A piece of pie

Home-baked pies went out with manual typewriters. But unlike old Royals, which are in the attic collecting dust, pies are trotted out every year on Thanksgiving Day as a symbol of cozy family life. Of family life, that is, as it no longer exists -- when homemade pies lined the kitchen windowsill guarded by a proud, flour-covered baker. One reason we'll never give up pies entirely is their evocative nature. A taste of pie, like Marcel Proust's madeleine, can elicit a range of emotions, from dreaminess to nostalgia to real sadness to warm satisfaction. You can leave the old typewriter in storage, along with such other outdated accoutrements of modern life as vinyl records and washboards, but don't forget the pies. Even if it's only once a year. They're more than mere culinary tradition. (Recipes are on the following page.)

CRISPIER CRUST

A wonderful trick when baking pies is to set them on a pizza stone that has been heating in the oven for 15 minutes. That way, the heat of the stone immediately penetrates the bottom crust and allows it to turn crisp and hard while the wet filling cooks. Failing that, set the pan on a heavy baking sheet (not one that buckles in the oven) so there is extra heat under the bottom of the pie.