Normal Pie

I've got pie on the brain. My stepsister e-mailed that she plans to bake an apple pie to celebrate her son's birthday next week. My boyfriend is planning to attempt his first-ever sweet potato pie this weekend, as long as I make the crust (which is my stepmother's fool-proof recipe).

Last night I was on the phone with my 6-year-old niece in California. She continues in her reign as the Princess of Unpredictability. I asked her if she has a favorite food she likes to eat on Thanksgiving; she replied, "Corn." Then she said something about apple pie. I mistakenly thought she said she liked apple pie, so I exclaimed, "Oh! I LOVE apple pie!" and she responded in her firmest voice, "NO. I don't like apple pie." Then she added, "But you know what? I've never tried it." I told her that apple pie is really good and she should try it sometime. I asked, "Do you like to eat apples?" "Yes." "Do you like cinnamon?" "On my toast." So I told her that apple pie tastes sort of like apples in applesauce with some extra cinnamon. She then told me that she's never tried pumpkin pie either and I proceeded to extol the virtues of that. Finally she wrapped up by saying, "I've only ever tried one pie." I asked which kind of pie it was. And she said, "You know, normal pie."