The secrets to a great pie - and how to recognize them - plus a pie tasting tomorrow.

In the most famous scene from the American Pie trilogy, James Briggs' character gets, er, intimate with a pie.

We decided to do him one better.

Earlier this holiday season I sent two of the savviest food deputies on our team to help judge two different homemade pie contests hosted by the Independent Marketplace pop-up dinner series.

And they got deep into some pie themselves.

In true Indy style, the judging was fun, quirky and tasty, maddeningly unorganized, and not well thought out. In American Pie style, it was a gloopy, awkward and even a little controversially gross. (Twenty-one judges' already-licked forks going into one pie won't win any awards from the Health Department.)

But there were dozens of pies, glorious apple and cream and pecan and crumble and crusty and berry and rhubarb pies, so somehow, ultimately, gloriously, a powerful perspective on how great pies differentiate themselves emerged, even if diabetic shock didn't.

And what matters most to a good pie is particularly good news to know heading into the holidays, and heading into Saturday's pie tasting at one of the area's best—if not the best—place for superior pies.

Here's what they found out. More on the Sweet Elena's (393-2063) pie-tasting day special event Nov. 23 appears below.

From Weekly staff writer David Schmalz:

Trust in the crust.

The most important rule, it turns out. Any filling, no matter how delicious, needs a great crust to call home. Fresh, flaky, buttery.

Turn a blind eye.

When a pie is being cut into small portions for judging, the presentation inevitably becomes a mess. And that might be a hint: There is probably no treat better suited for eyes-closed tasting than pie. The sensory experience—both flavor and texture—is accentuated with focus.

Have your fill.

Putting too much filling in a pie, tempting as it may be, is too much of a good thing. WIthout the proper crust/filling balance, a pie cannot be triumphant.

Let's bans-fats.

When entering your pie into a competition—or celebrating your contribution to the dessert table—it is best not to advertise that your crust contains shortening. The judges would rather not know.

Score brownie points.

One of the most critical elements to a perfect pie is also one of the hardest to achieve: a light, crispy browning on the crust. And while burnt is no good, it still beats doughy.

Pour lightly.

When adding alcohol to pies (which can add depth and help marry flavors), don’t go overboard. One should be able to safely drive home after eating a slice.

Withhold grudgement.

One of the pies I liked most was the one I thought I’d like least (coconut cream, with shortening). Maintaining objectivity was enlightening, and ultimately, freeing. When done right, any pie flavor can sing to the taste buds.

From Assistant Editor Kera Abraham:

Let the fruit be the sweet.

And the tart, and the complex. Too many pies in the October contest overloaded on sugar, smothering the nuanced flavors of black cherry, green apple or apricot that should be the stars of a seasonal fruit pie. 

Don't overcook.

This is also for the fruit entries, because the texture of a lightly cooked apple that maintains its shape and a slight firmness is just so much more appealing than applesauce. Ditto for berries.

Get nutty.

Some of the most delightful entries involved walnuts and pecans, eminently pie-able tree nuts. The crunch, density and protein are not only richly satisfying, but they also allow for more added sweetness than fruit pies. So if caramel or chocolate are your thing, go nutty, not fruity, with the filling.

Be seasonal, and use fresh ingredients.

I have no interest in eating a pumpkin pie in April. Not only does it feel wrong, it almost guarantees the cook is using canned pumpkin puree rather than a respectable fresh gourd. Pie, in my mind's eye, is what we make when the fruit of the season is so abundant we have no choice but to bake them into delectable spheres just to use them up. I want strawberry-rhubarb pie in May, cherry pie in June, pumpkin proper in November.

From Sweet Elena's "For the Love of Pie" press release:

The tasting includes an assortment of Sweet Elena's famous homemade pies. The tasting is held the weekend before Thanksgiving and Elena will take orders during the pie tasting for your holiday pies. Sure to delight the entire family, Sweet Elena's pies are made from scratch, with love and the freshest quality ingredients.  

Simply delicious!

For Thanksgiving, one of Sweet Elena's dear ex-team member came up with the most delicious vegetarian mince pie (Mary's Mince Meat Pie) and now it has become a tradition to make it every year using apples, pears, quinces, dried figs, currants and lots of brandy, and we leave it to marinate for a month. Trying it will reconcile you with mince pie. In addition, we will taste our lemon tart that is truly divine as well as the classics pies pumpkin, pecan, apple, ollalieberry, strawberry rhubarb, apple crumble and more!