editor’s note

       Life Of Pie

       BY ANNIKA SMALL

      When we began planning which recipes to share with you, I found several definitions for the term “pot pie.” According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, a pot pie is “a mixture of meat and vegetables that is covered in a layer of pastry and cooked in a deep dish.” Elinor Klivans, author of “Potpies: Yumminess in a Dish” (Chronicle Books), writes that pot pies’ “common thread is that they use simple cooking methods.” One of our frequent contributors, Cheryl Morrison, writes in her article on page 4 that most “pot pies have crusts that encase — or at least cover — stewlike fillings.”

      Faced with these varied opinions, I wasn’t sure which recipes to include. Should they all include meat and vegetables? What about crust? Are pot pies main courses to be served only at lunch or dinner, or do people eat them at other times of the day? Can pot pies taste sweet — or just savory?

      Ultimately, we decided to embrace nontraditional versions. We’ve included recipes for chicken (pages 23 and 26), turkey (pages 20 and 22), beef (page 30) and vegetable (page 41) pot pies — all of your favorite comfort-food classics. You’ll also find recipes for unusual pies, such as shepherd’s pie (page 28), five-cheese pizza pot pie (page 44), lobster pot pie (page 47), savory vegan pot pie with tofu and potatoes (page 56), breakfast-sausage-hash pot pie (page 63), apricot and almond baklava (page 78), and many more. Plus, we’ve got tips about pairing these dishes with beer (page 90).

      One thing these recipes have in common besides their deliciousness: They all feature some sort of crust. (You’ll find recipes for that on page.) We’ll leave it to you to flip through the following pages and decide whether, in your opinion, that officially qualifies them as pot pies or not. Enjoy your “research”!