Pie

From the football terraces to the family table, pies have always held a special place in food history.

A pie is such an ingenious idea - meat, vegetables or fruit are able to develop their finest flavours by being cooked in their own juices encased in a pastry crust.

Pies have been enjoyed from at least the 9th century, when the Abbey of Fontenelle in France received an order for 38 goose and 95 chicken pies.

Both filling and crust have equal importance to the success of any pie and over the years a multitude of recipes have been developed, each one proclaiming to be the best.

This book is the story of the pie in irresistible recipes and fantastic photographs.

Each pie has a story to tell - a history of provenance, pie-makers, innovation and experimentation.

Simple to make and always to be enjoyed, "Pie" shows you how to master the basic art of pastry making and then how to transform even the most frugal filling into a luxury.

So take a piece of pie history and enjoy a Cornish pasty, a hearty steak and kidney pie or even a delicious calzone.

After, all who can resist a pie?