Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi). Pi Day is observed on March 14 (3/14 in the month/day date format) since 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant digits of π.
In the year 2015, Pi Day had special significance on 3/14/15 (mm/dd/yy date format) at 9:26:53 a.m. and also at p.m., with the date and time representing the first 10 digits of π. That same second also contained a precise instant corresponding to all of the digits of π.
~ Thanks wikipedia
Last year at Caramoor, I kicked off the first celebration of what we coined Pi(e) Day on March 14th, with a potluck lunch of pizza pies, quiches, homemade tarts, mini pecan pie bites, and more.
This year, we knew what to expect - and that it was going to be a BIG deal - so we decided to make it a special breakfast party. The only problem? Pi(e) Day would fall on Saturday the 14th. What a better way to make a Friday the 13th more memorable?
Set-up started the night before and we tried to make room for a variety of pies and accompaniments
My contributions were three-fold:
Pumpkin Pie Crumble Cake (more on that later)
that only I tasted -- and OMIGOSH TOO SWEET!
it was really only there as a decorative item.
and a quiche Lorraine
and did that somehow end up being the only quiche Lorraine, why yes, it did.
Luckily we had more space this year, because the offerings started to roll in, roll in, and roolllllll in.
Quiches of all types, necessitating a sampler plate or two.
My office was full of revelers, bonding over carbs, and meeting the singers-in-residence for the week.
We even had a Pi(e) Day appropriate craft learning center, courtesy of the CEO's son.
But really, the emphasis was on the pies -- and they kept showing up.
Did you see the dough pi symbol? Fancy.
HOME.MADE.FRANGIPANE!
It was a good thing one of my colleagues brought in her dog at the end. Pi(e) Day left a lot of crusty crumbles on the floor for Ralph to lick up.
Someone suggested that we do "Iron Chef" Caramoor or a baking competition. I not too subtly squashed that idea. There are some VERY competitive people on the staff, some of whom have owned their own catering businesses, foodies, wannabe foodies, and MORE competitive type folks, - and please, who can compete with those freak frangipanes! NOT me.
Look, I'm the girl who tried out a two new recipes for this thing. That deceptively beautiful pink pie? One bite was enough. It hadn't really set - and this group is more into savory than sweet. That was too sweet. I chucked it.
Also, the lovely pumpkin pie crumble cake (c/o the Cake Mix Doctor) - caused me FITS. Recipes that call for evaporated milk are particularly tricky. You know the expression, "measure twice, cut once?" For recipes that include cans of evaporated milk, it should be: read 25 times & sign a piece of paper that you have doubled-checked that it calls for X oz. and you are holding a can that equals those X oz. & have an independent outside source verify the same.
In this case, the cake called for a 5 oz. can. Who poured in an entire 12 oz. can into the batter?
This girl!
Did she say a few words and then try and figure out a thickening agent scenario when no stores were open at that hour and even if 7Eleven was, it wouldn't have what she needed?
You betcha.
LUCKILY, I had a small Ziploc container from my old bossman at Juilliard of all people, and I added about 7 teaspoons into the batter until I felt like it MIGHT be the right consistency and then I prayed and prayed and prayed that it would fit a) the pan and b) be edible. I also baked it a whole helluva lot longer than you'd know that recipe called for.
Sadly, that wasn't the only party OR baking adventure for work that week.
So many parties that week.
So.
Many.
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