Few names conjure up as much respect, admiration or praise as that of Frederick Douglass. On the anniversary of his death in 1895, Preservation Maryland is proud to remember the contributions of one the state’s most famous citizens.
What’s at the intersection of preservation and pizza? Preservation Maryland’s PreserveCast episode on the history of pizza, of course. In honor of National Pizza Day, tune in to the conversation with our President & CEO Nicholas Redding and pizza historian Alexander Hughes on his work chronicling the history of pizza in the United States and Canada and what is being done to preserve this slice of our history.
“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” – Maya Angelou
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Apple, key lime, and pumpkin get all the love. Today, on National Pi(e) Day, why not celebrate with a Maryland classic: White Potato Pie! The origins of the White Potato Pie are murky, with some recipes noting that it was a poor man’s dessert, created by those who could not afford high-class ingredients. Joyce White, a culinary historian and consultant – who is currently leading The Great Maryland Recipe Hunt initiative – suspects this pie has its origins in Maryland’s agricultural history.
Tobacco was the dominant crop in the region, but growing the plant in the same plot of land year after year depletes the nutrients in the soil, so proper crop rotation was key. Maryland became known for growing corn, soybeans, potatoes, and wheat, among other things. In the years where the potato crop was abundant, Marylanders looked for ways to ensure it didn’t go to waste, and thus, the white potato pie was born.
According to White, most recipes for this sweet treat are simple and resemble those for sweet potato and even pumpkin pie. They involve mashed potatoes, eggs, sugar, lemon, nutmeg, and vanilla. White notes that this pie would have been easy to make and transport, and could withstand summer heat after a summer potato harvest.
Potato pies date to at least the seventeenth-century and were frequently made from white or sweet potatoes and contained many ingredients we use in pies today, like sugar, raisins, spices, eggs, and butter. While sweet potato pie is most commonly baked, there is a long tradition of white potato pie in Maryland. Here is a recipe for sweet Eastern Shore White Potato Pie via Joyce White:
Combine potatoes, cream, eggs, and sugar. Beat at a high speed until well blended. Add flavorings and spices. Pour into two 9” prepared pastry shells. Bake 1 hour or until silver knife inserted in center comes out clean.
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