Iron Chef: Battle Apple Pie

By Scott Smith in Food on Oct 5, 2006 9:11PM

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your ovens! This Sunday is the second annual Bucktown Apple Pie Contest which will benefit Holstein Park. As of Monday, organizers were still accepting entries for what is sure to be a knock-down, drag-our battle for apple pie supremacy.

Organizer Megan Wade warned Chicagoist that last year's winner will be entering again this year, so the stakes are definitely high. Entrants need to fill out this form and then bring two identical apple pies to Holstein Park between 10 and 11 a.m. Judging begins at 11:30 a.m. and the public can start tasting at 2 p.m. This year's "celebrity" judges include Mindy Segal, owner of Hot Chocolate and Heather Shouse, food editor for TimeOut Chicago. They also are expecting a judge (whose name has not yet been determined) from the American Pie Council.

Here at Chicagoist, we think the best kind of apple to bake with is the kind you pick yourself. We have had excellent luck at County Line Orchard in Hobart, Indiana http://www.countylineorchard.com/ , where the apples are plentiful and the corn maze is big! According to the friendly people at County Line, Golden Delicious apples are ripe right now and ready for picking. We have always thought that they are absolutely the best and most consistent apple to bake with, but we also know that some people prefer their apples a little less sweet. Luckily, the tarter Fuji apples also are ready to be picked.

The Bucktown Apple Pie Contest takes place this Sunday, October 8, from 2 p.m.- 5 p.m. at Holstein Park on 2200 N. Oakley.

Thanks, Laura!

Image courtesy of County Line Orchard