Photo credit: Stephen Depolo
Something about the crispness in the fall air (yes, even in San Diego) always makes me crave apple pie. The intoxicating aroma of cinnamon, sugar, and apples always brings back memories of my grandmother’s homemade apple pie every Thanksgiving, hot from the oven and slathered with melting vanilla ice cream.
I’ll be honest: I’ve only made pie once in my life, on a fall day like today when the craving was bad. Unfortunately, so was the pie.
One night last week, the craving drove me into the parking lot of Marie Callender’s, fully prepared to buy — and eat — a whole pie, though maybe not all in one sitting. As I pulled in, salivary glands activated, I saw two squad cars and four cops standing around next to them, apparently having pie for lunch. I had planned to park LaVanne and go into the back for a minute to wriggle into the bane of my life, EVIL SPORTSBRA. I hate wearing it but I suck it up when strangers will be looking at me, because gravity. But I didn’t want to draw police attention to my unusual living arrangement.
It was a tough choice — possible detection, boob embarrassment, or no apple pie — but I chose to forego the pie. I wish I hadn’t.
However… I am camped out in Pine Valley now, with my new friend Lois, and guess what? I just happen to be not horribly far away from Julian, apple pie capital of Southern California. Mmmm….
[Time passes]Shoot. When I suggested a pie run to Lois, she said no thanks. Can you believe it? She doesn’t like apple pie! Well, I might just have to go by myself. An addict will go to any length, I tell you, any.
[Edited to add:]So Lois read this post and immediately got on Yelp to find Julian apple pie for me in the near vicinity, since Julian is an hour away. And she found some! At Major’s Coffee Shop in Pine Valley, ten minutes away! And then she said, “Let’s go! Right now!” And we did! And it was awesome! (Lois had an awesome malted milkshake.) And here’s a shot of my apple pie à la mode:
Mmmm… apple pie…
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Hum, Apple Pie in a Solar Oven…. oh, and I have all the ingredients. Am I going to have to make a pie???? Funny thing is I was just craving the cinnamon/sugar thing, and heated up to tortilla shells, sprinkled grated cheese on them, and then some brown sugar and cinnamon on them. Yum. Not as good as Apple pie but a close second. OK when you get to Quartzsite, we will bake Apple pie, and I even have a freezer, so we can have ice cream standing by.
Yum — can’t wait, Charlene!
When I saw the topic was pie, and knowing you were in semi-rural San Diego County, I immediately thought of Julian. My SD native ex-wife introduced me to Julian and its pies. Having sampled the pies of both Julian and Pie Town, NM, I vote for Julian. Though Marie Callender’s is right up there, too, and in far more locations.
I got my Julian apple pie, Al — and I didn’t even have to drive to Julian. Lois found a coffee shop in Pine Valley that serves Julian apple pie. It was almost as good as Gramma’s. 🙂
I bought a Chefmate Propane Camp Oven and when you get to the desert we can bake a pie or just bake apples with cinnamon and nutmeg…brown sugar and real butter and eat the whole pan for breakfast…Hahaha!
Your story is funny…Julian is a wonderful place. My Mother used to take us to Julian on her many road trips when I was a kid. See you in the desert!
Oooh, coming soon, Sameer!