Five-Layer Chocolate Pie
Today I'm writing about chocolate pie.
Just because.
Because.
Can I be bare-bones honest?
Because today my heart cannot look at cancer and chronic illness and chronic pain and loss and holding on with fingernails to hope.
Because.
when someone you love has a chronic illness it's a roller coaster ride and today I just need to stagger off that-stomach-lurching-into-my-throat-plunge-to-the-bottom and sit on a bench because I'm tired and I just need to wait for my world to quit tilting.
Or I need to throw up. I'm not quite sure.
So I'm writing about pie (which is a little strange since I just mentioned throwing up and now I'm writing about food, but it's that kinda day too),
and a tradition that began on the shores of Lake Superior and traveled across the country to desert living in Chandler, Arizona.
Years ago when my husband and I were first married, we lived in Grand Marais, MN, which is a bit of a misnomer, because we actually lived 30 miles up the Gunflint Trail in a little cabin in the Boundary Waters. Like many people in the area, we had an outdoor bathroom, no running water and heated with wood.
Once a week we went to Grand Marais to do laundry and stock up on supplies. When we wanted to see a movie or do a major shopping excursion, we drove 110 miles to Duluth, MN, the closest large city. In the summer months we always stopped at a seasonal restaurant on the North Shore, near Two Harbors--Betty's Pies.
The restaurant was owned and operated by Betty Lessard for twenty-eight years. To ensure quality, she did all the baking herself, including 24 loaves of bread a day and up to 100 pies, plus cookies, donuts and bars. Betty's was also known for her fresh trout, walleye, chicken and shrimp dinners, but we always stopped for the pie. Betty's was open 6 days a week, 6 months of the year.
I had three favorites: Fresh Strawberry, Fresh Blueberry and Five-Layer Chocolate.
I have fond memories of sitting on the swivel stools at the cafe counter, taking a bite of Betty's delicious homemade pie--really and truly a bit of heaven for the mouth.
Betty's sold the restaurant in 1984, the last summer we lived in Minnesota. Subsequent owners have continued to thrive and if you are hankering for a taste of Betty's pies, you can now get one shipped to your front door: http://www.bettyspies.com/category/baked.htm.
Several years ago my mom gave me a cookbook -- Betty's Pies Favorite Recipes. I was pleased to discover all my past favorites as I skimmed through the pages. The Five-Layer Chocolate Pie has now become a Thanksgiving staple on our holiday table, although this year I will be revamping the recipe with a gluten-free crust.
Traditions are important in our world of constant change. It's one way we hold onto a sense of normal. We all need a bit of sameness, of steadiness, of passing on familiar memories year after year. One of those traditions in our home is a chocolate pie.