Pie, oh Pie!

Author and baker Kate Lebo

Millions of Americans will be sitting down soon for a Thanksgiving meal of turkey or ham and all the trimmings.  Their meals will probably be finished by serving a slice of pie for dessert.

Author and pie expert Kate Lebo isn't surprised by that fact.  She says pies are a symbol of gathering together and being social.

Lebo came to Decorah this week not only to speak at Luther College, but to teach "Pie School" at the Decorah Methodist Church, passing along a few tips to the 18 people who attended.

The secret of a good pie lies in the crust, says Lebo.  She lives in Washington State, but grew up in Iowa--and says many of your grandmother's tips were correct.  For instance, lard can be a good ingredient in a crust.  And it's best if you don't follow a recipe too closely, since pie crusts turn out best when you use your sense of touch to feel when they are ready.  "Your hands are your best tools," she told the group.

Lebo created Pie School in 2012 and has also gotten her first book, "A Commonplace Book of Pie," published by Chin Music Press last month.  She is currently working on a cookbook titled, "Pie School: Lessons in Fruit, Flour and Butter," with Sasquatch Books to be published in the fall of 2014.

That's not a bad record for someone whom Lebo herself describes as "a life-long English major" who used to get constant questions about what she would do for a living after graduating from college.

"Pie School"

Class members look on as Lebo dispenses tips