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Though I'm not particularly fond of math (it was always my worst subject in school,) I am a lover of pie. One of my all time favorite movie quotes is from Pulp Fiction and it goes a little something like this - "Any time of the day is a good time for pie." I am a firm believer in that statement. A couple of years ago, when I was still living in Greenpoint, a lovely little shop opened up that was conveniently on my walk home from the subway. The Blue Stove was a pie shop, a beautiful, quaint, cozy little pie shop that served warm pies, both sweet and savory, steaming cups of tea and chilly cups of chocolate milk. It was wonderful. As you can imagine I was very sad to leave the neighborhood and lose my pie shop when I moved to Bushwick last summer. I was even more sad when I had to leave the borough and move to Baltimore. I thought I'd never find another pie shop like that... and I haven't. Instead I've found Dangerously Delicious, a pie shop that serves up sweet and savory pies fresh out of the oven, boasts a bit of a rockabilly Hon kind of vibe, and hosts a date night with a special on two slices and drinks for cutesy couples like me and my honey. And it's only a fifteen minute walk from our house; exactly the amount of walking one should do so as not to feel guilty about frequently eating pie.

elvis approved

Today, on this day of days devoted to one of my all-time favorite desserts, I wandered over to the shop to pick of a slice in honor of pi(e) day, the only day I will ever be ok with celebrating math (no matter how much Cady Heron likes it.) I prefer fruit pies to custard pies and just my luck, the apple crumble had just come out of the oven and was piled into a togo container of piping hot, gooey messiness. Even though I was super full from a delicious lunch feast of Kumari Indian food with my new galpal I couldn't resist a couple of bites. Could you blame me? Fresh out of the oven! But I saved the rest, reheated it and sat down with a glass of red wine to catch up on my correspondence and celebrate the holiday. It was marvelous, especially once I threw in a few Downton Abbey reruns! The perfect supper for someone who completely gorged at lunch is pie and wine.

last year's pie - imagine this in a flaky, bacony crust

But I couldn't be satisfied by just going out for a slice, no way jose! Last year I prepared the best chicken pot pie I've ever had - chunks of savory roast chicken, carrots, fresh peas, baby potatoes, onions, fresh parsley, gravy and a bacon fat crust. Yup, you read that right, bacon fat crust. It was so rich and amazing and the filling was just out of the world. But this year I didn't want to make a huge savory pie for me and my lonesome. That would be a little too gluttonous, even for me. Honey's getting home late tomorrow night from Brooklyn and I want to make sure there's something other than a fabulous cheese plate to welcome him to our house. Something warming and comforting. Something like a pie. Our new neighborhood, like my darling old Greenpoint, was at one time predominantly German and Polish. There's not much beyond a few churches left to suggest the old world presence but we were able to find a Polish sausage store just a couple of blocks away when we were out walking with my mom last weekend (my dad will be so happy!) We picked up a little bit of everything they had in the tiny shop so that Lizzie B could bring it home for Pops and I grabbed a long link of smoked kielbasa jam-packed with delicious spices and whole peppercorns. But I didn't know what to do with it... until pi(e) day popped up on the calendar. I cheated a little bit and bought already prepared pie crusts but I did doctor them up with a splash of caraway seeds. For the filling, I sauteed some red onions with a little smoked paprika, grainy mustard and kale. I tossed in slices of the smoked kielbasa and then some fresh sauerkraut. I tossed it in the oven just before I left to go pick up honey and baked it until the crust was pretty and golden brown. Honey came home to a delicious smelling house and a warm, tasty supper. And Macaroni begging for scraps! This was an absolutely perfect meal because it was quick, filling, yummy smelling and it made our bellies happy. Of course it would have taken a little longer had I made my own pie crust, but sometimes it's not the worst thing in the world to cut a few corners. Happy pi(e) day to all and to all a good night!

savory kale-basa pie
yields one small pie
ingredients
1/2 large red onion, diced
1 bushel kale, rinsed and torn
1 foot long link smoke kielbasa, sliced about 1/4" thick
1 c fresh sauerkraut, drained
1 tsp smoked parika
1 heaping tsp grainy country mustard
1 sheet pre-made pie crust rolled with 1 tbsp caraway seeds
directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375. Line a small, ungreased pie pan with the crust. There will be quite a bit of pie crust hanging over the edges of your pan; just leave it to fold over the top.
2. Heat a skillet with a splash of oil and saute the onions with paprika and mustard until soft. Toss in the kale and continue to saute until it is just wilty. 
3. Toss in the kielbasa slices to warm and soften, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in sauerkraut. Mix the filling well and spread evenly into the pie crust. Fold over the excess crust to cover the filling and seal in all the yummy goodness.
4. Bake covered with foil for 25 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake at 375 for an additional 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with a tiny mixed green salad and your favorite mustard.