By A. E. Smith, 2/23/11
Apple, blackberry, rhubarb, cherry, pear—it is hard to list a fruit that isn’t better as a pie.
To Kathy Kinard, a founding member of the Olympia Bakers Guild, there is something magical about that transformation from produce to baked good. But she is adamant that it is not the kind of magic that requires an advanced degree in sorcery.
“You get an apple, slice it up, throw some cinnamon and sugar on there…. It’s so simple,” she says.
That’s why she encourages all of Olympia’s closeted bakers (you know who you are) to break out their rolling pins and go public by entering their best lattice and crumble tops to be judged at this weekend’s Pie Fest. The pie-baking contest is open to amateur bakers of all ages and experience, with proceeds benefiting the Thurston County Food Bank and the South Sound Senior Nutrition Program.
Pie Fest, now in its third year, began as a dream of eight people who liked to bake pies and wanted to do something for the community. They became the Olympia Pie Bakers Guild, whose motto “A sweet way to serve” emphasizes their dual interests.
Members hold meeting and workshops year-round, but the pie-baking contest is their major event, raising around $2,000 in three hours.
“It’s amazing to me,” says Kinard, recalling th event’s first year. “We just created this party, and people came. It shows you can take what you love and scale it up.”
Their success has the group thinking, and baking, bigger. By dropping “Pie” from the guild’s name, their future could include charitable cakewalks and cookie swaps.
“What this has shown us is that it is so easy and simple to give back,” says Kinard.
Hold on, easy bakers! Before you rev up your oven, there are a few rules on the road to pie glory. Health code regulations mean fillings cannot contain egg or dairy products, which sadly excludes most meringue, cream, and custard pies, including pumpkin. The entry fee is $5 or 5 cans of food. Contestants must bring two versions of the same pie: one to be judged, and one to be sliced and sold. There are age brackets for children, teens, and adults.
When it comes to judging, looks aren’t everything: aroma, sweetness, and the flakiness or tenderness of the crust all figure into a pie’s final score. Bakers can stick with the classics or go creative; past winners include an apple ginger caramel confection that still prompts salivation.
For those who prefer eating to baking, your skills also are in demand. During the contest, slices of pie can be purchased for $3 or three cans of food. After each round, the winning pies will be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Kinard grew up learning how to bake pies from her grandmothers, and credits their relaxed approach to baking for her success. Making pies from scratch is a life skill she’s pleased to have passed on to her children, especially to her teenage son. Her advice to novice pie bakers? Don’t stress about the crust.
“People get too worked up about the dough. You just have to be okay about it being an organic process.”
She notes that whether or not your pie turns out Martha Stewart perfect, the real incentive is the gain to the community. Each pie entered into the contest will raise a minimum of $21, enough for a week’s worth of food for a family of two, according to the Thurston County Food Bank. It’s the kind of turnaround that guarantees a sweet reward. ◙
The 2011 Pie Fest is Saturday, February 26 from 1-3 PM, at the Olympia Center. Entrants must drop off pies between 10-11:45 AM. For more information and contest rules, visit www.olybakers.com.