LEMON PIE
I struggled ten or fifteen years
To make good lemon pie.
The crust was thin, the paste was thick,
And the meringue was dry.
The crust was thick, the filling thin,
The top was limp and flat!
I thought, I’ve met my Waterloo–
I’ll never master that!
But I toiled on while bitter tears
Fell often on my board.
And now I’ll draw a peaceful breath–
I’ve reaped a rich reward.
I heard the village gossip say,
Today as I passed by:
“I never liked her, but she makes
A perfect lemon pie.”
-Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
I made a lemon meringue pie only once, and wrote about it here: Pie Amusement
You might think from the way I talked about pies ten years ago that I would have made dozens more by now, at least one a month, right? I have not. But, maybe I will this week — haha! I truly have been wanting to bake some kind of dessert so that I can call — or more likely, text — the neighbors and ask them for dessert on one of these long evenings. For me, baking a pie is a monumental event, and I don’t know if I can change my perspective at this stage of life.
This poem is from the poetry collection Songs of a Housewife, but you might be more familiar with the poet as the author of The Yearling. If you’d like to read more about the housewife-poet Rawlings, Sandy’s Chatter featured a post about her some time back, and shared another poem, “Prize Jelly.”
Gladsome Lights 
I love Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. I have read all of her books that I can get a hold of. I think she must have been a great cook.
AMDG
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I’m pretty sure I’ve read The Yearling, but it was a really long time ago, probably one of those I read to my children through my tears. So I should read it again and cry alone! What are your favorites by her?
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Well, now you’re going to have to hear the whole story, and get a perfect lemon pie recipe along with it.
First of all, I love lemon pie, but lemon meringue is an impossibility here because of the humidity. Not to worry: I have an alternative!
I grew up in a town about 25 miles from Marshalltown, Iowa. Because of certain vision issues, we went to Marshalltown fairly regularly to see my eye doctor, and also to shop. Whenever we went, we made a point of eating at Stone’s Restaurant, and the highlight of the meal always was a slice of their “Mile High Lemon Chiffon Pie.” It was delicious, and became an iconic food for my family.
When I grew old enough to begin experiencing nostalgia, I often thought about that pie, wishing for a slice, but no one had the recipe. Then, the internet happened. One night I wondered, “Could it be that the recipe is online?” It was, and here it is. There’s even some nice history of the restaurant on that site.
Believe me: it’s one of the easiest pies to make, especially since you bake the crust first and then add the filling. I might make one this weekend, just because. Our sky-high humidity doesn’t bother the mile-high pie!
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Thank you, Linda! I would like to try that!
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