piemas
I heard about Piemas on KCRW's "Good Food" program over the wknd. I want to do this. We must do this. Jesus would have done it. If the apostles had tried Mary Magdalene's Fig Galette... I don't know. Maybe it wouldn't have been their last supper, is all I'm saying.
One year long ago, several friends were gathered for a thanksgiving dinner. Dinner was mighty tasty and everyone was full. Then dessert was brought out: pies.
...Nine lovely dessert pies, and eight guests to eat them. So the pies were passed around from place to place, slivered onto plates, shuffled onto the sideboard when the table space ran out, and no one felt really well by the end of it.
However, everyone recognized the magnitude and goodness of the occassion, and in later years piemas was separated from thanksgiving to give greater attention to the pies. Savory pies, pizza pies, quiches, pot pies, and hand-held pies like empanadas have been added to round out the meal. Piemas lore is passed from seasoned guest to new invitee ("don't get seconds or you'll never make it through dessert!").
...And so each year, around-but-not-on thanksgiving, we gather for pies.