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Savoring success
By PAMELA DAVIS © St. Petersburg Times, published August 24, 2000 TAMPA -- A dictionary defines pie as "a dessert consisting of a filling (as of fruit or custard) in a pastry shell or topped with pastry or both." A better description is "a slice of homemade heaven." Most of us don't have the time or talent to make pies ourselves. But thank goodness there are others who do.
The following year his mother taught him how to make her apple, pecan and pumpkin pies. Again, they became gifts for appreciative friends and neighbors. Timing is everything. Just when Martin was getting good at making pies, he was looking for a new profession. His job as a liquor and wine sales rep had run its course. Once he got married (to WFLA-Ch. 8 news anchor Gayle Sierens) and had kids, the corporate life and its required traveling didn't appeal to him anymore. So, in 1991 Martin started saving money for a piemaking business. The following year he launched Mike's Pies.
Central Florida Applebee's restaurants and all Florida Ale Houses, along with the Columbia and Cha Cha Coconuts chains, offer Martin's desserts on their menus. The Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club and the Tampa Yacht Club have been customers from the beginning. Martin entered some of his concoctions in the American Pie Council's National Pie Championship. For the first time, the contest was held in Florida. Martin drove to the Tupperware Convention Center in Kissimmee, dropped his pies off and headed back to Tampa to coach his son's soccer game. He wasn't expecting anything to come of it, but Martin, 45, took first place in the Commercial Citrus category for his key lime pie. He also won first place in the Commercial Nut category for his Reese's peanut butter pie. When he started the business, Martin didn't even have plans to make a key lime pie, but now he has earned the right to call his commercial pie the best in the country. "My friends said you can't have a bakery in Florida and not make key lime pie," Martin says. "I said, "I don't like it. It stinks.' " He started making the unofficial state dessert of Florida anyway. "I thought I had a pretty good key lime pie. I thought the more twang you had on the back of your tongue, the more impressive your pie was." Then he tasted a pie made with Nellie & Joe's Famous Key West Lime Juice and realized his pie wasn't that good. Nellie & Joe's juice was twice as concentrated as the brand Martin was using. After converting to Nellie & Joe's, Martin's key lime pie hit the big time. He won the National Pie Championship using the product. When Sam's Club, the members-only warehouse chain owned by Wal-Mart, was looking for a key lime pie to sell in its stores, it called Nellie & Joe's owner Rod Millar for recommendations. Tiny Mike's Pies made Millar's list. "I said there's this small guy, don't know if he can handle the volume, but he won the National Pie award," Millar says. "I said he was a fine fellow and that they should try the pie." The Sam's Club buyers agreed to a taste test and requested samples of Martin's key lime pie. They ended up choosing it. Supplying pies to the largest retailer in the world didn't faze Martin. "I know my product," he says. "I've yet to find a competing pie that makes me scared. It didn't surprise me that we won. It surprised me that they knew how small we were and they still decided to go with us." (Results of a Times key lime pie taste test, Page XD.). The pie hit Florida Sam's Club stores earlier this month and soon will be in stores nationwide. In addition to the pies, Sam's Club has asked Martin to make key lime tarts for some of the chain's cafeteria areas in the front of its stores. Though he's on the verge of being big time, his operation is still small time. As his account list grows, so must his pie-making facilities. Martin has plans to add another, larger factory. * * *
"The recipe I have is on the bottle of Nellie & Joe's in the grocery store, except we jazz it up. We put in more key lime juice than the recipe calls for," Martin says. The graham cracker crust is made from Nabisco and Keebler graham cracker crumbs, mixed with brown sugar and margarine. Mike's Key Lime Pie sells for about $9 in Sam's Club and for $12 at his coffee shop. It's considered gourmet because he doesn't use artificial ingredients or knockoff brands. And, unlike some commercial piemakers, Martin doesn't add thickening agents, stabilizers or preservatives. "With other pies you can actually look at the pie and see where it's been squirted out by machine into the shell and then boxed up frozen," Martin says. "Ours has a very light texture to it and is totally distinct among the other key lime pies." Martin's advice to anyone baking his or her own pie -- of any variety -- is to follow the directions. "Anything that you prepare, whatever it is, follow the directions. There's a reason the recipe calls for that." Although key lime is Martin's best seller, cherry pie is his favorite. Martin recommends using tart cherries packed in water, not Bing cherries. The tart ones give better flavor, he says. For an apple pie, Martin suggests using Granny Smith apples, Crisco shortening in the crust and a little bit of cinnamon. For pecan pie he uses Karo corn syrup and pecan halves, not pieces. In addition to borrowing pie recipes from his mother, the former Chicago Bears and New England Patriots football player created some of his own. The peanut butter, Heath Bar crunch, cappuccino, chocolate mousse and four types of key lime pies on the menu at Mike's Pies & Coffee Shoppe (4004 S MacDill Ave., Tampa; (813) 835-7437) are his concoctions. And just like his customers, Martin loves to eat pie. "Oh yeah," he says. "I have sweet teeth." Joe's Stone Crab Key Lime PieCrust:
Filling:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To prepare the crust, mix together all the crust ingredients. Using hands, press to make a crust by evenly spreading to cover the bottom of a 9-inch pan. Insert an 8-inch pan on top of pan to press crumbs together firmly. Bake for about 8 minutes, then cool. To prepare the filling, combine all ingredients and pour into the baked crust. Bake for another 8 minutes. Chill, then freeze for 1 hour before serving. Serve with huge dollops of whipped cream. Makes one 9-inch pie. Source: "Key Lime Cookin' " by Joyce LaFray (SeaSide Publishing, 1998). Pier House Key Lime PieCrust:
Filling:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Separate eggs. Allow at least three hours to prepare ahead. Prepare the crust ahead by combining all crust ingredients, blending well. Firmly press the cracker mixture evenly over the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. To make it smooth and even, place a smaller pie plate on top of the crumb-filled pie plate. Now, press the smaller pie plate firmly all around the sides and bottom. Bake at 325 degrees for 6 to 9 minutes. Cool. To prepare filling, using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks on high speed until thick and light in color. Turn off mixer and add half the key lime juice and the cream of tartar, then the remaining lime juice and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until blended. Pour into a prepared crust and bake until set, about 10-15 minutes, or until center is firm and dry to touch. Freeze for at least 3 hours before topping with meringue. To prepare the meringue, heat egg whites in a double boiler with the sugar, stirring frequently to 110 degrees. Beat on high speed until peaks are formed. Top the frozen pie and return to freezer until serving time. Pie will keep for several days. Yields one 9-inch pie. Source: "Key Lime Cookin' " by Joyce LaFray (SeaSide Publishing, 1998). Eggless Key Lime Pie
Combine the sweetened condensed milk and the key lime juice. Pour mixture into pie shell. Allow pie to cool, then place in freezer until just before serving. Remove pie from freezer about 1/2 hour before serving to soften. Top with dollops of fresh whipped cream and grated key lime or lime zest. Makes one 9-inch pie. Source: "Key Lime Cookin' " by Joyce LaFray (SeaSide Publishing, 1998). Mile High Key Lime PieCrust:
Filling:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar together. Melt the butter and blend well with the cracker crumbs. Press into a 9-inch pie pan. Use a smaller pie pan to press the crumbs into the pan. Bake for about 6 minutes. Cool. Using an electric mixer, combine the milk and egg yolks at low speed. Slowly add the key lime juice. Mix until well blended and mixture is relatively thick. Pour into prepared graham cracker crust and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool and refrigerate until chilled. Top mile high pie with freshly whipped cream and chopped walnuts and garnish with key lime slices. Makes one 9-inch pie. Source: "Key Lime Cookin' " by Joyce LaFray (SeaSide Publishing, 1998).
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