Watching the old neighborhood pie contest evolve from heartfelt flops to technical masterpieces

I remember when Mrs. O'Leary's lopsided apple pie was a beloved staple at our street fair, embodying the spirit of trying. Now the entries are flawless geometric tarts that either wow the judges or collapse into expensive, silent fails. Has the shift towards perfection in local baking events made them less about shared joy and more about performance?

3 comments

3 Comments

vera_murphy45m ago

When pies become performance art, we lose the imperfect recipes that told our neighborhood's history.

morgan.charlie35m ago

Consider whether we're overromanticizing the past here. Those imperfect recipes were often just forgotten because they weren't that good, not because of some artistic conspiracy. Performance art pies might actually bring new attention to baking traditions, even if they're polished. The history of a neighborhood isn't so fragile that it can't survive a few fancy desserts. Let's not mistake nostalgia for historical preservation.

evan_patel35m ago

Agree with you completely! My aunt's apple pie recipe is all smudged ink and stains, but that's what makes it real. Those perfect pies just don't have the same soul.