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You are here: Home / Travel / France / Pie By in France

Pie By in France

11/16/2011 By Kate McDermott-Art of the Pie 14 Comments

A Pie By in France

This post is dedicated to my friend Maggie Finefrock who taught me many years ago that we can change the world in many small ways.

Today Kate Hill* became a full-fledged member in good standing of the “Pie By” Club. We left a just-baked apple pie at the home of Dominique and Christiane Chapolard in Le Frechou, France. I’ve been doing “Pie-Bys” for a few years and I have to say, that today’s little escapade was a peak “Pie-By” experience!

Here’s how it works:

1. Bake a pie.

Secrecy is very important in a Pie-By.

2. Take the still warm pie and drive to an unsuspecting friend’s house

3. Ideally when they are not around.

4. Slip in quietly

5. Leave the pie in a protected but obvious place where it will be found when they return.

6. That’s it!

There are no meetings. No dues. No rules or regulations.

Some of my best friends are “Pie By” founders and charter members. You can join us, too!

*Un grand merci à Kate Hill pour les photos!

Filed Under: France Tagged With: Dominique Chapolard, France, Gascony, Kate Hill, Pie, PIe-By

14 Thoughts on Pie By in France
    Amber
    16 Nov 2011
     6:46pm

    Love this idea!!! Hooray for sneaky surprises.

    Reply
    Omma
    17 Nov 2011
     12:07pm

    Gee, I’ve been a member for years and didn’t even realize it – perhaps because I’ve also done soups, other baked goods, and fresh garden produce “drive-bys”. Love it.

    Reply
    Pam
    18 Nov 2011
     3:20am

    I did a drive-by chicken soup last weekend . Around here, you gotta have a key, though…..

    Reply
    Rachel Caygill
    19 Nov 2011
     12:15am

    You are the cutest thing on the face of the earth. I really hope to meet you someday.

    Reply
    A Life in Pie- 4 days at Camont in a blink of a pie. | Camont: Kate Hill's Gascon Kitchen
    19 Nov 2011
     12:38am

    […] of pie-minded people gather in the sunny Gascon days of November on 11/11/11.Pie Magic thanks to Kate McDermott, Tim Clinch, the A-team of Camont and you, of course!  And thanks to Renee, Dede, Haley, Gwen, […]

    Reply
    Let 2012 Be the Year of the “Pie Fairy” « CurvyMama Pies
    5 Jan 2012
     6:04am

    […] pie baker, teacher of aspiring piemakers, and author of the blog Art of the Pie, Kate engages in pie-bys. These are a combination of a home invasion and a drive-by shooting, only love, nurturing and […]

    Reply
    Jamie
    8 Jul 2012
     9:19am

    Adorable! Now let’s do it in Nantes!

    Reply
      Art of the Pie
      8 Jul 2012
       9:28am

      Jamie- I would absolutely LOVE to! I used miles I have saved for 20 years to be able to go to Kate Hill’s in Gascony last year. I hope it won’t take another 20 to come visit you in Nantes.

      Reply
    The Tart Little Kiss: Rhubarb Pie « CurvyMama Pies
    8 Jul 2012
     5:07pm

    […] After four days in the dark and the heat, I left town (for another sweltering zone nearby). A week after the storm, I returned to a fully powered house, which was terrific, except that my air conditioner had gone on strike. Now that it’s repaired, it feels like heaven to get back to baking pies. The sassy sweet tartness of a rhubarb pie seemed like just the thing to express the combined delirium of air conditioning and pie-baking. Tomorrow, a very special person will be the first, long-overdue recipient of a CurvyMama Pie-By (named in honor of Kate McDermott, who established the practice). […]

    Reply
    Happiness = Pie « CurvyMama Pies
    9 Jul 2012
     3:39pm

    […] live the pie-by (a very benevolent drive-by event)! Share this:TwitterFacebookEmailPrintLike this:LikeBe the first […]

    Reply
    Personalized Kindling Makes for a Pie-By! | Art of the Pie
    8 Oct 2012
     5:13pm

    […] neighbors are at it again. Spoiling me with surprises. Well, I can do that, too! Must be time for a pie-by across my […]

    Reply
    CurvyMama Pies
    13 Mar 2013
     1:33pm

    […] to innocent loved ones. (Hat tip, once again, to Washington state pie sister par excellence Kate McDermott for the idea and the great name.) I love doing these; see here for another happy pie-by […]

    Reply
    Sarah in Tehachapi
    25 Dec 2018
     2:08pm

    Who knew. I have been doing the same, but with cinnamon rolls. Each year 150-180 rolls are secreted to the doors of the fire and sheriffs station for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Others are added with the ebb and flow of life. This year all my mom’s hospice nurses and others had rolls left in their unsuspecting cars. It is great fun not getting caught. I’m sure with surveillance the sheriff’s know, but go along with the secret. It just isn’t Christmas with out secret cinnamon rolls.

    Reply
      Kate McDermott-Art of the Pie
      26 Dec 2018
       9:27am

      Oh my gosh! Does this qualify as a “roll-by”? 😉

      Reply

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