SPLIT CHERRY PIE

Life seems to function on many levels. I suspect for every specie, but I can only speak for humans. We humans try to bring perspective to that which we see, to have a level playing field, so to speak.  Not understanding that the picture which we see before us, the picture of life in action, cannot be viewed from that perspective.  

Life is something of a kaleidoscope, a mixture of overlay.  To gain perspective, to have perspective, we must open our eyes wide to take in everything. In so doing, is the only way to view depth. To view a nose hair without seeing the nose itself is almost meaningless. I say ‘almost’ because there is some value in every view but the realization that you will almost always arrive at a flawed conclusion because of lack of perspective should cause you to look more closely at your picture. In so many of us, the exact opposite is what occurs. Because of our lack of perspective, we tend to automatically erase part of everything we see, viewing only that part which our brains can easiest understand. Like a photograph, we then lack true perspective. 

Life is sort of like a split cherry pie. When I was a boy, I read a short story by  a local writer named Jesse Stuart.  It was titled The Split Cherry Tree and it has absolutely nothing to do with a split cherry pie. Well, other than the fact that neither one can or for that matter, should exist one without the other. 

Split cherry pies are difficult to make but really easy to consume. So easy to consume, in fact, that you hardly ever find one because the majority get eaten right away, barely getting the chance to cool.

See, it’s all a matter of balance. People often don’t know that about food, in general. It’s really imperative that food be kept in a balanced mode.  Split cherry pie a la mode has nothing to do with ice cream, rather it’s all about balance.

In order to achieve balance with a split cherry pie, one must be very, very careful while splitting the cherries.  

Splitting cherries can be an arduous task. That’s why it’s generally better if you have children than you can force into the job.  And, of course, if you have children splitting your cherries for you, you should  have lots and lots of extra cherries because they’re going to split more than a few of them unevenly. And, if the cherries are split unevenly and then carelessly baked into a pie, they’re going to cook unevenly and the pie will be out of balance and you might as well tell the children to eat the pie themselves and start all over again at the beginning.

There’s always a good reason to begin at the beginning. That’s the main reason it’s called a beginning.

Anyway, it’s imperative that split cherries be split evenly so that your split cherry pie will maintain balance while it’s cooking.  

Afterward, of course, it simply isn’t that important because split cherry pie is eaten so fast that most people don’t notice, nor even care about the balance. You, as cook, of course, know the difference and should only serve split cherry pie to those members of your family that are able to appreciate that difference.

Anyway, that’s my advice for today, it being February and, as everyone knows, February is split cherry pie month. Has been for years and years.