; second, i bake it in the hottest of ovens; third 1 place it in the lower half of the oven at first against the bottom, later removing | it to the upper shelf; fourth, always place crust in the refrigerator to be- come thoroughly chilled and hard be- fore filling and baking it; fifth, pound the pastry well until it is filled with air spaces.
 1 Volumes could be written on the cor rect treatment of pastry. Any of the i however, if few details are carried out.
 A marble board is an ideal arrange ment for rolling pastry. A current household magazine suggests that the hideous marble tops of old fashioned tables might be fitted up for this pur- pose.
 Smooth, even pie crust is an abomna- tion, and yet many housekeepers think
 that is the proper way to have it, and sometimes they will even be heard to |
 crust is rough and almost breaking in-