Pie First
A while back during my shift at a local diner, a young woman and her date took a seat at the counter and ordered a piece of pie which they proceeded to share.  It was early afternoon, a fairly common time for pie-goers to stop in, so I didn’t pay much attention to them snacking away.  I went about my business, taking care of some side work, replenishing sugar packets and jelly baskets.  When I passed by the couple again, they were sharing a Reuben sandwich.
A sandwich?
A sandwich!
Yes, by gum, they were eating a sandwich!
And I was inspired.  I smiled at the 20-something-year-old woman and said, “Pie first, THEN a sandwich.  You’re my kind of girl.”
Pie first.
Of course!
You’re not already full  from eating  a big meal.
Starting with dessert feels much less gluttonous  than adding it on after something else.
And, frankly, if you’re eating your meal distracted by which dessert to choose later, consider the injustice that meal suffers.  The rejection and hurt it must feel, knowing the eater is not fully satisfied by what the meal has to offer.  Pie first erases all that pain.
Who made these traditional rules of meal progression anyway?
Who decided it should be steak THEN ice cream? Soup THEN cookies? Sandwich THEN pie?
Perhaps if we checked the history books, we would find that in colonial times desserts were not as decadent as they are today.  Maybe when little Timothy asked, “What hast thou prepared for dessert, Grandmum?” she wearily replied, “Yam skin pudding, lad.”  Hence the desire to push dessert as far into the future as possible.
Thankfully, dessert has evolved greatly  since those early days and need no longer be avoided.  On the contrary, it’s downright wonderful.  Any time.
ANY time.
So say it with me,
Pie first.
With conviction,
Pie first.
Fork in hand,
Pie first!!!
.
.
I think we may be on to something.
~By Julie Bower
