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On Pi Day, Savor a Slice
I know nothing about mathematical formulas, but I know a good triangle of flaky deliciousness when I see it
In case you thought the month of March offered nothing beyond Ash Wednesday and the start of Daylight Savings Time, here’s a holiday to add to your calendar: Pi Day, celebrated on March 14.
Why March 14? Because the date is written as 3/14, and — as all math geeks know — Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, or approximately 3.14.
Math and I have a rocky relationship. But I love a good excuse to indulge in a flaky triangle of yumminess. Even better, many restaurants use the occasion of Pi Day to roll out the sweetest pastry deals. (And if you’re more in the mood for savory, plenty of pizza joints have that covered, too.)
I invited my husband to a Pi Day lunch so we could indulge in a deeply discounted slice. But he said if he’s going to splurge on calories, he’d rather spend them on cookies.
What? Cookies? Don’t get me wrong: I enjoy a good Fig Newton or Oreo as much as the next gal. But can they truly stack up to the flaky/fluffy/silky/custardy decadence of pies?
I see your wheels turning. If you’re wavering in the Ultimate Pie vs. Cookie Smackdown, I will now, calmly and rationally, dig into all the reasons why pies completely outrank cookies:
Pies are versatile
While cookies are ordinary sugar bombs, pies are elegant (think quiche), hearty (think pot pie), savory (think pizza pie), or an impressive dessert (think chiffons).
Pies are classy
To enjoy pie, you must slice it into a tidy triangle, lift it carefully onto a plate, and use a fork. With cookies, you can simply plunge your mitts into a polypropylene package and gorge.
Pie-making takes planning and commitment
Think about it: There is no “slice and bake” pie.
Pies = sweetness
Well-mannered kids are polite as pie. If you admit an honest error, you eat humble pie. If you’re wildly happy, you’ll wear a pie-eating grin.
