Hanging out with Adam Gertler from the Food Network

Just back from Orlando, FL and was sure I would have to pay American Airlines an excess baggage allowance for the extra weight I was bringing onboard in my belly from the pie festival.

Despite the 90 degrees heat thousands of people attended the “Great American Pie Festival” (now in it’s 10th year) held in Celebration (cute town) with the highlight being the “never ending pie buffet”  Each vendor was instructed to bring at least 500 pies and with over a dozen vendors that meant around 80,000 pieces of pie for sampling.

The serious stuff was taking place a few miles up the road at the Caribe Royale Convention Center where the National Pie Championships were being judged. My job was judging the “Royal Wedding Pie” category, a new addition this year in light of the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton April 29th. After sampling and scoring a dozen pies I was pleased I had decided to skip breakfast. I was then invited to join the panel of judges (which included Adam Gertler from Food TV)  for “best in show pie” and after seeing a dozen more I was beginning to wish I had fasted the whole week before.

What made the event really special was that “best in show” was actually won by the pie that took the royal wedding category and boy did it taste good. Check out the photo below. Those blueberries were huge.