Pie Lovers Unite!
Last year's Pie Lover's Hootenanny was so successful we doing it again at 7:00pm on Saturday, July 19th, 2008! We won the Sustainable Tables' Best Pie Event on their Pie Across America Tour last summer. Don't miss this year's best PIE event!

Date: Saturday, July 19th, 2008

Time: 7:00pm

Location: Ypsilanti Ladies Literary Club

Address: 218 N. Washington (at Emmet), Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Google map: http://tinyurl.com/365cu2

Parking: Will be available next door at the First Presbyterian Church, 300 N. Washington

Admission: One homemade pie (or $5 donation)

Slow Food Huron Valley announces our 2nd Annual Pie Lovers Unite! celebrating local, sustainable food and our food community at an old-fashioned hootenanny glorifying Great Michigan Pie.

Pies are a great example of how local, seasonal foods can signify welcome and community with unique regional qualities. The Pie Lovers Unite! event will honor pie-making traditions in Michigan by inviting people to bake, bring, share, and taste pies from around the area.  Pie Lovers Unite! will bring together our pie-loving community with fun, pie-themed activities.

This event started as part of the Eat Well Guided Tour across the United States, celebrating local food in more than 25 towns on its way to the Farm Aid concert in New York City in 2007.

We want to put our region on the map as a place where people are working together to reinvigorate our local food system and celebrate our local food traditions. When the theme is PIE – it doesn't get much better. We're planning a “pie walk,” a local-pie contest with local prizes*, recipe swap, pie music, and of course PIE EATING - all with a focus on what's local, sustainable, and delicious!

And new this year - a Pie-ku contest. Bring your haiku with a pie theme or dream one up while you're in the presence of dozens of fabulous pies. Remeber the haiku rule for syllables: 5-7-5. Here's an early entry:

Pie-ku from Judy:

Once upon a time
There was a pi-yi so prime
A piece for a dime

Admission

Admission to Pie Lovers Unite! costs one pie! We'll also take a small ($5) donation. Bring your friends, tell your neighbors and get your t-shirt. We're hoping to see you there!

Categories for the Pie Contest will be:

- Most local ingredients in the pie

- Prettiest pie

- Tastiest pie

- Savory pie

- Most unique pie

- Kids' pies (made by kids age 15 and under)

Pies will be judged by members of the Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor - including Jan Longone and Bonnie and (veteran pie judge) Patrick Ion.

For each pie that you enter in the pie contest, we'll ask that you submit the recipe with a list each of the ingredients in your pie AND where each of those ingredients was produced. Please bring a 4 x 6 recipe card with this information, or we'll provide you with one at the event. We're hoping to produce a cookbook after the event.

Important: Deadline for submissions to the pie contest is 7:15pm on Saturday evening.

Local Producers, Roasters, and Businesses Who Have Contributed to Pie Lovers Unite!

Arbor Brewing Company - An award-winning brewpub housed in three connected historic storefronts in the heart of Ann Arbor's bustling downtown.

Downtown Home and Garden - Gardening, greenhouse, cookware and housewares in historic livery stable. And Zingerman's bread and pastries!

Gourmet Chocolate Cafe - Wonderful chocolates in Chelsea, in the landmark Clocktower Building.

Mighty Good Coffee - Small batch roaster located in Ann Arbor, delivers to you within 24 hours of roasting.

Pot and Box - Garden fresh bouquets and magnificent potted plants.

Sidetrack Bar and Grill - Home of great burgers and other great food in Ypsilanti.

Stucchi's Ice Cream - Premium ice cream and frozen yogurt, made in Saline from Michigan milk. Locally made, locally owned and operated.

Westwind Milling - Local and organically grown and milled wheat, corn and rye flours. With a store selling their own bread and baked goods, and the products of around 25 other local farms and producers. Located in Argentine, MI.

Zingermans - The fabulous family of businesses and world famous deli in Ann Arbor.