The Semantics of Cobbler
Apple and Smoked Gouda Pie - Side View
Pie, in all its forms, is comfort. Pie is home. Pie is a sense of longing, and perhaps a sense of belonging. It doesn’t matter what kind of pie it is, as long as it’s good. And although it’s a type of pie, I’m not counting pizza in this equation. I’m talking of small-p “pie,” as in the entire pie family. Grunts. Crisps. Cobblers. Gallettes. Tarts. Crostata.
No matter whether or not you’ve ever made one yourself, nor whether or not you like to make them; I’m sure you’ve got a fond sense-memory of pie somewhere in your mind, and hopefully it’s not brought on by one brought home from Baker’s Square for the holidays.
Some will tell you it’s very difficult to make, and give you all sorts of reasons why you shouldn’t make it. Or why they couldn’t, why it was way too hard. But they, too, have a particular pie ideal in mind, and maybe what they’re trying (and failing) to tell you is that they can’t live up to their pie ideals, no matter how hard they’ve tried. Which is sad, because if you don’t keep trying, you’re never going to master your pie. And it’s really not that hard…or at least, it shouldn’t be. I know I say that a lot, but this time, I mean it. All those members of the pie family as listed above exist for one reason and one reason alone: pies are deeply personal. Don’t like the way you’re being told to make that pie? If you have your wits about you, it’s not hard to change to suit your needs and tastes.
Perhaps the reason pie is so comforting to so many people lies in the heart and soul that goes into making a pie. It’s something that can’t be mass-produced, and even if you’re someone who only bakes at holidays, it doesn’t matter—you’re still putting a part of yourself out there on the line for everyone to take part in. My mother was someone who only baked at holidays, but even so, she had a very firm MO for her pies. Pumpkin and chess, almost every time—and a half-shortening, half-butter crust too. Piemaking is all about taking a stand, whether you do it once a year or all year round—it’s quite possibly the most broad-ranging form of culinary expression there is.
Why do I say this? Because while people may have their differences in eating patterns, whether they be vegans, vegetarians, carnivores, or omnivores, I’m almost willing to bet that more people around the world have attempted making some form of pie at some point in their lives than any other food-family. The pie family is a universal concept, and everyone’s a member.
This may sound like an overstatement, but a good pie is thought-provoking like nothing else. And at this time of year, we’re all likely to be lost deep in thought. I myself hope to be lost in a sweet potato pie sometime soon.
No matter what kind of pie most moves you, just keep one thing in mind: it’s far more than just pie.
With that in mind, I’ll let you in one one of my favorite things to watch on TV. While it’s food-related, it’s not, strictly speaking, a food show. It does, however, revolve around pie—in the grand sense I talked about above, as well as in the more literal, edible sense. If you haven’t been watching Pushing Daisies, which airs Wednesday nights on ABC, I hope you’ll give it a chance. Unfortunately, the future doesn’t bode well for this lovely (and pie-filled) show; viewership is unfortunately down from last season, and SavePushingDaisies.net has been coordinated by fans to bring a few different “save our show” campaigns together for ease of use.
Curious, but worried you’ll be lost if you tune in? Worry no more; ABC’s got you covered. 
Full episodes can also be viewed online at the official Pushing Daisies website.
If a “zombedy” is a zombie comedy, what’s a zombie *romantic* comedy?
If you’re questioning my choice of topic, I’ll remind you that zombies are always hungry. Granted, their diet is a wee bit unbalanced…but then, so are a lot of non-zombies’ diets! I don’t think we should hold it against them, quite frankly.
Why don't they list 'marrow'? It's delicious AND nutritious! (via Geekstir)
It is a sad fact of life that the zombie diet is often misunderstood and painted as being one-note and really rather boring—not to mention hazardous to those unlucky humans and warm-blooded animals crossing their path. This may have to do with the fact that many people aren’t familiar with the depth and breadth of what it actually means to be a zombie. Sure, you may have zombie friends—but have you ever been a zombie? (No, Steve, I’m not talking about you.) As with so many other things in life, it’s entirely possible that zombies are merely misunderstood.
So, in the interest of gathering empirical data, it seems only fitting that we should study the zombie diet in a more ‘up-close-and-personal’ sort of way. With that in mind, it’s movie time…or movie trailer time, at least!
Ten Zombie Films to Increase Your Brain…power.
- Shaun of the Dead. If you haven’t seen it, you should, and if you haven’t seen it in awhile, you should rewatch it. THIS IS REQUIRED VIEWING.
- Undead. Don’t turn the commentary on, though. The commentary is far more frightening than the film itself. Which isn’t to say that the film is bad—it’s really quite good, actually. But the commentary is…well…mind-numbing.
- SARS Wars: Bangkok Zombie Crisis. Don’t be scared by the fact that the trailer’s in Thai…it is, after all, a Thai movie. It has, however, been released in R1 with English-language subtitles, and I definitely suggest tracking it down. Sometimes films are unintentionally hilarious, but sometimes, they’re hilarious on purpose. This is the latter, and oh yes, there are zombies.
- 28 Days Later. It’s a shame the sequel wasn’t better, but since I did like Sunshine quite a lot, I’ll forgive Danny and Cillian for going off and making that instead. Still, this is always good for a genuine scare. Bonus points awarded for foodstuff foraging!
- Black Sheep. No, not the Chris Farley one. This one involves genetically-altered zombie sheep. Which, come to think of it, might have made the Chris Farley one worth watching!
- Planet Terror. It’s really a shame that Death Proof wasn’t nearly as fun as this. Do I really need to sell you on this when it’s got Rose McGowan with a machine-gun leg? I mean really, is that necessary? COME ON.
- The Evil Dead. I’d actually put the whole trilogy on the list, but YMMV of course. Still, begin at the beginning; it’s always the very best place to start. I do hope the only thing you know Bruce Campbell from isn’t Burn Notice, but if it is, it’s never too late to learn more.
- Slither. I’m beginning to think you simply can’t go wrong with Nathan Fillion. Although I haven’t checked IMdB to back myself up on this observation, so don’t hold me to it.
- The Fog. Not the remake. Oh no, not the remake. I’m talking about the original fantastic John Carpenter film starring the Barbeaubot Adrienne Barbeau! Not a zombie film you say? Maybe you need to watch it again.
- Dead Set. It’s…not a movie. It’s a six-part UK TV series. And I haven’t seen it yet, I have to confess. But the concept is so spectacularly brilliant that if it doesn’t end up being utterly fantastic, I shall be very, very disappointed. I also suspect you will be, too, once I tell you the concept, which is this: zombie Big Brother-style reality show. Don’t you want to see it already? I know I do!
No matter what the future holds in store for you and yours on this gorgeous Halloween, I do hope you’ll take a moment out of your busy schedule to consider the plight of your friends the zombies. And perhaps you’ll find it your heart to help any and all zombies who come to your door looking for something delicious to eat this evening. Maybe you’ll even have one of these fine films playing in the background as you answer the door, just to let them know you’re zombie-friendly.
Don’t be hating on the undead; just like you and me, they have to eat, too.
Janaki
