An Apple Pie Question With No Easy Answer

What is the best way to eat apple pie? A warm slice is hard to beat. The filling smells wonderful, and if you’ve been waiting for pie, it feels like a reward. But room-temperature apple pie has its supporters. There’s no waiting, no reheating, and you can enjoy it exactly as it is. Then we have the people who believe the best slice comes from the fridge the next morning. If that’s you, I promise you have company. We haven’t even gotten to toppings. Some people want theirs plain and see no reason to interfere. Others have been planning what goes on top since before the pie was cut. A question like this often turns into a conversation about family. Someone will tell you how pie was served when they were growing up. Someone else will remember a holiday when the dessert table had more choices than the dinner table. Food has a way of carrying those memories around for us.

Speaking of holidays, I can hear Thanksgiving getting closer. It starts with one person asking whether it’s too early to plan. Then a few more people ask. Before long, everyone is trying to decide who is hosting, how many people are coming, and what should be on the table. If you’re the person who usually hosts, you know that the meal involves much more than cooking. You think about what people like to eat. You make sure everyone has a place to sit. You remember the thing someone can’t have, the thing somebody always asks for, and whether you own enough serving spoons. Somehow, that last question often comes up at the worst possible time. This year, some families are doing that planning while still dealing with hurricane recovery. If that’s you, please don’t feel that the meal has to look exactly as it has in the past. Make the dishes you enjoy making. Ask people to bring something. Let someone else handle dessert. A smaller gathering can still be warm and memorable.

. We’ll have more to say about holiday pies when November arrives. Today, I want to hear your apple pie answer. Warm, room temperature, or cold from the fridge? Tell us what belongs on top, too. I expect there will be strong opinions, and I’m ready to read them.