Pie-apaloosa
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on October 5, 2011 1:46 PM
News-Argus/MICHAEL K. DAKOTA
Judge Carl Judah takes a piece of pie from Shea Foss to taste test. The chef supervisor at Wayne Memorial Hospital said he tasted a lot of good pies. And they filled him up, too, he added, since he was quite hungry by the time he got to the fair.
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News-Argus/MICHAEL K. DAKOTA
Megan Hurt accepts her first-place prize at the pie-baking contest at the fair with surprise. She wasn't stressed out about the competition because she figured if she was supposed to win, she would.
Galina Reimers' friend told her if she entered this year's pie-baking contest at the county fair she would win. Galina didn't believe it, but her friend talked her into giving it a try anyway.
Having never entered any cooking contest before, Galina was blown away when her name was announced Tuesday as the winner in the "all others" category of the adult division of the pie-baking contest at the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair.
"My friend said I have a gift from God and everything I try to bake comes out nice," Galina said.
And the 40-year-old has only recently taken up the craft.
"A year ago I didn't even know how to bake bread," she said.
While pies were being judged, Galina was sure her blueberry one wouldn't win.
"I was just sitting there thinking fine, so many people entered pies and if I don't win, it's fine," she said. "My daughter even said, 'Mommy are you going to go up for first place?' I said don't worry, I'm not going to win."
When she was called up in front of the crowd to receive her award, Galina thought to herself, "Wow, me?"
Elizabeth Weeks was also shocked when she won the junior "all others" category because she realized while the judging was going on that she had forgotten to put the egg in her pepperoni pie.
She made it with white cheese, cheddar cheese and pepperoni in a croissant crust and even decorated the top with a smiley face made out of pepperoni.
The 17-year-old wanted to make a pie that her brother would eat, but ended up winning a first-place ribbon, too.
Megan Hurt didn't stress out about the competition. She figured if she was supposed to win, she would win. She took home first place in the junior fruit category with her blueberry pie.
The 17-year-old had never entered a pie in a contest before and was shocked when she actually won.
It was also the first time that 28-year-old Megan Gay entered competition.
"I kept thinking the past two years that I should enter, but just never did," she said. "I was hopeful that I would win, but just wasn't sure how the competition was. There's a lot of women who've perfected their pies over the years. I was just doing it for the fun of it."
Megan likes to experiment with pies.
"You have certain things that work all the time as long as you do what you normally do," she said. "But sometimes I want to experiment a little. I like to try stepping outside my normal box with my pies sometimes."
But for the contest, she stuck with a tried-and-true recipe for blueberry pie.
"It's the one I like making the best, and I think it tastes better than my other pies," Megan said.
One of the ladies who has perfected her pies over the years and whom Megan had to beat this year was Margey Smith.
Margey has been entering the pie baking contest for more than 30 years and thinks she might have missed just one or two years winning first place.
This year was no different as she won with her chocolate chip pie, a new recipe she decided to try.
"I love to experiment with my pies," Margey said. "I make lots of messes, though."
She said it's always exciting when her name is called as a winner and said it's not really the pie, but the competition that she likes best.
Her daughter, 24-year-old Colleen, is following in her mother's footsteps.
She's been entering the pie-baking contest since she was in high school. And even before that, as a small girl she would watch her grandmother bake pies and sit with her as they were judged at the fair.
"I never win with a cream pie, so I wasn't betting on this year's peanut butter whip cream pie to win today," Colleen said. "I just did this for fun."
She took home a first-place prize.
Brittany Barfield tried her hand at making a derby pie, her first-ever entry in a pie-baking contest.
"I kind of wanted something that was like a cookie dough and this pie is almost like that," the 17-year-old said. "It was really exciting to hear my name called as a winner. It was a really good experience and something I definitely look forward to doing again."
Entering her famous lemon pie was 16-year-old Kayla Anderson.
"It's usually what I make, and it's really good," she said. She was surprised, but very happy, when she won.
Hannah Lee is almost an old pro at the pie-baking contest, although she's only 16. She's been entering for nine years.
"It's so fun and it gives me a chance to make something from scratch," Hannah said. "I was amazed I won this year with my angel pie with pineapple, pecans and whipped cream. I was not sure if I'd win, but I'm glad I did."
But no one was more surprised to win than 39-year-old Lori Jones with her chocolate pecan bourbon pie.
"I almost didn't bring it because it didn't set right to start and I had to stick it back in the oven," she said. "And at the last minute I pulled it out and decided to try. So I brought it and won first place."
Although Lori has entered the pie-baking contest for about 20 years, she's come away with only second and third places.
She's part of three generations of pie bakers. Her mother has been entering pies for several years and now Lori's children are taking up the tradition. This year two of her three daughters won second and third place with their pies.
"It's a family tradition and we enjoy doing it," she said.