Happy Pi Day!
Perhaps there is no better way to celebrate the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter (3.14159) than with a scrumptious slice of pie.
For sisters Brittany Reeves and Beth Kaboth of Simply Delicious Pies, Pi Day is their second biggest baking day of the year -- second only to Thanksgiving.
One step into their Shaker Heights shop and you'll be greeted with the delicious smells of butter, sugar, apple, cherry, peach and blueberries. And don't be surprised if you leave with more pies than you intended: a hand-crafted chicken pot pie, a savory-sweet bacon apple cheddar quiche or a sweet potato pie made with hand-peeled sweet potatoes roasted on site. Every recipe is developed by Brittany in the kitchen. Every pie is made from scratch. Real fruit. Nothing from a can.
"Cooking and baking growing up is how I got started," says Brittany, who opened Simply Delicious Pies with sister Beth in 2012. "When my older sisters had sleepovers, I would make omelets for everyone in the morning. I also remember mixing up a batch of Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies with my middle sister Kate. We would pretend to be on a cooking show together, talking to the 'camera' while we measured out our ingredients. I'll admit, I may still do this on occasion when I'm making things in the bakery."
Who: Brittany Reeves and Beth Kaboth
What: Sisters, best friends, partners, co-owners, pie artists
Where: Simply Delicious Pies
Best thing about working together: "One of my favorite parts of working with Beth is seeing how our relationship helps us work as a team," says Brittany. "Knowing each other's personalities -- strengths and weaknesses -- gives us a unique dynamic that you only get from being sisters."
"The unspoken communication," says Beth. "Because we grew up together and know one another so well, we inherently understand each other's needs and expectations. I think we often take for granted how much goes unsaid between the two of us. Yet [the work] still gets done."
What is each sister's role in the bakery?: "Britt is the baker and the head of the kitchen and back of the house; she pretty much leads the show as she has the baking experience and professional kitchen experience," says Beth. "My role is more retail/front of the house, marketing and community/social outreach. I have a background in these aspects and worked as a server and bartender for over a decade, so our restaurant experiences complement each other."
Favorite pie to eat?: "Strawberry Rhubarb, hands down! After so many years of making pies I don't get the urge to eat any very often," says Brittany. "But rhubarb is a summer seasonal pie so it isn't around all the time. I always look forward to the first batch of rhubarb. The sweet strawberries mixed with the tart rhubarb is perfect."
Favorite pie to bake?: "I love putting together cream pies," Brittany says. "It's a little more artistic since we get to pipe whipped cream rosettes and embellish with different toppings. I can even customize the cream pies by writing on the top with chocolate ganache. Kind of like a birthday cake, but with pie!"
"I actually have very limited cooking abilities. In fact, before we opened the store, I couldn't so much as boil water or make toast," Beth confesses. "It is a testament to Britt's skills that she has taught me how to make everything on our menu since we opened Simply Delicious Pies."
Shaker Heights residents: the Shaker PTO is teaming up with Simply Delicious Pies to celebrate Pi Day. For every pie purchased this week, $1 will be donated to the Shaker PTO Council. Click here for details.
