S03.E05: Pies

[Athena]

Quote

The bakers turn their attention to pies.

For their first task, they must master a perfect wellington. When they have recovered, it is straight into a fiendishly difficult technical challenge - hand-raised pies. None of the bakers have used a pastry dolly before and it proves the downfall of many.

With several bakers in the danger zone, everything rests on the showstopper challenge - American pies. Who will be this week's star-spangled baker and who will be leaving the bake-off?

[rhys]

O man, those dollies! With no instructions. I do wish we could have seen portly Paul demonstrate how to use the dolly. The bacon looked raw when the hand raised pies were cut open. Is that just a British thing?

Ryan's pie didn't look like Key Lime to me. Nice he got accolades after such a rough start tho.

[dargosmydaddy]

Aw, Ryan! I was happy for him.

Weird that we randomly got the historical interlude piece that usually gets cut.

Does anyone know what the order/ focus of the rests of the weeks are? My PBS station isn't doing sneak previews for the next week, and I don't want to go poking around too much because I'm still un-spoiled as to the winner and want to keep it that way.

[Dewey Decimate]

Okay, I am not feeling especially proud of my country as of late (and find it hilarious that an episode featuring "American" pies is airing on the same day as protests featuring a Giant Orange Baby Blimp - magnificent!), but damn! All the ragging on American-style pies as "disgusting" and too sweet.... this coming from a country that favors eel pies, greasy-looking rolls of assorted mushy meats, and gelatin as a filling? Got my stars and stripes all riled up. MURICA!

A fruit pie is possibly my favorite dessert (with flan/creme caramel/brulee a very close second), and I admit that I agree with Paul: a pie is far better on the tart side. Not a fan of chocolate/nut-based pies; the chocolate peanut butter one just seemed like it would be inherently dry. Would love to try that key lime one, though! Many of the showstoppers reminded me more of tarts, but I have no official knowledge of what makes a pie "American." My untrained eye found it odd that there was nary a top layer of latticed or decoratively-cut crust in sight - I would have though that's a classic element of American pies.

[Rinaldo]

14 minutes ago, rhys said:

Ryan's pie didn't look like Key Lime to me.

Well, these were to be "reimagined" American pies, so some novelty of appearance is to be expected. (I see that it's completely out of the question for them to simply serve a pie in its baking tin, as would be standard in the US.) Additionally, I guess we have to accept that the pie of this name no longer has to be made from a true Key Lime, but just any old lime.

However, Mary has maintained, even after the end of this season, that Ryan's key lime pie was one of the best things ever baked for the show. It must have been extraordinary, to wipe out his last place in the Technical and zoom him to the top.

I agree, @Dewey Decimate. The constant ragging on American-style pies got on my nerves. And peanut butter pie can be delicious; Cathryn just made a lousy one. (It looked as if she was using the peanut butter almost undiluted, whereas all the examples I've had incorporate it into a light mousse filling.)

You want to talk "disgusting"? How about eel pie? How about those hand-raised pies that was their technical challenge. Aside from the lard and solidified gelatin, I personally would be revolted to encounter apricots in what I expected to be a meat pie.

I've never tasted hot water crust pastry, so I want to be fair: is it in fact pleasant to eat? It looks (as they said) as if it violates all the rules for making good piecrust.

[Fireball]

So none of those "pies" looked like a pie to me. I agree with Dewey that they looked like tarts. 

Also why did they even do a challenge on American Pies if they find them soooooo disgusting? I have an acquaintance who's from England who also likes to rag on Americans and their thing for disgusting food; pies, peanut butter/ jelly sandwiches, syrup on pancakes, peanut butter and chocolate anything, coffee, peanut butter anything, bread that's to soft, any on and on. 

[bugsmum]

I absolutely loved seeing the cultural differences in play here.  When I heard "Pie Week" my American mind went immediately to fruit or custard pies.  Not that I've never heard of a savory pie, obviously, but they don't have a big place in my life.  It was fascinating, and pretty entertaining, that the first two challenges were savory pies.  It also made me laugh when Paul and others talked about American pies being too sweet.  I cannot stand pecan pie precisely because it is (to my mind) nothing but a sugar bomb.  

Agree with the person who said most of these particular American pies looked like tarts, not pies.  I kinda want to try hot water crust and try my hand at a Wellington now.  But I draw the line at eels.  

[Eliza422]

1 hour ago, Dewey Decimate said:

Okay, I am not feeling especially proud of my country as of late (and find it hilarious that an episode featuring "American" pies is airing on the same day as protests featuring a Giant Orange Baby Blimp - magnificent!), but damn! All the ragging on American-style pies as "disgusting" and too sweet.... this coming from a country that favors eel pies, greasy-looking rolls of assorted mushy meats, and gelatin as a filling? Got my stars and stripes all riled up. MURICA!

A fruit pie is possibly my favorite dessert (with flan/creme caramel/brulee a very close second), and I admit that I agree with Paul: a pie is far better on the tart side. Not a fan of chocolate/nut-based pies; the chocolate peanut butter one just seemed like it would be inherently dry. Would love to try that key lime one, though! Many of the showstoppers reminded me more of tarts, but I have no official knowledge of what makes a pie "American." My untrained eye found it odd that there was nary a top layer of latticed or decoratively-cut crust in sight - I would have though that's a classic element of American pies.

Me too! I haven’t felt this patriotic in a long time. ???

 

We do lattice topped fruit pies and all kinds of things similar to many different pies and tarts on this show over the years.

 

what I thInk is gross is all the meringue and cream based monstrosities they make in this show - blech!! Europe can keep those, I’ll take a good ol’ pumpkin pie any day.

[Quilt Fairy]

1 hour ago, Rinaldo said:

I agree, @Dewey Decimate. The constant ragging on American-style pies got on my nerves

Yes, I actively said "Fuck you, Paul" not once but twice during this episode. 

1 hour ago, Rinaldo said:

And peanut butter pie can be delicious; Cathryn just made a lousy one. (It looked as if she was using the peanut butter almost undiluted, whereas all the examples I've had incorporate it into a light mousse filling.)

It looked like a giant Reese's peanut butter cup.  She did get distinct layers, though.

[Eliza422]

Just now, Quilt Fairy said:

Yes, I actively said "Fuck you, Paul" not once but twice during this episode. 

It looked like a giant Reese's peanut butter cup.  She did get distinct layers, though.

I couldn’t figure out what exactly she was trying to do with that pie. I’ve mostly had peanut butter mousse in pies -if that is what she was going for, oof, she failed in a major way.

[Sharpie66]

They had restricted the American pies to just a no-top pie, crust on the bottom and sides only. Surprised no one went with a classic lemon meringue or French silk, but the latter would definitely have been too sweet. 

[biakbiak]

2 hours ago, dargosmydaddy said:

Weird that we randomly got the historical interlude piece that usually gets cut.

Oh thank you! I didn’t realize these normally get edited out so was so confused! 

[Mystery]

They acted like American pies usually don't have a top, when a lot (if not most) of the time they do. 

I don't know why Brandon didn't win star baker. Didn't Ryan come in last in one of this week's challenges? 

I might have told Paul to shut up a few times, myself.  :-) 

[biakbiak]

2 hours ago, rhys said:

Ryan's pie didn't look like Key Lime to me.

Interesting it looks exactly like my key lime pie which is from my great grandmothers recipe.

[magdalene]

My first experience with American pies was at my first American Thanksgiving where the hostess served this awful tasting supermarket pumpkin pie. Shudders. It was disgusting. I choked it down to be polite.  I have hated pumpkin flavor ever since.  My second experience was an apple pie that was so over sugary that you couldn't taste the flavor of the apples.  I have stayed away from American pies for the most part since.

Ryan's pie looked beautiful and delicious. I wanted to reach into the TV and grab a slice. I wonder whether this was the only time they ever awarded star baker on the strength of one bake? Good for Ryan.

[sheetmoss]

Curious, did Ryan get to use canned condensed milk or did he have to make it from scratch.

Also, no pies w/graham cracker crust--quintessentially American, Would graham crackers  be allowed?

[GaT]

3 hours ago, dargosmydaddy said:

Weird that we randomly got the historical interlude piece that usually gets cut.

 

Even weirder was that it was stuck in the middle of the show when it's usually at the end.

3 hours ago, Dewey Decimate said:

Okay, I am not feeling especially proud of my country as of late (and find it hilarious that an episode featuring "American" pies is airing on the same day as protests featuring a Giant Orange Baby Blimp - magnificent!), but damn! All the ragging on American-style pies as "disgusting" and too sweet.... this coming from a country that favors eel pies, greasy-looking rolls of assorted mushy meats, and gelatin as a filling? Got my stars and stripes all riled up. MURICA!

 

I don't even know what they mean by "American" pies, how are they different from "British" pies? And they kept calling them "big", what does that mean? Paul once again didn't like peanut butter. The man does not understand American tastes, when he was a judge on The Great American Baking Show, he never liked any of the food that was made with peanut butter, he should never judge any kind of American food.

[andromeda331]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who getting fired up over the comments over American pies. Insult anything else you want but not our pies! There's so many really good different pies.   I love pies. Cherry pie, blueberry pie, delicious three berry pie very yummy, French silk, lemon meringue, chocolate peanut butter cup, blackberry pie, peach pie, Banana cream, Coconut cream pie, key lime, my mom made an excellent apple pie.  I can't remember the last time I felt this patriotic.     

[backgroundnoise]

"Make a non-disgusting American pie."  Them's fightin' words!  Hee.  Interesting idea, though.  I would have liked to taste them all.  

Not so much the meat pie for the technical challenge.  Are those served cold?  Double yuck.

In the verbal descriptions they would say sweet potato, or squash, but the written part of the illustrations would say pumpkin.  Which was it?

It's crazy how much I look forward to Fridays just to watch this show.

[Kohola3]

14 minutes ago, backgroundnoise said:

"Make a non-disgusting American pie."  Them's fightin' words!

Paul makes me stabby with that kind of crap.  And is there any such thing as an "American pie" anyway or is that his code for "big and sweet and I hate American food"?  I highly doubt that British pies are any different in size.

And that whole historical thing about eel pies was just plain bizarre.  It was plunked in the middle as though they didn't have enough filmed content to fill the time slot. But I loved the comment on how the eel tasted "river-y".  With how polluted the Thames is, that must equate to "sewer-y".  Plus it made me so fear they were going to have to make eel pies when, in reality, they were not and absolutely no one chose to.

19 minutes ago, backgroundnoise said:

In the verbal descriptions they would say sweet potato, or squash, but the written part of the illustrations would say pumpkin.

It was confusing.  Is there only one kind of squash in Britain and that equals pumpkin?

4 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

Insult anything else you want but not our pies!

For every sweet pie there are others that are not.  Paul is just an uppity snot who automatically dismisses anything American.  Since the Brits have never been known for their haute cuisine (steak and kidney pie, fish and chips in greasy newspaper, eel pie) he's got a lot of nerve being so condescending!  Still upset because we kicked them to the curb?

One of the best pies I've ever had was a peanut butter pie but, as others have said, it was a mousse filling.  I can see not liking the Reeses-looking pie.

24 minutes ago, backgroundnoise said:

It's crazy how much I look forward to Fridays just to watch this show.

The contestants, as always, are so nice!  When Manisha was frantically trying to patch up her pie, one of the guys took time to come over and give suggestions.  Wouldn't see that on those horrible cut throat Food Network challenges.

[Nidratime]

If pot pies are considered meat pies, which I suppose they are, then I like meat pies. I've never made one myself, but I'm very guilty of buying Marie Callender's frozen pies, chicken, beef, turkey, etc. That's always been an easy dinner growing up and very tasty. 

I was very puzzled why none of them put any kind of crust on top if they were making American pies and no apple? No cherry? There's nothing more American than apple pie. 

ETA: By the way, they have celebrity versions of these shows, which are truncated, and Teri Hatcher was in the competition. I think she was the first and only American celebrity I saw on the show and they loved her food. 

Edited July 14, 2018 by Nidratime

[Kohola3]

9 minutes ago, Nidratime said:

I was very puzzled why none of them put any kind of crust on top if they were making American pies...

They couldn't.  The rules were "bottom crust only".  And it would be hard to make a fruit pie that would hold its shape when cut.

[rhys]

8 hours ago, biakbiak said:

Interesting it looks exactly like my key lime pie which is from my great grandmothers recipe.

The limes didn't look like key limes to me. I thought they looked like regular limes.

[Eliza422]

1 hour ago, backgroundnoise said:

"Make a non-disgusting American pie."  Them's fightin' words!  Hee.  Interesting idea, though.  I would have liked to taste them all.  

Not so much the meat pie for the technical challenge.  Are those served cold?  Double yuck.

In the verbal descriptions they would say sweet potato, or squash, but the written part of the illustrations would say pumpkin.  Which was it?

It's crazy how much I look forward to Fridays just to watch this show.

Danny wanted to make a “non-disgusting “ pumpkin pie, and I think the graphics said she was going to use butternut squash. It was strange.

she was the worst one after Paul with the bashing, since she was saying stuff about the American part of her family.

Edited July 14, 2018 by Eliza422

[Rinaldo]

9 hours ago, bugsmum said:

Agree with the person who said most of these particular American pies looked like tarts, not pies.  I kinda want to try hot water crust and try my hand at a Wellington now.  But I draw the line at eels.  

Interestingly, most of the American writing about food that I've encountered (admittedly highly selective) refers to Beef Wellington as "a culinary abomination."

A good time-travel novel, To Say Nothing of the Dog, features an American transporting back to Victorian times where he's invited for a weekend at a country estate. He's delighted at the thought of the lavish buffet breakfasts they'll have for guests -- until he discovers that in fact it's all items unpalatable to him, featuring eel pie.

8 hours ago, Mystery said:

I don't know why Brandon didn't win star baker. Didn't Ryan come in last in one of this week's challenges? 

Yes, Ryan did come last in Technical. That's why Paul referred to this decision "breaking all the rules." Apparently Ryan's key lime pie tasted so wonderful that it overcame everything else. (Mary has since, even after a lapse of years, recalled it as the best thing ever served on the series.)

7 hours ago, sheetmoss said:

Curious, did Ryan get to use canned condensed milk or did he have to make it from scratch.

Also, no pies w/graham cracker crust--quintessentially American, Would graham crackers  be allowed?

Canned condensed milk is allowed, like other store-bought ingredients (up to a point, obviously). They don't have to churn their own butter, either. :)

Graham crackers would be allowed, but would I think be foreign to the world view of British bakers, in which rules are to be obeyed and a crust is a formulation of flour and fat that's rolled out. I see that despite all the venom about the sweetness of American pies, most of them used a sweet crust, which isn't all that typical in the US.

7 hours ago, GaT said:

Even weirder was that it [the historical-information segment] was stuck in the middle of the show when it's usually at the end.

This segment, which was common in the early years of the British show, is always stuck in the middle like this. The PBS airings have generally snipped them out and put them after the end, as an "extra" that some PBS markets show and others don't.

1 hour ago, backgroundnoise said:

Not so much the meat pie for the technical challenge.  Are those served cold?  Double yuck.

Cold meat pies like these were a traditional item for a working person's (or student's) lunch, to take from home or buy in a pub or shop.

[nowornever]

I don't know when this was filmed, but at this point, American-bashing seems inevitable.  

Am I the only one who thought there was a hair in Katharine's pie?  When Paul lifted the slice, there was a small chunk that was mysteriously hanging in the air.  I can't tell if she saw it since she always looks so nervous, but I thought that maybe the dark-haired host (ahh! I can't remember her name!) saw it when she was picking at the pie after Paul and Mary's bites.

And that leads me to another thing that i enjoy about this show.  The hosts and judges walk around occasionally giving small suggestions and they'll just stick their fingers in the dishes to taste them. It reminds me of growing up.  If you had a fear of germs, then you'd probably starve because pretty much everyone had touched the food.  

I will miss Manisha, but I knew she was finished when Mary warned her about needing something to set her pie. 

The title still seems to be up in the air.  I'm not sure I could give an educated ranking of the contestants at this point.  Anyone care to try?

[Rinaldo]

4 minutes ago, nowornever said:

I don't know when this was filmed

2012. It's the earliest season PBS has yet aired.

[luvapickle]

58 minutes ago, nowornever said:

I don't know when this was filmed, but at this point, American-bashing seems inevitable.  

Am I the only one who thought there was a hair in Katharine's pie?  When Paul lifted the slice, there was a small chunk that was mysteriously hanging in the air.  I can't tell if she saw it since she always looks so nervous, but I thought that maybe the dark-haired host (ahh! I can't remember her name!) saw it when she was picking at the pie after Paul and Mary's bites.

And that leads me to another thing that i enjoy about this show.  The hosts and judges walk around occasionally giving small suggestions and they'll just stick their fingers in the dishes to taste them. It reminds me of growing up.  If you had a fear of germs, then you'd probably starve because pretty much everyone had touched the food.  

I will miss Manisha, but I knew she was finished when Mary warned her about needing something to set her pie. 

The title still seems to be up in the air.  I'm not sure I could give an educated ranking of the contestants at this point.  Anyone care to try?

No, you were not the only one. I rewound it, & it was.  And Manisha-I wonder if she got it from a recipe, did she ever try it before....I would have thought if she had, it would not have held up then either.

Ah...like everyone else I grumbled when Paul made his comments. Many British don't like really sweet, but he went overboard with the comments.  The peanut butter "pie"- that looked like really, really thick pb. And did she add any sugar to it?  Being a pro baker, my oldest brother has always made my b-day cake. Which is his version of peanut butter pie. Gawd, I am salivating thinking about it. Sometimes, I wish there was a longer version online, so we can see more of what they're putting in their baked goods. 

[Rickster]

Believe it or not, some of us Americans hate peanut butter desserts, too.

[dubbel zout]

11 hours ago, dargosmydaddy said:

Weird that we randomly got the historical interlude piece that usually gets cut.

I know! And it wasn't all that connected to the theme. It's not as if the bakers had to make a seafood pie.

10 hours ago, Eliza422 said:

I couldn’t figure out what exactly she was trying to do with that pie.

It was peanut butter, chocolate, and pumpkin pie. It's as if Cathryn decided to use all of what she thought were typically American ingredients in the same pie. No wonder Paul and Mary didn't like it.

1 hour ago, Rinaldo said:

despite all the venom about the sweetness of American pies, most of them used a sweet crust, which isn't all that typical in the US.

That cracked me up. And to call American pies too sweet is a bit rich coming from the land of treacle pie and bread pudding with caramel sauce.

There are plenty of fruit pies that can be sliced without falling apart, but they usually need several hours of cooling time, which the bake didn't allow.

1 hour ago, nowornever said:

I will miss Manisha, but I knew she was finished when Mary warned her about needing something to set her pie. 

Same here. I think her getting cut wasn't wrong, though Danny and Sarah-Jane could have been legitimately cut as well.

[dahling]

I'd like to invite Paul to kiss my rosy pink American behind. And also, if you're going to start throwing shade on American pies, could you make sure you're talking about pies? 'Cause those were tarts. Pies use pie crust and are baked in a pie tin. Tarts use sweet shortbread crusts and are baked in a fluted shallow pan.  "You keep saying that word.  I don't think it means what you think it means."

I guess this was early in the series when people hadn't figured out yet that Paul hates peanut butter. In the previews it showed Paul saying, "I don't like that" and I spent the rest of the episode trying to predict who he would say it to. When girlfriend pulled out the peanut butter, I knew I had my winner. 

That chicken-apricot-gelatin abomination was beyond revolting, like something from the gallery of regrettable food, especially in the same episode that they want to sneer at another culture's food.  And I can't even with the slimy eels pulled from the polluted Thames baked up in a pie.  I'm glad this wasn't the first episode of this show I've seen, otherwise I would have been sorely tempted to never watch again. 

Edited July 14, 2018 by dahling

[Winter Rose]

I swear it felt like Paul just wanted an excuse to act like he's "above" American desserts. And to say something along the lines of the only way to make an American pie good is to make it British?! I know that's not word for word but still, a huge part of this show's appeal for me is the people not insulting each other (and other cultures). I think at times he's more influenced by his personal tastes than if the bake is actually baked well. This and bin-gate are probably the only two episodes I actively didn't enjoy.

I'm happy for Ryan that they liked his key lime pie, and I know a showstopper probably should be more memorable, but I have suspected before that the showstopper is weighted more heavily and the technical is weighted the least.

[notcreative enough]

11 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

Yes, I actively said "Fuck you, Paul" not once but twice during this episode. 

It looked like a giant Reese's peanut butter cup.  She did get distinct layers, though.

Lol. Me too. I did think about how he doesn't mind cheating on his wife with American Women or staring in a baking show with American bakers. He doesn't like sweet so I wished someone did a shoofly pie.

I'm surprised that no one did an apple pie. But since no one did a top crust maybe that's why. Was it like an unspoken rule or something. 

[Kohola3]

29 minutes ago, notcreative enough said:

Was it like an unspoken rule or something. 

No, it was stated at the start.  That's why I figured no fruit pies from the get go.

 

2 hours ago, nowornever said:

Am I the only one who thought there was a hair in Katharine's pie? 

No - it was pretty obvious and you'd have thought they would have somehow camouflaged that.  Or left out the lifting of the piece onto the plate and just shown it plated. 

It happens, I know, and I am really surprised it hasn't happened before with as many long-haired women with their tresses hanging over the bowls.  Or maybe it has but wasn't shown to the viewers.

[tljgator]

2 hours ago, rhys said:

The limes didn't look like key limes to me. I thought they looked like regular limes.

Exactly. It made me inordinately mad for some reason -- I think because Paul is always such a stickler about contestants using a name/label for something that's not quite what they actually make; he dings them for that on the regular (his on-going yapping about how "American pies" are hideous probably didn't improve my mindset in that regard either, lol).

That was not a "Key lime" pie since it wasn't made with Key limes, which are very different than regular limes (in fact, I wondered if Key limes would even be readily available there when it was first mentioned). Seemed more like a lime meringue pie to me. *grumbles*

[theajw]

33 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

It happens, I know, and I am really surprised it hasn't happened before with as many long-haired women with their tresses hanging over the bowls.  Or maybe it has but wasn't shown to the viewers.

As someone who worked in restaurants for over a decade, I get really antsy seeing the women on this show not putting up their hair.  Drives me nuts.  

Normally, this show makes me really hungry, and I love a good pie, but aside from Ryan's "key lime" pie, nothing looked appetizing.  

Edited July 14, 2018 by theajw

[Kohola3]

It is annoying as hell that they raved about this as the "best dessert of all time" when it wasn't even made with the correct ingredients!  I wonder if Paul the Know It All even knows that a real key lime is yellow, not green.  

That and his anti-American cracks really spoiled this episode for me.

[meep.meep]

You are my people!  I feel like siccing Martha Stewart on him.

Ryan's pie must have been incredible.  He didn't use Key Limes though - his were regular Persian limes.

This would have been a great time to make chocolate tofu pie.

[Rinaldo]

17 minutes ago, meep.meep said:

Ryan's pie must have been incredible.

The recipe is available online, here for instance. The episode reviewer on another site has confirmed that, having made it often in the years since the episode first aired, it really is that good.

As I mentioned earlier in this topic, even in the US, "Key Lime pie" is advertised and served that is made with regular limes, so I won't fault Ryan for doing likewise. It's one of those food terms that I think one has to accept has morphed beyond its literal meaning (akin to the genericizing of brand names like kleenex and vaseline).

[dahling]

Interesting.  Didn't someone once get kicked off The Next Food Network star for making a "key lime pie" with sweetened condensed milk?  The Food Network, the lowest of all common denominators, required something with a little more culinary finesse.  

But what do I know, I'm American. 

[dubbel zout]

As well as not using Key limes, Ryan didn't use the traditional graham-cracker crust, so his pie was merely an excellent lime-ginger pie.

3 hours ago, Rinaldo said:

It's one of those food terms that I think one has to accept has morphed beyond its literal meaning (akin to the genericizing of brand names like kleenex and vaseline).

It's very wrong, given that the flavor of Key limes is very different from that of Persian (i.e., regular) limes. It's like saying orange juice and tangerine juice are the same. They may be interchangeable, but that doesn't mean they're the same.

I know it's silly of me to get bent out of shape about something that's six years old, but when Paul has been so fussy about other things, it's extra annoying that he drops the ball completely here.

[meep.meep]

10 minutes ago, Rinaldo said:

The recipe is available online, here for instance. The episode reviewer on another site has confirmed that, having made it often in the years since the episode first aired, it really is that good.

As I mentioned earlier in this topic, even in the US, "Key Lime pie" is advertised and served that is made with regular limes, so I won't fault Ryan for doing likewise. It's one of those food terms that I think one has to accept has morphed beyond its literal meaning (akin to the genericizing of brand names like kleenex and vaseline).

Thanks!  I guess everyone in Britain knows how big a knob of stem ginger is.  I don't think they ever showed the tins of condensed milk on the show.

Was this filmed before or after Mr. Hollywood had his extra-marital adventure in the US?

[illdoc]

20 minutes ago, Rinaldo said:

The recipe is available online, here for instance. The episode reviewer on another site has confirmed that, having made it often in the years since the episode first aired, it really is that good.

As I mentioned earlier in this topic, even in the US, "Key Lime pie" is advertised and served that is made with regular limes, so I won't fault Ryan for doing likewise.

Oddly enough, I've been rewatching Dexter and just finished an episode where "finding the perfect key lime pie" was a major part of it ("green means food coloring was used", something about condensed milk, etc.).

[Kohola3]

So the online recipe is called Key Lime Pie but at no time does it call for key limes.  Totally deceiving name!

[SophiaD]

I am so glad all of you were upset, too!  I mean, I'm sitting here being mortified about being an American, but to go after our PIES?  If they think American pies are all so terrible, why even have them on the show?  And, if you're going to have the contestants bake American pies, have them bake actual American pies - not tarts - and give them enough time to make and cool them properly.

Lemon meringue pie?  Strawberry-rhubarb pie?  French silk?  Apple pie? Blackberry pie?  Chess pie?  I really was hoping that someone would make a shoofly pie or a chocolate pecan pie, just so I could see Paul's face as he tasted it.  Clearly, I need to get out more.

[sheetmoss]

When he made the pie, I thought he may have used bottled Key Lime juice.

Thinking about Paul and his critique of American pies/desserts as being too sweet, wouldn't one be an ass-- or very provincial/unsophisticated if one went to Szechuan, India, Thailand, and said their food was too hot & spicy? It might be too hot and spicy for him-- or me, but I would never be dismissive as it being less so.  It's a cultural norm, same as Americans liking sweeter desserts....judge on that basis!

I remember  once reading about a well respected food critic who didn't like liver but would have to eat it on occasion as part of a review-  she said  she learned what  well-prepared liver should be like in taste and texture  to use as a comparison.

Paul knows Americans desserts are sweeter going in - you judge on that.  Same for disliking peanut butter, you may not like it, but learn the difference of when it's used well.

Edited July 14, 2018 by sheetmoss

[Kohola3]

12 minutes ago, sheetmoss said:

When he made the pie, I thought he may have used bottled Key Lime juice.

Possibly but not according to the recipe.

12 minutes ago, sheetmoss said:

Paul knows Americans desserts are sweeter going in - you judge on that.

And don't tell the contestants how horrible they are like it's a challenge to make an edible "American" pie.  Speaking of which there is no culinary definition of "American" pie that I can find.  Just a crappy insult made up by snooty Paul.

[biakbiak]

5 hours ago, rhys said:

The limes didn't look like key limes to me. I thought they looked like regular limes.

Ah. I actually didn’t see the lines he used. By the post I thought you meant the look of it.

[dleighg]

18 hours ago, dargosmydaddy said:

Weird that we randomly got the historical interlude piece that usually gets cut.

yes, I was like "What's this about?"

[Mabinogia]

8 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

The contestants, as always, are so nice!  When Manisha was frantically trying to patch up her pie, one of the guys took time to come over and give suggestions.  Wouldn't see that on those horrible cut throat Food Network challenges.

I loved that. And when he wasn't sure she heard, he said her name to get her attention and said it again. That is sportsmanship. 

I'm American and I really couldn't possibly care less that they were ragging on American Pies. They are too sweet for the British palate, generally. Big whoop? There's plenty of stuff they make we wouldn't like. This is a British baking show and they, as seen by the other two challenges, tend to have savory pies, so yeah, compared to a Wellington, apple pie is going to be considered pretty sweet. I did find it interesting that they weren't top crusted pies though, but that's fine since most of the pies they made don't really need top crusts. 

I desperately want to try Ryan's pie. And Sara Janes. And a wellington anything. But I have no interest in trying that technical pie. Ugh.