During the recent heat wave, I really didn’t leave the house very much. Sure, I had errands to run and a dog to walk but that was pretty much all I did outdoors for much of 2 weeks. Well, except for watching fireworks on the 4th. Yay! It was a golden opportunity to watch some cooking shows as they were broadcast, as well as a number that I’d recorded but never watched.
* * *
* * *
One show, Lidia’s Italy, has been a long time favorite and I must have at least a dozen of her episodes recorded and saved. So, you can well imagine my astonishment when one afternoon, while watching a recorded episode of her newest show, Lidia’s Italy in America (episode 16, original airdate 12/24/11), there she was, standing in the produce department of my Italian market. Lidia Bastianich. In my market! Later she was in front of the very deli counter where I buy my prosciutto, my sopressata, and my mortadella. Do you realize what this means? I have walked on the very floor tiles upon which Lidia has walked. We’ve spoken to the same people, breathed the same air. I know. It kinda makes you weak-kneed just thinking about it. All I can say is that if you live in the Greater ChicagoLand area, you should head over to Caputo’s in Elmwood Park now, before word gets out and people begin making pilgrimages. It won’t be long before “La Via Lidia” is roped off and you’ll no longer be able to literally follow in her footsteps, as I have done. But I digress …
One show that I watched live was The Chew and on that particular day, Carla Hall made a cherry, blueberry, and sour cream pie. A pie with 2 of my favorite things? I vowed to bake one as soon as normalcy returned to our daily weather. A few days later, a Saturday, Max & I were on our way to the farmers market, where I bought sweet cherries, blueberries, and assorted other fruits & vegetables. On the way home, I stopped at a grocery and bought the sour cream needed for my pie. It wasn’t even 9:00 am and things were going very well. This all changed by 10:00 am, for that was the time I looked up the recipe on The Chew’s website.
The problem was that the printed recipe was not the recipe I recalled Carla preparing. I soon found the video of her making her pie on their website — and I was right. On the video, she uses 4 eggs, while the printed version used 3. Neither version indicates where the egg white is to come from nor the type of cherry to be used. Lastly, the video shows Michael Symon adding 2 tbsp of honey to the filling while the printed version states ⅓ cup is to be used. I was on my own.
My first attempt recreated the pie I watched Carla prepare. I used 4 eggs, the white of one being used to prepare the pie shell. The cherry question had been answered earlier that morning when I found sweet cherries at a good price at the market and bought a quart. And when it came to the honey, I followed Michael’s lead and used 2 tbsp. From that point forward, I followed the directions exactly and the pie was pretty good. For me, though, pretty good wasn’t what I wanted. With blueberries and cherries in season, I want my pie to scream “SUMMER!” This pie said “Eggs.” Yes, eggs. It certainly wasn’t a bad pie and I’m sure that it would be enjoyed by many. It just wasn’t what I’d expected. A week passed during which I ate all that pie, sometimes with home-made vanilla ice cream, sometimes with whipping cream, sometimes plain. But I ate it all because of all the sins one can commit, the gods most frown upon those who waste pie.
Another Saturday came and with it a return of the heat wave in the forecasts. Again Max and I headed to the farmers market. Again I bought blueberries and cherries, although this time I went for the tart. And again, on the way home, we stopped at a grocery to pick up sour cream. This time around, I didn’t just exchange cherries. I, also, cut the eggs in half, using only 2, and I increased the honey to ⅓ cup as the written version had indicated. Because I wanted my new pie to take full advantage of its seasonal ingredients, I increased the 
amount of both tart cherries and blueberries to 2 full cups apiece. This pie was not going to even whisper “eggs”. Once the filling was made, I prepared the pie as I did the first. And the verdict? I liked this rendition so very much more than the first. As I had hoped, this one was more custard and less egg-y. Adding more cherries & berries paid off, while using tart cherries worked better with the blueberries.
But you needn’t take my word for it.
Below I’ve listed the ingredient lists for both pies. The first uses a filling with sweet cherries and most closely resembles the televised recipe. The second uses tart cherries and fewer eggs in its filling and is more closely aligned with the printed version. The directions for preparing the pie are listed once because they are the same, no matter which filling you wish to use. Make one or make them both. All I ask is that you come back here and tell us what you think or any improvements you might suggest.
* * *
Sweet Cherry, Blueberry, and Sour Cream Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- A single pie crust large enough for a 9 inch deep dish pie.
- 4 eggs, 1 divided
- ½ cup superfine sugar, divided (see Notes below)
- 1½ cups sweet cherries, pitted
- 1½ cups blueberries
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- pinch of Nutmeg
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp honey
* * *
Tart Cherry, Blueberry, and Sour Cream Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- A single pie crust large
enough for a 9 inch deep dish pie. - 2 eggs, 1 divided
- ½ cup superfine sugar, divided
- 2 cups tart cherries, pitted
- 2 cups blueberries
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- pinch of Nutmeg
- 1 cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup honey
* * *
Directions
- For the pie crust.
- Pre-heat oven to 400˚F.
- Roll out pastry dough into a 12 inch circle and place it in a pie dish, crimp edges, and blind bake, filling the pie with pie weights or beans beforehand. After 10 minutes, remove pie crust from oven. Set aside. Lower oven temp to 350˚F.
- When crust is cool enough to handle, remove the pie weights/beans. Whisk together 1 egg white with 2 tablespoons of the fine sugar. Using a pastry brush, coat the pie crust before returning it to the oven. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the crust is golden. Remove from oven and cool.
- For the pie filling.
- In a bowl, combine 2 tbsp of the fine sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In a larger bowl, combine the blueberries and cherries.
- Add the sugar combination to the berries and gently mix.
- In a 2nd larger bowl, combine the remaining fine sugar & eggs, sour cream, and honey. Whisk until fully blended before adding to the berry mixture. Stir to combine.
- Pour the filling into the pre-cooked pie shell and bake for 1 hour at 350˚F.
- Pie may be served warm.
* * *
Notes
There’s no need to buy the superfine sugar called for in the recipe, for you can make it yourself. Just place ½ cup of regular sugar into a food processor or spice grinder and give it a go. In a minute or two you’ll have superfine sugar.
Inspired by Carla Hall’s Blueberry Cherry Pie With Sour Cream
* * *
By any other name …
“Stainless Steel”
* * *
from the Bartolini kitchens 
Yay.. I’m finally the first to comment (I think?)! 11 pm here is.. I’m not sure what time there, but I’m certain it’s Wednesday:D I was looking forward to your post and was quite pleased to see you had baked something dessertish for us! I think it would only be fair to have a slice of both pies, side by side on one plate in order to be certain which one was preferred. (That’s how we roll in my mom’s kitchen!). But I’m leaning towards loving the pretty little pastry leaves dotted on top of the first pie.. but I’m torn because the flavors of the second pie sound more to my liking.. sour balanced by extra sweetness in the honey sounds heavenly! I’m just picturing you and your doggy sitting in a darkened room, shades drawn.. fans and A/C blasting, savoring every bite of these pies (pup got a taste did he not?) and I’m envious!
ps I see Lidia’s website also has a “Blog” as well. I think she should write how she was shopping in a lovely market and who should she run into.. but the famous Chgo John!!
LikeLike
As first responder, you can expect a lovely Bartolini Kitchens vegetable peeler (slightly used) to be arriving in a few business days. Enjoy!
I was, initially, very disappointed with those leafy things. When that pie came out of the oven, the egg mixture had expanded so much that the leaves weren’t noticeable. What a waste of time! As the pie cooled, they became more apparent. I liked the coloring of the 2nd pie so much more that I didn’t want to cover it with anything. Tart cherries are so much more red than are the sweet.
We are right at the beginning of the first weather shift. The highs for tomorrow and the next few days will be in the 70’s F (20’s C), for the first time since May. With rain forecast for two days, I think we may be through with the high heat for this year. I certainly hope so and that Celi gets some of this rain. She and her neighbors sure have had a rough time of it.
Lidia is a Goddess and I am so not worthy to meet her. I’ll just have to be happy being able to work with FLat Ruthie.
LikeLike
Pie never goes to waste around here, but I think version two looks better: I have a soft spot for tart cherries.
LikeLike
I agree with you, Sharyn. Tart cherries are my preference for pies, ice cream, and muffins. Luckily, just around the bottom of the Lake and into Michigan, there are plenty of farms from which to purchase them. Although they’re out of season now, many farms sell them frozen. They are much cheaper than the frozen ones available at the farmers market. Of course, once you figure in gas fare, the “deal” aspect diminishes greatly. If I go, I buy quite a few pounds for myself and neighbors. It’s the only way to make it economically worthwhile.
LikeLike
Since we can’t get them here, fresh or frozen, we buy canned sour cherries packed in water by the case for making pies.
LikeLike
I did the same thing, Sharyn, for years. One time, on my way home from a visit with Mom, I detoured into cherry country and bought some. That was it. Why buy canned or bottled when fresh are so readily available? One of this area’s advantages is that it is so near to Michigan’s fruit belt, giving us access to some of America’s best stone fruits. Granted, it is nothing like what’s available to you in California but it is still something to take advantage of each summer.
LikeLike
Oh, now I’m feeling really uneducated because I don’t know Lidia at all and probably we have crossed paths many times, perhaps she is even my neighbour and yet I don’t know of her brilliance or celebrity status. I will wear out google tonight stalking her. I love the look of your pies but I think the second one that looks more tart than pie is my favourite. Are you over that attack of heat? We have had a beautiful day here today where it’s 22C (71.6F in your language) with clear blue skies and plenty of sunshine and it’s warmer outside than in my house and I’m starting to get a little bit excited that perhaps winter is in its last days xx
LikeLike
We have many cooks who prepare Italian cuisine on our televisions. Lidia is one of them and I consider her to be the real deal. She always identifies a dish’s origins and none of her dishes are over the top. In many ways, she cooks the way the women in my family always cooked.
Our weather is actually changing today. The temperatures are falling and we should finish off the week with temperatures at about your 22˚C. What a relief! I know you must be glad to see signs that Old Man Winter may be leaving. Do us a favor, don’t send him this way, not yet. I’m hoping for a couple months where I can get back outdoors again before becoming a Winter shut-in. 🙂
LikeLike
Without cooking either of them I can see that your version is so much more delicious and summery! Stay cool in the heat wave!
LikeLike
Thanks you. I definitely preferred it. Our heatwave is leaving us, even as I type this. Our temperatures will drop into the low 20’s C for the rest of the week. Ahhhh!
LikeLike
I like Lydia’s cooking show on Create Channel of PBS. I love to watch her work. I would have no problem eating either pie.
LikeLike
Yes, I watch her on Create, too, as well as a few other times she’s broadcast. We are lucky to receive broadcasts from more than one PBS station and she’s on each of them. Her Mother reminds me so much of our Nonna that I sit, enthralled, when she appears at the end of the episode to taste the day’s cooking. 🙂
LikeLike
Fab recipe, thank you for taking one for the team and trying both versions. Very selfless of you.
LikeLike
“Selfless”? First time I’ve heard that used when in reference to me and pie. 😉 I’m just sorry there wasn’t a 3rd option for more testing. I really enjoyed this round.
LikeLike
I would welcome a heat wave right now John. It is so cold today that I am sitting in bed working with the hot blanket on high – not to mention the 3 pairs of socks I am wearing and the two jackets over my thermal vest and shirt – I am a sight to say the least but am nearly defrosted – yay!
Now, more importantly are these pies – I need you to send me a slice of each for research purposes please although I am leaning more towards your second pie. 😀
Have a happy day.
🙂 Mandy
LikeLike
Well, the heat is finally leaving us, Mandy, and maybe it’s headed your way. It has to go somewhere.
You mean you haven’t gotten your pie yet? I sent you 2 of the most luscious pies I’ve ever baked. If I were you, I’d go to you post office to register a complaint. While you do, look around for the tell-tale blueberry-cherry stains on shirts, blouses, or around the mouth. What is our World coming to if one blogger cannot send pies to another?
I hope things heat up a bit for you, Mandy. 🙂
LikeLike
My favorite pie is cherry pie. Neither of these would go to waste at my house. I think they both look delicious. I’m impressed you made two! Wish I could’ve been there to taste both!
LikeLike
Believe me, I had no intention of baking 2 pies. The first one, though good, just wasn’t what I had expected. While I could still get the fresh tart cherries, I just had to try it again. I am so glad I did! I’ll bake the 2nd pie every year when tart cherries are in season. It really is that good.
LikeLike
I too will need a slice each to make side-by-side comparison. My preference would be the 2nd pie but with less honey.
Who in the world would give a rose the name “stainless steel”????? She is gorgeous and love the unusual color. Don’t think I have seen a rose with that color.
LikeLike
You know, Norma, I would probably do the same. I didn’t use too much but less would have been better.
Isn’t that rose special? I got it solely because of the color. If you look again at that bloom, though, Norma, you can see it’s little bit discolored around the edges. That was the first indicator of problems within my rose garden. Depending upon the bush, some are doing better now, while others worse. Our temps are dropping now and I hope I can get things back in shape before the first frost.
LikeLike
Ok, so you and my husband have something in common…he LOVES Lidia too!…some GF’s and I where in NYC last year and we had lunch at her restaurant on 46th street Becco…
http://becco-nyc.com/ it was good but nothing that WE couldn’t prepare at home, and plus, we were all really thirty after lunch, like too much salt was used… but all in all it was a nice lunch…
and I have to agree even though both pies look fantastic the look of the second pie looks better…
John have you ever been to NYC? IMHO the best city in the world!!
LikeLike
THe fact that you walked out of her restaurant thinking that you could have prepared the meal is what appeals to me, Maria, about Lidia. Just about any cook can prepare her dishes. Her recipes are authentic and that means simple with common ingredients. Granted, I might have expected a little more “flair” or something when at her restaurant but, then again, that’s not her. Your salt comment, though, makes me wonder. Could it have been a new chef? That’s the sign of inexperience. “When in doubt, add some salt.”
Yes, I’ve been to NYC several times and enjoyed it each time. There really is no place like it on Earth.
LikeLike
Oh yeah! Now we’re cooking with gas 😉 This is a great recipe and one I can even do!!!
LikeLike
Oh, yeah, Teri. This is an easy pie to make. You don’t even need a top crust. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
LikeLike
That is some tasty detective work, good sir! I’m with you in the Less Egg, More Fruit camp…
When Hubby was young and living in Brookline, he shopped at the same meat market as Julia…yes, THE Julia. He used to see her there from time to time.
LikeLike
Thanks, Marie, the 2nd pie was definitely more my style, too. But, for more important matters …
You’re married to a man who has actually shopped where Julia shopped? Oh my ravioli! No wonder you married him. I just hope that by going public with that info, now, that you won’t be pestered by throngs wanting to meet him. If that happens, just say it was a typo. He shopped where Julie shopped, not Julia. I’ll back you up. 🙂
LikeLike
Only a good cook would have noticed the difference on how to prepare this pie. A great cook would have made it their own as you did. Thanks for offering us both recipes. I think I will try your version. Thanks again for sharing another good recipe.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
LikeLike
Thank you, Francine, but I don’t know if this proves I’m a good cook, only that I like cherry pie. Since the first one didn’t live up to what I had hoped, I had no choice but to try another one to cure my need for a good cheery pie every cherry season. I’m pretty satisfied with pie number 2, I must admit. 🙂
LikeLike
The pie looks gorgeous! ll the colours melt together. And Lidid Bastianich is food tv royalty. I envy you. You have walked the same path as her!!
LikeLike
Thank you. The 2nd pie sure did cure my need for a fresh fruit pie. And, thank you for realizing the impact of walking the La Via Lidia. I once shook the hand of John Paul II and nice as that was, it can hardly compare with my experience at Caputo’s Market. 🙂
LikeLike
Hahahaha! I loved her on the second season of American Masterchef. I like her better than Joe anyday!
LikeLike
Me, too! Did you happen to see the episode where Joe showed them how to make tortelloni? He “taught” them to coat the pasta with an egg wash to seal the “pillows”, something Lidia and other well-known Italian chefs say never to do because it makes the pasta hard during cooking. Later, he and Gordon Ramsay were critical of a contestant chef that used a food processor to make pasta dough. Lidia uses a food processor all of the time. I wonder what she had to say when she watched that episode. 🙂
LikeLike
I love the cross section of the two pies.
I used to live opposite an old restaurant in Barcelona called Los Caracoles, famous for having coal fired ovens to this day. Several years after I lived there I saw a Keith Floyd show, where he went to Los Caracoles to cook – it was definitely filmed while I lived there – I wish I’d known at the time.
LikeLike
I know that restaurant, MD, having dined there in ’98, I believe. I should blog about that dinner. It’s a classic example of what can go wrong when you cannot speak the language of the country in which you’re touring. Thanks for the reminder. I’m grinning ear-to-ear here. 🙂
LikeLike
Amazing! Floyd evidently loved the place – he went back there several years later and filmed it again. Imagine how hot it must be cooking there in summer time – the coal oven/cooker is enormous. See here 05:06 – the soot from the fantastic wood burning rotisserie used to fly up and into our apartment, making everything filthy!
LikeLike
I cannot imagine living across and above from that! It would be bad enough without the rotisserie, given the crowds lined up in front waiting to get in. An outdoor fire like that would never be allowed here. If it were, some less-than-bright individual would put his hand into it and then sue the restaurant, city, and state for failing to protect him. This is the 2nd time in as many days where I’m reminded of Eddie Monsoon’s rant in court about stupid people. 🙂
Enjoyed that video. Maybe it was the angle from which it was filmed but that seemed like an awfully small kitchen for the size of the restaurant and its seating capacity. I hope they shoved Floyd off into a small, less used part of the kitchen otherwise they’d need Flat Ruthie to get everyone fed every night.
LikeLike
In those days it was a dangerous street – the police would spend 2 hours a day (outside Los Caracoles) filling a van full of the usual suspects.
There a far more dangerous things in Barcelona – the most fun being the Correfoc – you don’t wear your best clothes because you get lots of little burns in them!
LikeLike
Talk about playing with fire! The Correfoc seems wild, as do the celebrations in L’Arboç. They’re the type of things I’d like to witness, just once. Twice would be pushing my luck but once I could survive unscathed — I think. 🙂
Thanks for sending me the links, MD. I never would have known of them otherwise.
LikeLike
Two gorgeous pies! I love the pastry leaves on the first, but I’m sold on the extra fruit in the second one. yum!
LikeLike
Thank you, Korena, The tart cherries were so much more colorful, a brighter red, that I didn’t with to cover them up, even with a few leaves. And you’re right, the extra fruit was a very good thing.
LikeLike
Whooda thunk that I’d be standing a couple weeks ago where Lidia once stood. I’ll have to bronze my flip flops. I do enjoy cherries but I love blueberries so so so much more. Could I make this with just blueberries?
LikeLike
Hey, Chris. You sure could make this with just blueberries. But if you’re going after a blueberry pie, I’d look for one that just uses blueberries without any custard. You’d probably like that one more.
LikeLike
Ohhhhh I hope Hubby doesn’t see this post until the weekend! If he does, he will be so sad that we have no berries at all in the house. (I may have relaxed my grocery shopping duties this past week, 😉 ) Hubby is not only the pasta maker in the house, he is also the pie maker/lover and I KNOW he’ll have to make them both….for an objective opinion, of course. It will be a great weekend (weather-wise) to finally do some fun baking like this. 80 degrees we can handle. In fact it’s gonna feel cold, relatively speaking. Thank you John!
LikeLike
I hope your DH can find tart cherries. You may have to settle for jarred or canned — not that there’s anything wrong with that. 🙂
I did enjoy the 2nd pie much more. That egg taste was just a bit too much for me in the 1st. That’s why I love living in ‘merica, where you can eat and enjoy whatever pie you want.
And yes, the weather is supposed to be fantastic for the rest of the week, maybe even a shower or two. I need to bake something, even tater tots, anything to be able to turn on the oven.
LikeLike
Indeed, the gods do frown upon pie-wasting…just wish I’d been there to help is all! Pretty pies, and I think your version makes much more sense. Thanks for the tip on superfine sugar…I had no idea! And what a cruel name for such a beautiful rose. Surely someone was having a bad day when that name came about. 🙂
LikeLike
That was the thing, Betsy. I couldn’t give the 1st pie away because I really didn’t care for it. It wasn’t bad, just not what I was expecting. I give quite a bit of my dishes away but only the stuff I highly approve. So, unable to give it away and unwilling to waste, I ate pie! It’s probably a good thing, too. That 2nd pie was so much better that if it had been made first, it would not have lasted more than a couple days. As it was, I was already close to my pie limit when I pulled the 2nd pie out of the oven. As much as I enjoyed it, I froze parts of it — which proved to be a very good idea, if I do say so myself. 🙂
LikeLike
Are you intentionally making my mouth water right now? LOL. I mean, I am sitting here wondering when I can make time to make these lol. I will say, the second one will probably be made first and eaten by me only LOL
LikeLike
Welcome back, Kay! Give the 2nd option a try. You may not even care to try the first. I know if I had baked it first, I certainly wouldn’t have looked for an alternative. Have a great week, Kay.
LikeLike
I agree with Smidge – Lydia would probably start shopping at Your deli more regularly if she learned she might run into (or even breathe the same air) as the One and Only, truly original, incomparable Chgo John Bartolini! (who, it so happens, was also present at the Miracles of Saint Flat Ruthie.)
Anyhow…untasted, I’d give my vote to the Pie behind curtain Number 2…no pie, other than a quiche, should be eggy (IMO), and for a pie, oh my, tart cherries! I do love your willingness to return to a recipe several times (eating every last morsel, bless you) to get it just right for the likes of us! Thank you John!
LikeLike
Well, thank you Spree & Barb for the ego boost! The truth is, Lidia’s “people” would have called Security — or worse — once I fell on my knees and started kissing the hem of her dress. I must say, Spree, July was a miraculous month. I am not worthy. 🙂
I so agree about the eggy. Some comments after the original recipe said it tasted like a clafouti. Never having had one, I cannot say. If those comments are correct, though, then maybe a clafouti isn’t for me. The 2nd pie was just so much better, from the eggy vantage point, That alone made it a winner for me.
Thanks, Spree, for leaving such great comments over the past couple days.
LikeLike
Life is too short ,not to eat pie. Would you believe I’ve never made a cherry pie, as you saw this week on Twistevines they always seem to end up on the outside of something, never the inside. Things have got to change! I also love the second ‘tart’ recipe , all that swishy combo of sweetness! Delicious! Enjoy the rest of the week! Yx
LikeLike
Oh, Yvette! You must make yourself a cherry pie. I myself prefer using tart cherries but to each her/his own. You must experience the joy of taking your own cherry pie out of the oven, waiting for it to cool, and then tasting that first piece. Pure heaven! Do yourself a big favor. Bake a cherry pie! Have a great, pie-filled week, Yvette!
LikeLike
John, I would try both pies regardless the recipes: they look fantastic! More berries better for me! I loved your introduction with Lidia story, I watch her shows from time to time (when I am in a hotel or at friends house as we don’t have cable subscription), and I mostly enjoy her Italy shows.
LikeLike
Thanks, Marina. There are worse ways to spend a couple weeks than to spend them eating cherry pie. Lidia, for me is one of the best. I’ve learned a lot from her shows and her Mother reminds me a great deal of our Nonna. The two of them could have been sisters. 🙂
LikeLike
Being a pie crust addict, I would certainly have to agree that the gods frown upon those who waste pie! Ha! I think both of your pies sound delicious but I know what you mean when you say the first was just too egg-y. Sometimes that just tastes wrong in certain recipes. I’m surprised The Chew flubbed up their recipe so much! Hope you sent them a little note. 😉
I will try the second recipe this weekend when my husband returns from the east coast. I may have to use dairy free yogurt in place of the sour cream though…we’ll see how it goes. They do make a dairy free sour cream but it just tastes weird! Maybe it would be hidden by the cherries and blueberries though. Well, now I’m just thinking out loud! Hope you have a lovely evening!
By the way, I received this post in my email just fine. 🙂 ~ April
LikeLike
Glad to read that you received notification of this post without problem. May this continue!
You, Spree, and I are all in agreement. Berry pies should not be eggy. I’m sure there are those who will like Pie No. 1, but, I’ll take Pie No. 2 any day. The Chew is not the first time I’ve come across differences between the recipe that was televised and the printed version. Normally, commenters following the printed will discuss the differences and state their resolutions. This recipe was too young for that; the commenters were mostly complaining and asking what was to be done. I should go back and give them my version — with a link to my blog. 😉
I thought about using Greek yogurt in the 2nd pie and probably will in a future iteration. I didn’t because I wanted to first replicate the recipe as best as I could. After that success, I feel free to mess around with it. If you do use yogurt, please let me know whether you like the results. I think it will be delicious — and DF! YAY!
LikeLike
Lidia is one of the best. Her recipes work, and they’re good. The second recipe definitely reads better; but of course I need to do a side-by-side taste test so I can tell for sure. Might have to bake a 2nd batch of pie just to make sure – one can’t be too thorough in these things! Fun post – thanks.
LikeLike
Yeah, I agree with you about Lidai. Big fan here. I like that she’s not at all pretentious and that her recipes are simple. Hers is the food I was raised on. I really enjoy cherry pie. Having to make a second pie was a lucky turn of events, I must admit, and one that ended up with a great pie. I can’t complain about that.
LikeLike
Haha..pie never goes to waste around here either! I hate to hear that the first recipe wasn’t that great…. 😦
LikeLike
One must never waste pie! I agree that I wish the first pie was better but, if it had been, I never would have tried making the 2nd — a pie that I really like. It all worked out in the end.
LikeLike
I’m impressed! When I try a recipe, if I don’t like – it’s out of here! I’m very impressed how you took a recipe that you really weren’t that crazy about and adjusted to make it exactly what you wanted! I definitely like the look of the second one better – not so eggy and definitely more fruity! It looks delicious!
LikeLike
Depending upon what is involved, I’ll often do as you do. One and done. But I really like cherry pie and blueberry is a close second. Having both in one pie was just too much not to give it another shot, especially when I thought I had identified the problems. I think I was really rewarded for the effort. I’ll be making the 2nd pie again, no doubt about it.
LikeLike
You are so right, John. Wasting pie would be a sin. And these pies look divine.
How exciting to know that Lidia was right in your space, your market, your place.
But what is with the Stainless Steel rose? A beauty for sure. I always wonder who names the paint when I read the paint chips but who names the roses?
I think a third pie should be on the list of things to do and switch up with what fruit is in season next. Peaches and sour cream sound good to me.
LikeLike
Thank you, Ruth. There are far worse things to do than to eat pies in a comparison test. ANd yes, just knowing that Lidia shopped where I do makes the entire experience so much better. So special. 🙂
Whoever cultivates a rose can name it, I believe, so long as the name hasn’t been used. The American Rose Society (ARS) is the guiding hand behind it all, much like the AKC with dogs. If I google a rose like Stainless Steel, I can soon find out what roses were used to develop it. The name itself may point to that rose’s parent(s), its color, or both and, of course, there are roses named after celebrities and people of import. It’s amazing how may “celebrity” roses are out there, although some are no longer grown and others must be bought from vintage rose nurseries.
I’m nearing the end of my Rose Parade and am hoping one of my girls will revive herself in time for a Fall photo. I won’t tell you which girl is convalescing but, once you hear the name, it will all make sense. Fingers crossed …
LikeLike
LOL. You know my friend I really enjoy Lidia on the old tube, but I’m not sure I would get that excited about breathing the same air. 😉 Though I do think it is very cool that she was at your market. Thanks for sharing two dangerous desserts!
LikeLike
Thanks, Jed. I understand that not everyone joins me in my devotion to Lidia, to each his own. In fact, just last week, I saw Arnie Palmer and Jack Nicklaus sipping espresso at Caputo’s outdoor cafe. I didn’t think much of it but I’m sure others might.
LikeLike
I’ve never heard of Lidia, but I have heard of a guy called Chicago John; the way I see it is of her walking in your foosteps 🙂
And oh the ,lengths you go to for our benefit,, making and eating not one but two pies John, polish that halo !! I liked the sound of your second one – good and fruity!
LikeLike
Thanks, Claire, for the ego-boost! Yes, it was a real test for me to eat those pies but I did it for WordPress and for Science. Perhaps one day I’ll be mentioned alongside other greats like Simple Simon. 🙂
LikeLike
I se you are a man of ambition 🙂
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
I saw this post the other day and only have time to comment on it now. I take my hat off to you John for your perseverance, I likely would have given up when the two recipes proved inconsistent; it makes me want to bake the second pie, mainly because you seem to have favoured it.
The rose is incredible, you must have a wonderful garden. Do you keep it fenced off so Max can’t get into it or do the thorns deter him? Lidia’s show is one that I haven’t seen here, and now we cancelled our cable (don’t ask) I’ll have to check it out on line. It’s very cool that you actually walked in Lidia’s footsteps at your market; it must also make you feel really good that she thinks highly enough of your market that she showed it on her show!!
LikeLike
Oh, Eva. It’s not so much perseverance but a love of cherry and blueberry pies. The chance to combine the two into one pie was just too good to pass up. And I just couldn’t let things go after that first attempt. I can be stubborn that way. I’m very glad I did try again because now, every June, I’ll be making this pie, no doubt about it.
My roses are in borders surrounding my yard. Max cannot get to them, although he can reach in and get a piece of mulch, which he deposits in the middle of the yard. If he had the chance, there wouldn’t be a piece of mulch on the rose beds but there would be a 10 foot tall pile in my yard. 🙂
All Lidia jokes aside, what really got my attention is that the area is a suburban Little Italy. I had no idea nor had any of my friends. I’m still exploring the area. hoping to find a good butcher. Thus far, I’ve found 2 bakeries, a fish monger, home-made pasta shop, cafés, and restaurants. I can’t believe that I’ve lived here over 30 years and only now do I find out about this area. Who knew?
LikeLike
That’s the cool thing about a big city, John, that there are little hidden gems everywhere. You must let me know exactly where this gem is so I can make a special trip next time we get down to the city.
That’s very funny about Max, I can just see the pile of mulch in the middle of the yard, for now apparent reason.
LikeLike
You are so right, Eva. Just when you think you know the city, you discover another gem. When you’re ready, I will gladly give you directions to Elmwood Park’s “Little Italy”. Just today I “discovered” a small Italian market. Though it could probably fit into Caputo’s fruit & vegetable department, they had guanciale, something I’ve not been able to find here. I’ve still got more of that area to explore, not having gone beyond Caputo’s. With any luck, Little Italy will continue going South and I’ll have more places to check out. 🙂
LikeLike
I would definitely prefer your second, less eggy version myself even though I’m sure they are both very good. I commend you for baking in all the heat that you have endured.
LikeLike
Thank you, Karen. These pies are really quite easy to prepare and I was able to get both into the oven by noon easily. By the time the temps outdoors really soared, I was sitting back eating pie, often with homemade vanilla ice cream. There are worse ways to endure a heat wave. 🙂
LikeLike
Let’s see. You put Cherries, Blueberries, Sour Cream and Honey, all in one pie. FOUR of my favorite foods in ONE pie! I really need to make this but yesterday it was 108 F with a barometric press of 29.92 and humidity of 30% in the dead of the afternoon! Definitely not a baking day and there is more of this on the horizon. If cherries are still in season when it cools off a bit, I will try the less eggy version and let you know what I think. Great post.
LikeLike
That is pretty much my reaction when I watched Carla Hall make the pie, Richard. And when the first pie was less than what I expected, that’s why I tried again. With so many of my favorite things, how could this not work? I did prefer the tart cherries, though, and they’re past season. Now, I can get some frozen at the farmers market but they’re expensive. I’ve some of the last pie frozen. I’ll see if the cherries still seem expensive once my freezer is empty. 😉
LikeLike
There are dishes I like with the sweet cherries but then there are those that the sour cherries make the dish. I may have to wait until next year’s cherry season to make these pies but I will and will let you know what i think when i do.
LikeLike
You’re so right, Richard. For me, a tart cherry pie is one of Life’s true pleasures. I really look forward to them coming into season each year and then take full advantage.
LikeLike
Well your hope worked and we really did get a little rain. A little but good enough and the last two days have been cool. Narry a heatwave in sight. I have to say John that that heat was almost the death of me AND your tomatoes! But I feel that we have turned a corner. In fact Our John was sent to the dog house for saying it felt Fallish this morning! This pie does look like summer to me.. And those cherries, I would love to try it. And like you i am more into that balance of sweet and sour. You are such a star for working at a recipe until you get it right! Did you get rained out last night? It poured here for a wee bit! have a lovely evening.. c
LikeLike
We’ve had more than a little rain and, with the wind off The Lake, things are pretty cool here. Blissfully cool. You had all of us worried that day you came awfully close to having heatstroke. I think you’re right, though, and believe we’ve turned the corner. There may be a couple 90˚ days but the real scorchers are gone for the year. Still, let’s not rush Fall into the picture. Our winters are so long that I’d like Summer to linger as long as possible. I’m no star, Celi. I just love cherries and blueberries. The idea of having a pie with both in a custard, of sorts, was just too good to pass up. I would have made a 3rd pie if the 2nd hadn’t been so successul!
We would have not gone to the game except that “Cynthia’s” parents came in from the far west suburbs to see the game, as well as to see me. It started about 90 minutes late and was tied in the 7th inning when the rain started to fall again. They wouldn’t postpone the game in a tie because that would have meant having to reschedule the game’s ending, a real nightmare for everyone concerned. Luckily, we were under the upper deck, so, we kept dry as the Cubs eventually won. It was a great game and I got to meet a good friend’s parents. It was just a perfect night, rain and all. 🙂
LikeLike
We love Lidia too. Very cool story. Beautiful recipe too.
LikeLike
Thanks, Greg. Although the self-portrayal is a bit over-the-top, I will credit her and that episode for showing me another Little Italy. Every week I go over there, I find another shop to explore. I have access now to some things I’ve not seen since I lived at home. It’s been a great experience.
LikeLike
First off, your rose looks ethereal. So lovely. Why don’t I have a rose garden? (Or a tomato garden, but that’s another story.) Secondly, I’m with you on not wanting an eggy pie for dessert. An eggy pie is quiche. So glad you persevered and made the second pie and shared the recipe with all of us. It looks amazing and I can imagine how very good it tastes (eh)!
LikeLike
Hello, Mar. In total, I’ve 13 roses, although I’ve a feeling that number will change this Winter. Some just aren’t doing well. My yard is a typical, for Chicago, small yard. I’ve a dog run that takes up a good portion of it. The roses border my yard and, unless I tear out the little bit of grass that I have, there simply is no place to put a rose garden. Not only that, but they’re spaced with the minimum suggested space between each so 13 rose bushes is all there ever will be.
And your quiche comment is exactly what I thought. I’m sure some might like it but I wanted to taste a fruit and berries. The 2nd pie is exactly what I wanted and now I wish I had bought more cherries. It’s a long time to wait for tart cherries to come back into season next year. Next year, I’ll be driving into Michigan’s fruit belt to buy them by the pound. Ha! 🙂
LikeLike
Freezing some of those cherries next year is a good option to be able to make this pie in the winter. What a way to escape the snowy reality outside the window in those cold months!
I hear you about the small yard. My lot here is half the size of my last place, plus there’s a garage and the house has a bigger footprint. So, I have a very small yard which is great in some respects but challenging for the gardener! Not to mention we’re surrounded by trees, which I love, but that means the yard is quite shady. It seems we gardeners always have one challenge or another to overcome!
LikeLike
Ain’t that the truth! I’ve never done the research but I bet there are few people who both garden and play golf. How much disappointment can 1 person take in a Summer? 🙂
LikeLike
Both look fantastic and pie never goes to waste in my house. Cherry season is just starting here, a recipe to think about when the blueberries finally arrive
LikeLike
How I envy you being at the start of cherry season! It’s one of my favorite times of the year, tart cherry pie being a favorite. Normally, a pie doesn’t last long here either. The first one, though, wasn’t exactly what I wanted and I knew I could do better. And I’ve no complaints with the outcome. None at all. 🙂
LikeLike
Oh these scream summer to me! Delicious John! I’d be more partial to your second version I’m sure. So glad these heat waves are over (hopefully). 😉
LikeLike
Hi, Kristy. I just finished the last of that 2nd pie for dessert tonight. I froze pieces of it because even though I love pie, 2 of them in 2 weeks was a bit much. I agree and think the really hot weather is gone now until next year, at the earliest. Now begins my favorite weather of the year. Not too hot, certainly not too cool, simply perfect!
LikeLike
Pingback: Sunday- Pittsburgh Pirates Win 11-5 PlusTaralli and Fireworks at Saint Rocco Festival « Ruth E Hendricks Photography
Both versions look amazing. And I love lo have a day when I can watch some tv series and just relax. But you made more I think than I usually do 😉
LikeLike
Well, had that first pie tasted better, I never would have gone on to pie number 2. Still, I’m very pleased the way things turned out and will be returning to this recipe again. Thanks for dropping by and taking the time to comment.
LikeLike
That Stainless Steel is a real looker John. Love that color! Anyhow, so glad you hung in there and made the pie you were born to make or at least the pie you had dreamt of. Both look fabulous but the less eggier version does appeal to me more. I just had a similar experience this weekend with orange curd and Ina Garten. I had watched her make an orange curd…didn’t much remember the details except that I wanted to make it. When I pulled up the recipe it called for whole eggs. Whole eggs? I have never heard of such a thing in a curd…usually it’s only egg yolks. I made the recipe as dictated and it never thickened. I found myself having to add 2 T. of cornstarch which took the sheen out of the curd and left it a teensy bit gritty. That being said, my guests were thrilled with my “take one” of my curd tart. Next day, I needed to remake the curd to get it right and found a Martha Stewart recipe that meshed with my own knowledge of curds. This one was perfect and I was a very happy camper. Isn’t it grand when you can get the end result you really seek and crave?! Hard work and stick-to-it-ness really does pay off. 🙂 Happy Monday!
LikeLike
Isn’t she a beauty, Geni? It’s the color that drew me to her. Once I got “my girls” planted and established, the rest of the roses were selected by color. I’m almost at the end and hope you’ll like the next few.
And you’re so right, “stick-to-it-ness” really does pay off. Granted, if the pie had used something other than cherries and blueberries, I probably wouldn’t have tried to make it again. But, I do really love cherries and blueberries that I would have made a 3rd even a 4th pie, if need be.
I just commented on your orange-chocolate curd tart. Is this the curd you’re speaking of? That tart really does look and sound fantastic. Stick-to-it-ness, indeed! 🙂
LikeLike
Yes, that is the tart. Martha Stewart saved the day and the curd, but I will never stop adoring Ina…I have mostly had great success with her recipes.
LikeLike
Well, whoever’s it was, that was one fantastic tart! It looked delicious!
LikeLike
I love how scientific you are John about your recipes. You pay attention to every detail and breakdown every component 🙂
I have to say I will go for version 2. I can’t stand any baked good that is even slightly eggy and I love the color of the second one.
The other day I found Lidia’s family table in my book store at an unbelievable discount because the paper cover that it is ontop of the hard one is slightly torn.I have couldn’t find any of her books here for a long time and now the book is at a discount!! I couldn’t buy it quick enough.. My husband could not understand why I was so excited! I need to send him this post
LikeLike
Lidia at a discount?!?!?! How lucky for you! She is just an incredible Italian chef. Her recipes are simple and without exotic herbs and spices — very much like the dishes Mom served. I’ve brought friends out to that store twice and will be returning with more “newbies” on Thursday. Once they hear it has Lidia’s seal of approval, they all want to see it. I should start charging tour rates. 🙂
Thanks, Sawsan, for always leaving such nice compliments.
LikeLike
I am so glad to discover your post today, John, and to not miss dessert! I’m always ready for new dessert recipes! I love Lidia, too, although I don’t always seem to catch episodes now that some PBS programming has changed. I hate to say it, but you disappeared on me again. I thought something seemed amiss…and I was right! I will just subscribe again and I think I need to rely a little less on my reader! I think you are probably close to posting again. Another beautiful rose, too! Debra
LikeLike
I’m sorry, Debra, that you lost me but am happy that we’re together again! 🙂 This is so annoying. I hope WP finds out what’s going on.
Because of our location, we have 3 separate PBS stations broadcast and Lidia is on 3 times weekly. This is how I ended up with such a backlog of episodes to watch. Such a problem, eh?
LikeLike
You version definitely takes the cake (pie) =D!!!
LikeLike
I do think it’s a matter of taste but, having said that, I definitely like my version better. 😉
Thanks for stopping and taking the time to comment.
LikeLike
What a wonderful comparison of pies!! They both sound delicious, but I’m a sucker for sour cream pies 🙂 Love your side by side picture!
LikeLike
Hey, Stefanie! I’m a sucker for tart cherries & for blueberries. This year I bought and froze plenty of both. That 2nd pie and I are going to become good friends over this winter. 😉
LikeLike
Wow, Stainless Steel is even more delicious than a fabulously-made pie! 😉
LikeLike
Thanks, Kathryn. “Stainless” was one of the last that I planted and it was chosen just for the color. Depending on the light, it shows tinges of blue or gray. It’s a beauty, eh?
LikeLike
Summer is over, here, but I may buy some tinned cherries.
LikeLiked by 1 person