“This must be where pies go when they die.”

May 17, 2017 4:51 AM

Another ‘Twin Peaks’ Puzzle: How to Make That Cherry Pie [The New York Times] “Finding an authentic recipe for “Twin Peaks” cherry pie is about as easy as figuring out who killed Laura Palmer. They serve a version here at Twede’s Cafe, the restaurant about 30 miles east of Seattle that played a backdrop as the Double R Diner in David Lynch’s quirky 1990s television series. Visitors still come from around the world to linger over slices of the bracingly sweet, viscous red double-crust pie and cups of the “damn fine” coffee at the U-shaped counter. A short drive away, there is another pie, heavily seasoned with cinnamon, at the Salish Lodge & Spa overlooking Snoqualmie Falls, the waterfall in the series’ opening credits. “Twin Peaks,” which returns on Sunday after a 26-year hiatus, fetishized pie [The New York Times Recipe] (as well as doughnuts and that coffee, “black as midnight on a moonless night”) to such an extent that almost any real-life slice is bound to fall short.”
posted by Fizz (24 comments total)

Now I want pie.

I don't understand why they make a big deal about the "mock buttermilk" thing. The milk/vinegar trick is what you do if you don't have buttermilk and don't want to run to the store, and it's never quite as good as the real thing. I did however enjoy this page in the giant book of Baking as Superstitious Cargo Cult:

“A regular pie crust has three ingredients,” he said. “My pie crust has seven.”

SEVEN, you say, SEVEN?
posted by middleclasstool at 5:16 AM on May 17, 2017 [4 favorites]

This looks to me to be a fine place to mention that the book Damn Fine Cherry Pie: And Other Recipes from TV's Twin Peaks is an excellent book filled with many great recipes.

One of these days, I will make the chocolate chestnut log. And it will have something to tell me.
posted by Katemonkey at 5:17 AM on May 17, 2017 [7 favorites]

The Hungry Crowd: David Lynch [Interview] [Food & Wine]

“You once described sugar as “granulated happiness.” Do you still feel that way?
No. Sugar does make people happy, but then you fall off the edge after a few minutes, so I’ve really pretty much cut it out of my diet. Except for cupcakes. I like those.”

posted by Fizz at 5:34 AM on May 17, 2017 [7 favorites]

A recipe was on the back of a Twin Peaks trading card. I tried it - my baking skills at the time were not up to the challenge, it was a mediocre pie. In honor of the series return, I should try it again!
posted by King Sky Prawn at 6:02 AM on May 17, 2017 [2 favorites]

I love pie. I really dislike cherry pie, but that's because I don't like cherries. Heretic, I know. But if any friends ask me to bake one for them, I will. I'm baking agnostic. I'm actually looking forward to the show after having tuned out in the 2nd season.


I just hope that wherever Agent Jeffries is, he's having a damn fine cup of coffee. I've heard he prefers coffee to tea, so.
posted by droplet at 6:17 AM on May 17, 2017 [1 favorite]

I'm actually looking forward to the show after having tuned out in the 2nd season.

What second season?

;-)
posted by Fizz at 6:25 AM on May 17, 2017 [5 favorites]

I had a piece of cherry pie and a cup of (damn fine! And hot!) coffee at Twede's when I was in Seattle a couple years back. The pie is really sweet and yeah almost syrupy as well as being crimson in color which suprised me. The crust was nice. The coffee was great diner coffee. If you're up that way I recommend it. The town (North Bend) is really cute and picturesque in the winter.
posted by supercrayon at 6:58 AM on May 17, 2017 [1 favorite]

That gum you like is going to come back in style.
posted by leotrotsky at 7:10 AM on May 17, 2017

is about as easy as figuring out who killed Laura Palmer

uh does somebody want to tell them
posted by murphy slaw at 7:12 AM on May 17, 2017 [9 favorites]

SEVEN, you say, SEVEN?

Which is absurd even without wondering why more ingredients should make a better crust; "regular" pie crust often includes salt and sugar as well as more than one kind of fat, so you're already talking at least five ingredients for bog-standard pie crust.
posted by uncleozzy at 7:16 AM on May 17, 2017

The real trick with cherry pie is getting just the right amount of balance between the tartness and sweetness; if you're going to make it super-sweet, then just use a bunch of partially-dissolved grandma candy for filling. (See also: the crucial strawberry/rhubarb balance.)
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:23 AM on May 17, 2017

this post has an appalling lack of warrant
posted by entropicamericana at 7:34 AM on May 17, 2017 [1 favorite]

In New England, apple pie dominates, and I like it, but a homemade cherry pie, lots of cherries, not too much cornstarch-y filling, is tasty. My (sour) cherry tree is blooming and there should be enough for a pie.
posted by theora55 at 7:34 AM on May 17, 2017 [2 favorites]

you're already talking at least five ingredients for bog-standard pie crust.

My guess is he does those five plus maybe the "replace part of the water with booze" trick, so there's six, and he probably does the half butter/half shortening thing, so there's your seven, two fats plus flour plus water plus vodka (or whatever) plus salt plus sugar.

But, yeah, bare minimum four, right? If you aren't putting salt in it, I ain't eating your pie okay, I'm eating it but really just so I can smugly judge your bland-ass pie and also, hey, free pie.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:35 AM on May 17, 2017 [3 favorites]

I've eaten at Twede's cafe several times. Also have Twin Peaks memorabilia. Really the Log Lady was my favorite character.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 9:04 AM on May 17, 2017

“A regular pie crust has three ingredients,” he said. “My pie crust has seven.”

I, too, enjoy eating pancakes, but this is a story about a pie, fella, so you can take your eggs and your vinegar and whatever other affronts to god you've summoned to poison the humble cherry pie, and you can stuff 'em down the oubliette while us decent-thinking folk stick with our four-ingredient crusts.
posted by Mayor West at 9:09 AM on May 17, 2017 [1 favorite]

The secret to the coffee is the fish in the perculator.
posted by dr_dank at 9:22 AM on May 17, 2017

Good on the article for noting the passing of Cross affecting pie quality. Twede's pie has been crap for years. Twede's in general was crap for years and only notable for the astonishing painting of Mt. Si w/ bubbles and wizard that was on sale there for so long and then not and I regret even now not buying it. I can't bring myself to go in now that they made it look like the old Mar-T.

At least the log abides.
posted by nixon's meatloaf at 9:53 AM on May 17, 2017 [1 favorite]

the crucial strawberry/rhubarb balance

Strawberry: 0%
Rhubarb: 100%
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 10:17 AM on May 17, 2017 [2 favorites]

But, yeah, bare minimum four, right? If you aren't putting salt in it, I ain't eating your pie

Yes, anyone who thinks you can make anything with flour but not salt needs to be reminded that it is the devil who serves a saltless meal. It is said that the fear generated by bloody murder grants access to the Black Lodge, but​ an unsalted pie crust has the same effect.
posted by howfar at 10:34 AM on May 17, 2017 [4 favorites]

The town (North Bend) is really cute and picturesque in the winter.

I would agree, but I live here so I'm biased. ;) Twede's is good diner food but don't expect much more than what you could get at other diners, good size portions though. Last I recall the pie wasn't that great. Salish Lodge does have great food though. If you visit the lodge, take a left just before you enter The Dining Room and head upstairs to The Attic. Grab a window seat if you can or just grab a couch and order anything off their menu, it's all good!
posted by P.o.B. at 12:30 PM on May 17, 2017 [2 favorites]

I live in the area and frequent most of the establishments being discussed. The pie at Twede's is fine, but not life-changing. But at least Twede's has kept a flame burning, however small, for Twin Peaks. The majority of the business here have generally ignored their Twin Peaks connections. That has changed recently, and it seems nearly everywhere has a cherry pie now. I'm sure they are all adequate, but I prefer to make my own. And this fad will pass with time.

The real tragedy of Twede's, aside from some poor decor choices, has always been their coffee. It's usually closer to "the sting of the 48-hour blend" than "damn fine" - an additional tragedy considering the high standards the Seattle region has for coffee.
posted by kreinsch at 7:34 AM on May 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

Blinging with Babish: Twin Peaks Breakfast (SLYT).

I admit, I squeed a bit when the special guest appeared.

Andrew teases that cherry pie is coming.
posted by bonehead at 9:12 AM on May 18, 2017

On a more serious note, I use the table of fruit filling variations from one of the Cooks Illustrated cookbooks for many of my berry pies/cobblers. Their flavoring pairings for sour cherry filling are almond extract and kirschwasser (plus sugar and thickener, of course).

And I still swear by Kate McDermott's pie crust recipe.
posted by kreinsch at 12:05 PM on May 23, 2017