I am in the process of examining the evolution of the recipe, which is a central genre in the hobby of cooking. Recipes have changed significantly in the past 50 years and I would like to understand how and why. This issue is illustrated below in sample Apple Pie recipes from (1.) Gourmet magazine in 1952; and (2.) epicurious.com in 2002. Clearly, the recipe has evolved from a short narrative statement (with three elements: title, ingredients list, method) to a much longer and more technical document with more than a dozen parts. Click here to see the coding system I am developing, as applied to several Apple Pie recipes from the past 50 years.
1. 1952
2. 2002APPLE PIE
Make this pie with a combination of tart apples — such as Winesap or Granny Smith — and sweet varieties like Fuji, Jonagold, Idared, or Mutsu.
Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 3 1/2 hr (includes cooling)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 lb apples, peeled, cored, and each cut into 10 wedges
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Pastry dough
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Put a large baking sheet in middle of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
Whisk together flour, zest, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and 2/3 cup sugar and gently toss with apples and lemon juice.Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining piece chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round, then fit into a 9-inch (4-cup) glass or metal pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Chill shell while rolling out dough for top crust.
Roll out remaining piece of dough on lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin into an 11-inch round.
Spoon filling into shell, then cover with pastry round and trim with kitchen shears, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Press edges together, then crimp decoratively. Lightly brush top of pie with egg and sprinkle all over with remaining tablespoon sugar. Cut 3 steam vents in top crust with a small sharp knife.
Bake pie on hot baking sheet 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue to bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes more. Cool pie to warm or room temperature on a rack, 2 to 4 hours.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Gourmet
September 2002
Recipe by Melissa Roberts-Matar
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A Cook from Amsterdam, The Netherlands on 06/04/05
Very easy, no frills apple pie (the best kind!). I was reading the reviews and saw the one from Pittsburgh. Being born and raised in Pittsburgh myself I am sorry to see such stupidity in print and even sorrier that this so called "cook" and "computer person" is serving on the city council and has such personal contacts that he/she is baking pies for the mayor! Next time you have to serve dessert to the mayor - get yourself to Prantl's in Shadyside and buy a pie!
print review with recipeilash on 12/21/04
tee hee hee! Reviews are funny, read on...
print review with recipeA Cook from mesa, AZ on 11/24/04
As chief "pie baker" for 35 years of family Thanksgivings, I found the recommended fresh lemon zest added nice zing to my own famous apple pie. Always open to tweaking my recipes! But MY O MY, how sad & ironic that some previous irate reviewers--apparently rank beginner cooks who found it necessary to "look up" how to bake an elementary apple pie--were chastising those unfamiliar with hyperlink use. Who's the real "dummy" here?