It's not a subject that pie-man's explored much, given our northern origins. But Kevin has emailed us asking

"Please can you help! Do you know of a recipe you could email me on how to make authentic "Pie, Mash, & Liquor"?

A quick search of Google revealed a beautiful picture of same, and a short history of this East End of London speciality complete with liquor recipe. Does anyone have any others they can recommend? Or know of a good pie and mash shop we can point Kevin in the direction of?

Labels: green liquor, pie and mash, pies

Dear Pie-man.com,

Yours is a fantastic website, great fun, very funny and all about pies. What's not to like?

I did notice that there is a distinct lack of information regarding piephilia outside Tyneside and the north, and nothing wrong with that, of course. Down here in the shandy-drinking bed-wetting south, the pie is possibly not as highly regarded as in the north but there are notable exceptions.

Coming from the East End of London (it has to be typed like that for reasons of tourism), pies were an important part of childhood. Pie and Mash Shops (tourism again) might seem like a cliche but done properly it is a true and genuine local food with a history and integrity. I have tried and failed many times to recreate the pie shop pie but to no avail. No amount of Google-ing provided any answers. I imagine that the recipes are jealously guarded family secrets.

I found a very fine regional dish on a market stall in Great Yarmouth in Norfolk (who incidentally sold only this). Freshly baked and still hot home made minced beef and onion pies into which you add mushy peas, vinegar, and get this, mint sauce! Crazy dish, crazy town.

If any of your readers venture even further south to the port towns of Kent I would recommend the finest "cornish" pasty I've ever tried. Seek out an independent family chain of butchers called Rook and Sons who do the best pasty. They do two types. Both hot and ready to go. The slightly more expensive one is larger and has puff pastry (a Bafta winner, say of Kevin Spacey status), but the Nobel peace prize and Oscar winner (de Niro, natch) is the smaller shortcrust cornish pasty. Superb, no-eggwash short pastry, with a thin veneer of crust concealing moist and gravy-laden pastry with a filling of finely minced lean beef, onion, a little carrot (sorry Cornwall) a little seasoning and the richest, almost black, gravy ever to be found in a baked, shop-bought product. Truly wonderful.

I enjoyed your pie reviews. I have experienced (tasted would be incorrect) the same pies as in your review. You are quite correct. Make your own, already!

Regards, Glenn

Labels: pies

Ah, a man after our own hearts. Check out The Guardian's Michael Hann in praise of pork pies.

Labels: pies

Not content with shovelling snow and capturing the moon on a stick, pie-man has left no stone unturned in his quest to bring you the Definitive Guide to Fray Bentos. Minions were sent to the ends of the earth, maidens wrote screeds on papyrus and grizzled sorcerers read ancient runes after their palms were crossed with gold.

OK, we looked a few things up on Google. Now go and have a look. If we've missed anything, email us.

Labels: fray bentos, pies

Ever fancied life as a Japanese poet? Yes, we know they eat an awful lot of sushi and noodles, and not a lot of pies, but there have to be some advantages. Bullet trains. Lost in Translation. Origami. Erm. Anyway, here's your challenge: sparked off by an email this week from the lovely Will, who enquired what pastry was used on pork pies. It was such a poetic email, pie-man decided to concoct a pie haiku. Can you do any better?

All contributions welcome. We'll publish the best ones on the site for all to see. So get scribbling...

Labels: pies

Avast thar, me hearties! Welcome to one and all from the Yachting and Boating World forum. We hope you've enjoyed your sail round our esteemed pie site. If you're looking for Fray Bentos-related information, can we point you firstly towards our rather strongly held opinions on Premier Foods' finest tinned pies, and to one woman's dangerous experiment with sell-by dates.

Although if you're after more information about Premier Foods closing their Fray Bentos factory in King's Lynn you could try the Lynn News, the Independent, or the Beeb. It looks like production will continue at alternative sites, so we suspect there's no need to stockpile the exploding comestible alongside your grog and hard tack just yet.

Labels: pies

At pie-man towers we pride ourselves on answering your pie-related queries, no matter how odd. Some are philosophical - Paul asked us this week where you draw a line between a pie and a pasty? - and some you couldn't make up if you tried. "Will I die if I eat a Fray Bentos pie from 2001?" asked Dee this week. Despite pie-man's best advice, you'll be pleased to know she did survive the attempt. Don't try this at home, pop pickers.

So if you've a pastry-related issue that's keeping you awake at night (and we don't mean indigestion), email us and we'll do our best to get back to you.

Labels: pies

Here at pie-man towers we know that you love discussing the delights of our bete noir, Fray Bentos. There's no justice. But, as the customer is always right, and all that, here, for your delectation, is Fray Bentos - The Opera. Don Giokidney, to be precise, featuring the St Martins in a Tin Choir, conducted by Sir Neville Bentos. Sit back, relax, and just be glad it wasn't you eating it...

Labels: fray bentos, pies