The Pie, the Pasta, and the Ghosts of Appalachia

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Hello, friend.

I hope your week was fine. Mine was good. I received a lovely thank you note and block print from Mike Costello and Amy Dawson at Lost Creek Farms, the place Bourdain visited in Parts Unknown, Season 11, Episode 1. As I mentioned last week, I wanted to make Mike and Amy’s vinegar pie recipe. And then one thing led to another, as usual. So, let’s get to the cooking.

Crackers, Custard, and the Pie That Shouldn’t Work

Yesterday afternoon, I began a leisurely prep for dinner. I already knew the vinegar pie was on the menu, but what I didn’t realize was that the crust wasn’t pastry at all — it was cracker crumbs mixed with butter, sugar, and an egg white. Luckily, I had just enough Milton’s olive oil and sea salt crackers to pull it off.

Crackers blitzed within an inch of their lives in the food processor, then in went the melted butter, sugar, and egg white. Have I ever made a cracker crust before? Maybe a graham cracker crust once, but otherwise no.

I pressed the mixture into the pie pan — and realized (too late) that all my pie dishes are enormous. I should have doubled the recipe, but that would mean twice as much pie to eat. I just don’t need that kind of stress in my life.

The ghost rolled his eyes.
“Too much leftover pie sounds like a personal problem,” he said. “It would look nicer if you’d just doubled the recipe.”

We bantered about the best ways to get fat. Chocolate is my choice. Cheese is his. Same old argument.

Anyway, I made the custard-like filling, chilled it, poured it into the crust, and baked. The top edge of my far-too-tall crust went a little beyond golden, but that caramelized crunch turned out to be delicious.

You’re probably thinking: Listen, lady, you can’t just have pie for dinner.
My answer? Why the hell not. I do what I want.

A Meaty Matter: Lost Creek Farm and the Pasta Redemption

And what I wanted was pasta — with a meaty, tomato-based sauce.

When I scrolled through the recipes from Lost Creek Farm’s Paetron site seeking inspiration, I found the perfect one: one 28-ounce can of tomatoes to one pound of ground beef. Perfect.

There was a fresh pasta recipe, too. We’ve covered my pasta-making struggles before, but last week I took a class at my local market, in their beautifully appointed kitchen, and finally learned what proper pasta dough should feel like.

So here was my chance to redeem myself.

I skipped the volcano-of-flour method (too messy, too dramatic) and let the stand mixer do the work. Eleven minutes later, I had what I hoped was the perfect dough. I wrapped it in plastic and let it rest while I started the sauce: onions and garlic sautéed until fragrant, then tomatoes, ground beef, oregano, red pepper, salt, and olive oil. Simmer thirty minutes, taste, adjust, simmer thirty more.

When the sauce was done, I unwrapped the pasta dough. The texture was nearly identical to what we made in class. Even the ghost tried to poke it to see if it was right. You can guess how successful that was.

“I hate not being able to do shit,” he muttered.

I poured him another glass of wine and made comforting noises. Did I say “Who’s fault is that?”
I did not. This time.

Then came the fun part: rolling and cutting. I fed the dough through the pasta roller, thinner with each pass, then switched to the fettuccine cutter. I wanted noodles sturdy enough to hold that meaty sauce.

A two- or three-minute boil in salted water, a toss with the sauce, and a snowfall of grated Parmesan — no garnish needed.

We devoured it. The pasta was perfectly al dente but still tender. The sauce was incredible. The ground beef had a richer flavor than usual, thanks to some freezer odds and ends I’d been saving — one package lean, one very not. The second was nearly white when thawed, suspiciously fatty, maybe even a stray bit of Wagyu. Whatever it was, it made all the difference.

So now I’m obsessed. Do I go back to the butcher and ask for the white ground beef? (Insert ghostly laugh here.) I probably will.

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Pie Time and Other Small Miracles

Then it was pie time. The crust held together beautifully, and the first bite was everything — tangy and sweet, creamy and crunchy. The perfect counterpoint to the rich pasta. I could have used another splash of vinegar, but then I have a deep and abiding love of vinegar.

I forgot to buy the whipped cream, but I think a sweetened sour cream topping would be divine — something in the spirit of a lemon sour cream pie, one of my all-time favorites. Luckily, there’s still half a pie in the fridge.

Lost Creek, Found Gratitude

As for next week? I haven’t decided yet. Cooking from Anthony Bourdain’s TV world — and especially the Lost Creek Farm recipes — has been a joy. Huge thanks to Scott and Amy for making their work so accessible. (You can find some of their recipes, including the pasta sauce and the vinegar pie, on their YouTube channel.) My friend and I are even talking about a quick trip to West Virginia to attend one of their Farm & Forage Supper Club dinners. You can find

And by the way, if I haven’t mentioned it before — you’re always welcome at my house for dinner on Thursdays. That’s when the ghost and I cook whatever ends up here in your inbox. We usually eat around seven. Bring your own opinionated spirit.

In reverence and rebellion,
Michelle Davis

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