Pie: the mere word brings to mind flaky crusts and thick, sweet fruit fillings or perhaps the richness of pecans swimming in Karo syrup. In prose poems, Kate Lebo brings new meaning to apple, pumpkin and mumbleberry pie, among others, in the delightfully amusing A Commonplace Book of Pie. She also has thoughts on the people who love pies. For a blueberry pie devotee, she writes, "a pert slice and a little lemon is the difference between wanting to view paradise and viewing it." A woman who serves rhubarb custard pie, on the other hand, "is queen of the tealit dining room, her whisperclean countertops formica bright. Though she has been known to fake orgasms, she would never serve Splenda to guests."
Lovely illustrations by Jessica Lynn Bonin of pies and pie-making equipment accompany Lebo's poems. And then there are recipes and helpful tips on how to make great pie crusts and pies. There's the ice water method, the boiling water method, the vodka method. Should you use lard, butter or Crisco? What do you do if you have sweaty hands or a crust that needs to be patched together? Lebo provides a master recipe for fruit-filled pies and explains why you need just so much of the five main ingredients. Although a slim volume, readers will be hard-pressed to know whether this book belongs in the kitchen for the recipes or on the coffee table for the illustrations and poems. Charming to read in either spot, A Commonplace Book of Pie is anything but commonplace. --Lee E. Cart, freelance writer and book reviewer