Pie Heretics

Hello Pie-1-1, I have a two or possibly three part question; 1. I hear that pie crust tastes better if you use bacon grease. Why is this so? 2. My girlfriend is a vegetarian, is there an equally tasty vegetarian alternative to bacon grease? 3. For many years I have used pre-made graham cracker crusts for my pumpkin pies. My, before mentioned, girlfriend claims that this is heresy and says that I know nothing about pies/Thanksgiving. Please advise, Pie Heretics (Oregon)

Dear Pie Heretics,

Thank you for using the pie-1-1 system.

1.Bacon in all its forms makes everything better. This is partially due to its fatty goodness, but also to it's smoked flavor. This smoky flavor lends itself to both sweet and salty foods. In the case of a good pie crust, it adds that little bit of savory to the pure brilliance of a sugary filling. You would never want to throw a pie made with bacon grease. It would be like spilling a good bottle of Whiskey.

2. We have gone around about this one. A vegetarian alternative to bacon grease is impossible. Having experienced the fakon , there is just no way to reproduce to porky goodness of bacon fat. We did decide how ever in the coming week to try an come up with an alternative, although not baconesque, that will knock you socks off.

We were chatting & of course bacon fat offers a certain saltiness (not like a lady with a bad attitude "oh, she's so salty today") but rather the sea, the white stuff that comes into play to really make us salivate. So, where does one begin? We might recommend sea salt. There are numerous varieties so it might just take a little experimenting. Fat is necessary, so as long as butter is ok, we'd recommend it. Also, think about smoking your fruits that you use in your pie, or even using a little smoked gouda with a delicious dask of sea salt. Mmmmmmmmmm.......
Well, and there is always the option of letting some music just seep into the mix. For instance...

The Cramps covering "Bacon Fat" originally by Andre Williams

3. We just wanted to start by saying that baking any pie is a wondrous thing. That being said, this is close to heresy. But we would never take the thanks out of Thanksgiving, so a pre-made crust isn't a bad thing, but should be used when you are short on time or if you are going to fling the pie at you worst enemy or your best friend. A graham cracker crust is quite and easy piece of cooking and then you have the options of mixing your flavors up a little bit.

Try the recipe below, but spruce it up with little fresh ground nutmeg, or some crushed walnuts

1. In a small saucepan or the microwave, melt 6 tablespoons of butter.
2. Place about 24 graham crackers in a plastic bag. Roll with a rolling pin until finely crushed. This may be done in small batches.
3. Measure 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs into a medium bowl.
4. Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the graham crackers.
5. Add the melted butter.
6. Stir or blend together with your hands.
7. Press into the pie plate or other pan.
8. To pre-bake the pie crust, bake for 8 to 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F. oven.