2010 Last day

We are going to sell pies at Cheese Cave in Claremont tomorrow from 11 a.m to 3 p.m.


After that, we are going to sell pies at F.P.M Base (very close to Rose Parade).



Please come and taste our HOT SAVORY PIES!!!



And BIG NEWS!!!


We are on "Top 10 Food Trends for 2011" by L.A Weekly.

Artisanal LA Holiday Pop-Up Shop this Weekend!

Stop by for a meat pie at the Artisanal LA Holiday Pop-Up Shop!!

December 11-12, 2010

Click here for details

New Item

"Pork Belly Sukiyaki Pie"

This idea came from my food experience. A Japanese traditional food "Sukiyaki" is kind of fine food. I couldn't eat it often because ingredients are expensive especially meat in Japan. Sukiyaki was very special food on my family although I wanted to eat it more. In the U.S, I can buy meat very affordable price and make Sukiyaki for reasonable price. I want to introduce Sukiyaki to people in the U.S. by Sukiyaki pie.

I will sell "Sukiyaki Pie" at the next event!

Artisanal LA Holiday Pop-Up Shop

Please come to the event and try to eat "Sukiyaki Pie"!!!

Anniversary

Today is my first baking anniversary.

Just a year ago, I started my baking life. 

I first got interested in baking was very small thing that I just watched cooking show.

I didn't know how I obsess with baking a pie when I got a stand mixer.

I'v been completely hooked on baking and it will last forever.

Thank you for giving the stand mixer for me.

Thank you all customer for giving a chance to make pies.

Thank you for everyone especially Junko, Marjorie, Sham, YT, Nick, Miho, Fero, Prof. Gerson and Hunter, KCRW Good Food, Artisanal LA, and Cheese Cave, I appreciate all your support. 

I will continue to make people happy by my pies.   

List

Necessary equipments.

-home page

-portable oven

-freezer

-hot dog cart

-generator

-car

and more...

I want to get many more CUSTOMERS!!!

and I want to make people happy with my pies!!!

Archive

http://blogs.kcrw.com/goodfood/2010/09/good-food-pie-contest-winner/

http://blogs.kcrw.com/goodfood/2010/09/good-food-pie-contest-photos/

http://blogs.kcrw.com/goodfood/2010/09/best-in-show-meat-pie-recipe/

http://blogs.kcrw.com/goodfood/2010/09/good-food-pie-contest-winners/

http://blogs.kcrw.com/goodfood/2010/11/best-desserts-for-good-food/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarah-spitz/as-american-as-meat-pie-b_b_710667.html

http://www.toquemag.com/food/meat-and-sweet-pies-to-go

http://beverlyhills.patch.com/articles/pies-the-limit-at-kcrw-contest

http://www.venicemag.com/news/index/view/293

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2010/09/good-food-equals-good-pie.html

http://www.foodyfieldtrips.com/2010/11/downtown-los-angeles-artisanal-la/

http://blogging.la/2010/10/25/highlights-from-artisanal-la/

http://tokyoastrogirl.blogspot.com/2010/10/artisanal-la-over-weekend-i-got-chance.html

http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/2010/10/artisanal_la_photos.php?page=2

for Vegetarian

Ricotta, Gruyère, Comté, Mushroom and Pine Nuts.

Holiday Season

Halloween is over.

Thanksgiving is coming!

I will sell meat pies for Thanksgiving dinner.

I'm ready to accept your pre-order.

Please let me know how many meat pies you need.

Today, I made Flying Pie Man's mailing group.

Please join the group!

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/flyingpieman/

Chili and Cheese

I created new product!

"Chili Meat Pie"


I used Cheddar Cheese from Cheese Cave in Claremont.

They always have high quality cheese and offer many different types of cheese when I go there.


I couldn't make my pies without their cheese.

If you like cheese, you should visit Cheese Cave.



I have an information.

I'll serve this "Chili Meat Pie" @ "F.P.M Base"Pasadena this Sunday.
If you are interested in this pie, please e-mail me.

flyingpieman18@gmail.com

Sale

I'll sell my Meat Pie this Sunday!!!


5 inch Baked Meat Pie $5

5 inch Frozen Meat Pie $4.75

Please order now!

Meat Pie is limited this time.


flyingpieman18@gmail.com

Next step.

Thank you for coming Artisanal LA last weekend.

I had a great time with incredible foodies and vendors.
I can't forget this amazing event and smile on everyone's face forever.
Thank you again!




Next step.
After the event,  I set the goal of my pie business for the future. 
First, I want to change people's mind about food from the street food level.
Second, I want to provide more people with the organic food for affordable street food price.
Third, I want to change the street food movement in L.A.

Although these are big deals, I believe that I can do it.

Please tell me your opinion about street food and organic food.

Artisanal LA day2

We were sold out today.

Thank you for eating my Meat pie.


See you at next event!




If you are interested in signing up for my mailing list, please e-mail me.

flyingpieman18@gmail.com

Artisanal LA

Thank you so much for coming to Artisanal LA and trying my meat pies.
I was sooo happy to see you eating mypie.Please tell me what do you think about my pie.
Today I sold 150 pies and all sold out. I'll sell 150 pies tomorrow too.

I hope to see you there.

Thank you again!!!

Fortune

I must move on to the next step.

Where is your taste from?

Version 5 and 6. 

After my Meat Pie reached the U.S, I realized that I can't generate a vast improvement. That is to say, I had to make a Meat Pie many times. I thought that I can make a real one by a series of smallest things brought together. 

My girlfriend, my roommate, and I ate a lot of Meat Pies at this point because we always ate up left-over Meat Pie every time. Also, my serious eaters ate Meat Pie many times during very short period. We needed more stomachs. So, I invited several friends who are from different countries to a tasting party. So that I could listen to more opinions from different perspective.

I made two different Meat Pies at the same time because I didn't have enough time (the tasting party was on 8/28). In this time, I used different cheeses (British Sharp Cheddar and Young Parmigiano) and experimented with a different way. For example, I added dried Porcini mushroom powder. I don't want to write all details here, but I bet that you can find them easily if you make Meat Pie several times. 

At the tasting party, each eaters had a different opinion. These two pies were the most controversial. Some people said that cheddar is the best cheese for this Meat Pie and other people said that real Aussie Meat Pie is less beefy etc. I was really confused and I totally couldn't understand what the correct taste is.

    

 

Some changes were very effective, but the other changes were confused people who ate the Meat Pie.

 I had to organize the taste although each person has their sense of taste that is from their food back ground.  

Beefy Beefy Beefy!

After I imagined American food, I remembered my childhood memory. 

My mother always gave my siblings and me a good food even though she didn't have money. When I was 8 years old, my parents got divorced.  After she divorced, she had two jobs day and night to raise us because she never received child support from my father. My siblings and I couldn't have nice clothes, go traveling, and take a good education unlike my friends could. However, I took a good food education from every meal. My mother always created a good meal with hard-earned money. Meanwhile, beef was very special food for us. When beef showed up our dinning table, we guessed what special day it is today. Anyway, we couldn't eat beef often. Stuffing my gut with beef steak was one of my dreams and I imagined that American people often eat a thick steak when I was a child. 

It is quite natural that I associated American food with beef. I thought how to make my Meat Pie beefy. I thought back to my memory that I ate American food in the past. Clue was in Texas food. I had eaten one of the traditional Texas foods. It was very juicy and beefy. Its secret ingredient was smokey bacon. 

Version 4. 

I used smokey bacon and replaced half of tomato can with beef broth. And also, I used beef base. I added each ingredient gropingly.

According to the serious eaters, "This is definitely Texas! What did you add?"

My serious eaters was surprised because my Meat Pie reached Texas directly without stopping any other states. They expected that I struggle and spend more time to make it beefy.

In this time, I learned that if I look for a hint, I should take cues from my past experiences, however, I couldn't achieve a vast improvement. 

"Meat Pie was not built in a day!"

Birthday

Today is my Birthday. I don't write about Meat Pie today.

I don't have to make a pie for myself. My girlfriend reserved restaurant, but she didn't tell which restaurant she reserved. She always likes to make a surprise.

Last my B.D, she made a big surprise. She brought me to a movie theater and she didn't say anything when I asked what movie we see...

After seeing the movie, we went back her room. Then, she said "Please stay here and don't go out my room!" I had no idea. Although I thought that we will go to a restaurant and make a nice memory, she seemed that she didn't reserve a restaurant. After I waited about 30 minutes in her room, she called me from dining room. When I was into a dining room, I saw a amazing scene.

In fact, we saw a movie "Julie and Julia". My girlfriend made "Boeuf Bourguignon" as same as Julie made in the movie. Although she got roommates' help, it was massive surprising! because she prepared it in about 30 minutes! Actually, my girlfriend prepared special dinner the day before even though she was super busy with study. It was massive surprising! And also, taste was amazing!!! 

 Today, she surprised me for the second year in a row. She reserved Maison Akira that I wanted to go. When I sat a seat, I noticed that the table setting is for four people. I had no idea again. She didn't answer when I asked who join the dinner. About 10 minutes later, my serious eaters came to our seat! 

The dinner was the one of the memorable diner in my life. Monthly menu's main theme was scottish salmon, but there is "Boeuf Bourguignon" with grilled salmon. I chose "Boeuf Bourguignon" for main dish without wondering. Dinner was beautiful and delicious!  Chef Akira was so nice too. The food he creates is integration between palatability of Japanese and French. 

I had a wonderful birthday! I want to eat "Boeuf Bourguignon" on next my birthday. 

Thank you for a great night, my friends and my girlfriend!!!

Englishman made a Meat Pie for Italian.

Version 3.

After coming up from under the sea, I cut and changed some ingredients. 

For example, I didn't use a lemon zest this time. Last two times, I added lemon zest in a mashed potato because I thought that lemon zest flavor makes more flavorous. However, it was not effective. Another example is that  I sliced a cheese and used more. I shaved a cheese last two times because I wanted to make enough flavor and taste with less cheese. Although I could saved my money (the cheese is pretty expensive!), I couldn't get enough flavor. So, I was thinking the word "SIMPLE", when I made the version 3. 

This time, I had a tasting party again. After eating, my serious eaters said "This is Italian Meat Pie!" I thought that I could reach Rome, and at the same time, I lost my goal. However, my serious eaters gave next destination. One of the serious eaters said "This Meat Pie was made by Englishman for Italian. How about making Meat Pie for American?" I realized that here is not Italy. 

   

I set my goal, the U.S. 

I decided to go toward N.Y first. 

Could I get across the Atlantic Ocean directly? 

Meat Pie 2

Version 2.

"My Meat Pie sank deep under the Straits of Dover." 

I changed some ingredients to make it more Italian pie that I imagined. I used more fresh Basil, good quality of Parmesan cheese, and Italian parsley. And also I changed a can of tomatoes. My friends tasted my meat pie (I call them "serious eaters"), and said "it's not bad, but there are many things that you have to change." I had no idea why my Meat Pie sank in the Straits of Dover. It was totally different from what my imagined. 

I thought about Meat Pie all the time even when I was in a class. "What's the simple?" "How to make simple and tasty Meat Pie?"

The key word was "SIMPLE".

Th most important thing to make Italian food is using the goodness of each ingredient as Italian cook book taught me. 

I made mistake that I put a lot of Italian ingredients without careful consideration. 

At the moment, I felt that I got the Euro Star ticket to travel from UK to Italy!

KCRW's 2nd Annual Good Food Pie Contest

Today I write a big news in my life. 

I won "the Best Savory" and "the Best of Pies" KCRW's 2nd Annual Pie Contest last Sunday!!!

There were 5 categories of pie in the contest. I chose savory because I really wanted to win and Meat Pie is very special pie for me as I wrote in my pie description.  I had never entered any contest and I had never made Meat Pie before. I was hesitant to enter the contest, however, my friend, who suggested me to enter the contest, encouraged me.

After I decided to enter the contest, I decided to create Meat Pie because I was inspired by Flying Pie Man. I began by imaging its taste. I decided to create Italian Meat Pie because Italian food is simple and tasty. My first Meat Pie tasted like British Meat Pie although I intended to make Italian Meat Pie. 

     to be continued.

Flying Pie Man from Japan

I'm from Japan and living in Pasadena. I spend a lot of time to make a pie. Today I write how my pie baking history was started.

Last November, I watched the TV program, "food network" for the first time when I visited O.C. I haven't had a TV since I came here on September. 4. 2009 because I can't spend my money to buy TV. Anyway, I was surprised by one thing that the chef used.  I had never seen the machine in my life. Suddenly, I wanted to use the machine without knowing the uses. After a few days, I got the machine, then I started to think what I could make with it. I decided to make my favorite American food... PIE!!! I had never made a pie in my life at the time. So, I learned how to make a pie from books and websites. My first pie was not only good, but also ignited my passion for making a pie. Moreover, I wanted to bring my pie to people, because a pie is able to make people happy.

My dream is to continue to make amazing pies for people in the U.S.  It's very difficult for me, but I want to achieve my goal!

I'm going to post my baking story.