Recap: Sherry Yard and Evan Kleiman's Secrets For Perfect Pie

Ever wonder why your homemade pies never end up exactly how you want? Like, it just seems there's just one thing amiss? Well, noted James Beard award-winning pastry chef Sherry Yard and "Good Food" host Evan Kleiman took to Culver City's New School of Cooking last night to share some insider secrets. The event, which was a charity fundraiser for KCRW's upcoming 5th Annual Good Pie Contest, featured the ladies dishing out tips and also demoing three of their famous pie recipes. Evan demonstrated a very indulgent and flaky savory pie, Chicken Pot Pie with a Duck Fat Pie Crust (the crust even had hints of resemblance to Milo + Olive pastry-pizza crust-ness, which is a very good thing).

From there, Sherry shared two sweet pies, which she hinted will probably be available at her new Helms Bakery spot when it opens early next year. The best part of Sherry's pies? THICK crust. I mean, like, big boy crust. It's layered too, almost croissant-like at points and carmelizes like crazy. With such a superstar crust, you can honestly put anything on/in between it. While her Plum & Blackberry Pie with Toasted Almond Crumble was a solid, fresh, sweet-tart vacillating, seasonal treat, it was her Quintessential Apple Pie that really impressed. Served with Coolhaus vanilla ice cream, it came out hot and beautiful. The Braeburn apples were the perfect consistency - not too hard, not too mushy, with just enough chew. A little lemon juice in the recipe gave it just enough tartness as well. I'd say it was definitely one of the best apple pies I've ever had and certainly up there with my all-time favorite from Julian Pie Company.

Overall, a great and filling evening of pie for a good cause.

It's still not too late to enter the Good Pie Contest, which this year has seven different categories. Not a baker, just a eater like myself? Stop by LACMA on Saturday, September 7th from 2-4 pm and check out the entries. Admission to the pie contest event is free to all and LACMA admission is also free to anyone wearing a cooking apron.

Here are some pics from last night's pie-making...

Evan and Sherry get things started.

The Beginnings of the Duck Fat Pie Crust.

Evan demonstrating her pot pie recipe.

The rich Chicken Pot Pie With Duck Fat Pie Crust.

Sherry takes on the Quintessential Apple Pie. 

Sherry's apple pies are model hot.

Also not too shabby: Sherry's Plum & Blackberry Pie with Toasted Almond Crumble.

Sherry and Evan.

The Plum & Blackberry.