COOKBOOK REVIEW: Savory Dinner Pies From Around The Globe by Ken Haedrich

COOKBOOK REVIEW: Savory Dinner Pies From Around The Globe by Ken Haedrich
Allen & Unwin/Murdoch Books
January 2022
Rrp $35.00
By Shane Pinnegar
60%

I’ll wager ol’ mate Ken Haedrich has never had to cater for a gluten free guest, such is his fascination with big ol’ meat (and seafood, and veg) pies, all lovingly encased in glutenous pastry. One would have thought that in 2022 GF options were so ubiquitous that they would warrant at least a passing mention in any cookbook, but nope, it’s eat gluten or go hungry here.*

Stepping past that oversight, Haedrich breaks his pies (all savoury – not an apple pie or lemon meringue in sight) down into a handful of categories: Hand pies, turnovers & pizzas; Little pies, tarts & galettes; Quiches and their cousins; Pot Pies; Shepherd’s pies; a Meat Pie miscellany; and Cobblers, Strudels & other wrapped entrees; as well as an introductory chapter on pastries (all coeliac intolerant)

It’s all pretty solid stuff, the recipes seem home cook standard and tasty, and the “Around The Globe” feature is met with the likes of Tuscan Pork turnovers, French Onion Tart, Colcannon Pie, Spanakopita, Moroccan Lamb Pie, Tex-Mex Chicken Tortilla Pie, American Cheeseburger Pie and a reasonably passable effort at Aussie Meat Pies. *

The rest are all pretty standard, and while they may not be fine dining or gourmet, they seem reliable and enjoyable enough. Provided you’re not coeliac or gluten intolerant.

 

*Dear Allen & Unwin/Murdoch Books, if you would like to commission a gluten free pie cookbook, and/or a pie cookbook with more authentic Australian content, from a chef with 27 years experience working in five countries, please reach out – I await your call 😀

Category: Book Reviews