A three-day holiday weekend is, contrary to popular belief, not always used for A) barbecuing or B) sunbathing or C) partying on some sort of yacht or yacht-type boat.
Nope, a lot of people try to get their various things done between bouts of relaxation/yacht-dancing. This might include scanning some old photos or organizing the hall closet or finally figuring out the recipe you'd like to go with for the annual Good Food Pie Contest, a KCRW stalwart that's both sweet, savory, and a local stalwart.
Okay, that's three things, which nixes the "both" part, but truth: This seven-year-old bake-off is pretty much the creme da la crust 'round these parts, at least when it comes to proving that your baking skillz are no flash in the (pie) pan.
With the deadline to enter on fast, oh-no-it's-nearly-here approach -- Sunday, Sept. 27 is the date, with Oct. 4 the actual in-person, judges-sample-everything contest -- you only have one more three-day weekend, Labor Day Weekend, to practice your craziest concoction.
But, look, not too crazy: If you do a really solid cherry pie, that's mostly just cherry pie and pastry, that's completely fine. No hate for a basic, works-well dish, only gooey, cherry-filling-flavored love.
But if you want to try a wacky chiffon or a bacon-y savory or a marshmallow custard, here's your chance. The contest, which will be judged, as always, by a host of local food-loving honchos -- Moby was a judge in the past, by the by -- is looking for solid entries, not simply a thin veneer of razzmatazz.
Creativity, though, is rewarded, and absolutely will be key in the "World Pie" category, which salutes the bake-off's 2015 location: The Fowler Museum at UCLA. Perhaps a spin through the institution over Labor Day Weekend will prompt some ideas for the winning recipe you're hoping to build. (The location is actually the lawn next to The Fowler, but if you and your pie arrive at The Fowler on Oct. 4, you're sure to be basically in the right place.)
The Scene
Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.
Whatever goes beneath your doughy lattice, know that A) pie-baking is just as cool as partying on a yacht and B) Labor Day Weekend should have a little fun in addition to all of the stuff you've got to do.
Planning and trying a pie recipe for a popular local contest feels like the ideal combo of good-time-having and stuff-getting-done-ing, in fact, if you're looking for that sweet spot for your long holiday weekend.
