Thank god its Pi(e) day

Apparently the blog slacking has gone so far that I am now doing a post about Pie day (1/23) on Pi day (3/14). Good thing I have a solid memory for food. I invited my friend Wylie over for lots of pie and to try out a new pie crust recipe. The menu was - a beautiful salad that Wylie brought over, Margherita pizza, Potato pizza and Mango strawberry pie.

We started with the Pie crust. After reading this article, I wanted to try this method as I haven't had much luck with the food processor and pastry blending takes seems so ineffective. I mostly followed this recipe though. It was amazing! I had just purchased a pastry cutter and it was so much easier to use and created such better results than the pastry blender. As they went into the fridge you could still see big chunks of butter but it was still appropriately distributed.

For the pie filling, I remembered freezing a batch of strawberries with a bit of sugar last summer after a canning blog I read swore it was better than plain freezing. I also happened to have a slightly under ripe mango that seemed like a good fit for a contrast in texture and flavor. I am now totally sold on this method of freezing, it wouldn't have turned out any better if I had used fresh ones in the middle of summer. The mango was a beautiful addition too.

It was also a great chance to see what this pie bird thing was all about, I saw an Alton Brown

episode where he used one and recently found one at my local kitchen store. Basically, its adorable

and it funnels the steam so you don't have to make any slits on your beautiful crust.

Ok, not to be overly egotistical about this pie (I was accused of such a thing), but it was literally the best pie I have ever eaten! The buttery crust was thick and so flaky you could hear it being sliced. The filling was the perfect blend of not too sweet, gooey, fruity yum-ness. IT WAS PERFECT. So perfect that what I didn't send home with Wylie got devoured in a matter of days by me alone(it's what I get for falling in love with a man who is more into cake).

Filling recipe-

• 1 Mango, slightly under ripe and sliced or cubed
• 4 cups Strawberries, quartered
• 1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt

Mix together and let sit to Macerate 20 minutes or so