Almost two years ago, I had the privilege of visiting San
Diego, California, a place where many a Filipino reside. I have cousins, aunts,
and uncles there. I managed to do a quick stop over off of a business trip from
Las Vegas in September 2012. I couldn’t have been happier to have made the
trip.
While there, I went to grocery called Albertson’s with my
dearest aunt. It was then that I chanced upon a pretty white box with big blue
letters emblazoned on its top.
It read “Julian Apple Pie”.
From there, everything changed.
Or maybe I’m just being overly dramatic, but hey, what lay
in that box was a very, very special piece of pastry.
Who, or, what, is Julian, anyway?
According to research I’ve done (thank you, www.answers.com), Julian was in fact named by
a fellow named Drue Bailey after his cousin, Mike Julian, a former San Diego
County Assessor. As with any story behind a place’s name, a “big event” is tied
in very closely to why the place is named like it is. Fred Coleman, a one-time
slave, discovered gold near what is now known as Coleman Creek (westbound). On
February 22nd, 1870, a large gold mining site was unearthed in
Julian. From there, many a man began to troop to Julian to try to strike it
rich.
Most people currently associate Julian with R & R, in
the form of being a quiet mountain retreat. According to the 2010 US Census,
Julian only had a population of 1,502 and growing- without a single Asian being
tagged as a permanent resident. We may not be represented in Julian, but that
has not stopped many a person- me included- from partaking of the town’s most
famous export, Julian Apple Pie.
I’ve had Apple Pie from many parts of the world- Chicago,
the Philippines, Amsterdam, Rome, Singapore, etc. What could possibly be so
different about this one? What amount of savoir faire could this “Julian Pie”
have that I should expect to be totally blown away by its saccharine goodness?
The answer to that question lies in the pie’s simplicity,
and sauce.
Some might say that great pie crust makes a pie, but, dare I
say, great pie sauce, great filling, makes a pie. Honestly, I’ve only tried one
variant of Julian’s Apple Pie (the “traditional apple pie”…other variants may
be seen via www.julianpie.com), but
heck, tasting this variant is enough to make anyone’s tastebuds fly.
Applesauce that isn’t too sweet, and one that retains a
tinge of sourness, is the best kind. The apple chunks swimming in the
applesauce, ideally, should have a bit of “crunch” to them, but should not come
off as “raw”. Applesauce with “balance” means applesauce that, when absorbed by
the pie’s crust, should not make the pie taste like candy, or, should not make
the pie taste all too citrus-y either. Some enter the pie game with the
intention of going uber sweet, hence the rationale behind apple pie ala mode. For
this man with a sweet tooth, though, its “balanced” pie all the way.
There is so much sentimentality tied into the food we eat.
Julian Apple Pie does not remind me of Julian, as I have never been to Julian.
It does remind me of the big, bold, US, though, and my loved ones from California
in particular. Finite, our time is, in this crazy world. While we’re here, we
might as well indulge in what we need to indulge in, and cut back on things
that just cause us disdain, or, sear holes into whatever blocks of sanity we
have left after a day spent number crunching, doing business, and wondering
what goof made this material thing better than the other goof’s branded stone.
Maybe my liking for “balanced” Julian Pie can be sewn into
the notion that my idealism has been curbed as
I’ve aged. It’s either that I’ve
learned to compromise, or, that my penchant for “color” has gone stale. I guess
the challenge for me would be to, sometimes, want the “sweeter” rather than
just the “sweet”, or, the option without sugar altogether. This has gotten me
thinking. Would I survive being so deeply immersed in the romance of life
again? Or does my survival depend on me being able to swing from side to side,
with perfect form, without lulling myself into a state of complacency? It’s “Live”
beyond just “live”. That would be the way to go. Right?
In the meantime, here’s a thought.
I really hope that Julian delivers to destinations outside
the United States. I’d like to have some Julian Pie more often than only “every
few years”.
I say this because, I’d bet, what remains of the pie brought
for me by my dear auntie, is gone, a thing of the past, is a mish mash of processed
glucose and complex carbohydrates, by now. It’s probably been devoured for the
very same reasons that I love Julian Pie.
People eat Julian Pie, and whatever other foods they hold
dear, to feel one thing- satisfaction, a sense that, no matter where you’ve
been, what you’ve seen, what you’ve done, or what you strive to achieve in a
life that tends to be more unfair than pleasant, that for 5 seconds, from plate
to spoon, all can be right in this realm. Perfection. Guaranteed.
So who’s the man? The one? The ubermensch? I guess it’s the guy who can, and does, what he wants,
what HE thinks is cool, every so often, once in a blue moon, in moderation.
Yum.
MC
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