We love our freedoms here at Matchmaker, but we also love our food. Last year, we reminded you that truck drivers make our holiday cookouts possible, including one holiday food more American than any other – the apple pie. It’s the perfect centerpiece for the Fourth of July picnic, on a red checkered tablecloth against the blue sky and topped – of course – with creamy vanilla ice cream. Apple pie is a symbol of the best things America has to offer – prosperity, happiness, and good clean fun.
In keeping with The Matchmaker Year of the Superhero, a Captain America pie!
The legend of American apple pie has a curious history. While apple pies have existed in various forms and cultures for centuries, most mentions of the modern apple pie come from England – perhaps we took it with us as part of the Declaration of Independence? If so, I credit our forefathers for their fantastic negotiation skills.
By the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the new-and-improved apple pie had become a symbol of American prosperity and national pride. A newspaper article published in 1902 declared that “No pie-eating people can be permanently vanquished.” And, during World War II, the phrase “for Mom and apple pie”was the stock answer given whenever journalists asked American soldiers why they were going to war.
An informal poll amongst Matchmaker employees revealed that our staff members stay true to the red white and blue: apple emerged victorious with the most votes for “favorite pie”. Yet the diversity of answers — blackberry, cherry, classic Southern pecan, and even one for lemon meringue — prove that we’re a mixing bowl of preferences and ideas, just like the United States of America.
So, this weekend, as you wave the flag, watch the parade, and gather ’round the picnic table to celebrate our incredible country, don’t forget to acknowledge Mom’s apple pie. You could even make her laugh with this joke:
Why did the pie go to the dentist?
Because he needed a filling!
Hope your 4th of July weekend is as nice as pie,
~Bob
