Here’s pie in your eye

I’ve never understood what the origin of this saying was (perhaps someone more learned would care to enlighten me).  I would have thought a pie in the mouth would be more appropriate (and obvious) but there you go.  For me, winter is all about comfort food and there’s a lot that’s comforting about a good pie.  We New Zealanders have something of a love affair with that staple of stodge as is evidenced by the nostalgic and wistful way in which many people fondly recall the days of the life-saving, tummy-lining pie cart.

New publication, The great New Zealand pie cart, is a fitting tribute to a largely forgotten pie-slice of Kiwiana.  The book includes reminiscences of pie carts of yore, including one from Ray Columbus (who used to frequent the carts around the Cathedral Square as a rock ‘n’ rolling teenager).  The book covers carts from Kawakawa in the north to Stewart Island in the south and just about everywhere in between.

Another book that panders to the Kiwi preference for pastry is The great New Zealand pie guide : a tasting guide to some of the best Kiwi pies up and down the country which gives pie lovers an informed travel guide to the bakeries that make pies of note of the sort recognised in the annual Bakels Pie Awards (held every July).

Now, if only there were a book about tomato sauce.  That would be the only fitting literary/culinary accompaniment…

Storytime gets mayoral treatment

Mayor Bob Parker faced a tough crowd this morning at the Central Library.

A group of under-fives gathered to hear the mayor read Piggity Wiggity Jiggity Jig as part of New Zealand’s biggest storytime – a mass reading of Diana Nield’s tale by libraries across the country.

Facing competition in the form of a large piggy puppet, the Mayor’s velvet reading won the crowd over – making for some very proud parents as cameras were whipped out to record the moment.

Christchurch City Libraries is holding events across the city as part of Library Week.
The Mayor finished his reading with a call for all the children and parents to keep using the libraries’ “wonderful service”.