Nothing suggests Americana more than a pie, sitting in an open windowsill, its aroma perfuming the breeze and beckoning to passersby.

The temptation to abscond with such a pie is so familiar that it became a trope, appearing in children’s books like Richard Scarry’s “The Great Pie Robbery” and a cupcake-based variation, “Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes” by Kimberly and James Dean, as well as numerous cartoons and films.

Ethan and Joel Coen’s film “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” serves up a delightful twist, as the thieves leave money on the windowsill to compensate the disappointed piemaker.

Why are pies so beloved?

As I continued my project of cooking through my grandmother’s copy of “The Joy of Sharing,” the church cookbook published by the Oak Valley Lutheran Church Women of Velv

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