"Pie" are---Square!? (Part II of II)

...Also in required attendance are the very excellent various department heads, elitist amongst the elite professors, haughty graduate students and sundry peons including invited undergrad students and a very few secretaries, dependent, of course, on which is in the preferred popular hierarchy of who’s who, at any given moment of the academic semester trial and error; the trial of the students through a grade system, not the error of the professors through any fault.

Champagne, of the correct vintage, is, of course, available; it is in the budget. But, sherry prevails as the beverage of importance to ivy leaguers in their tweed sport coats with color- contrasted suede patches at the elbows, light blue tailored button-down shirts with mirage gray stripes, open at the collar, dark brown creased to razor sharpness slacks held up with a matching belt and brown loafers for that, just so, sophisticated, yet casual, scholarly pretension.

The caviar is California white sturgeon Petrossian Special Reserve Ossetra to be served on lightly toasted semolina wheat croissants, only the very best of the best for the best of the best at just under seven thousand dollars for thirty-six ounces, enough to feed around twenty aficionados with the most exquisite taste buds, not unlike true, regal royalty of the European persuasion, the very best because their inbred lineage regresses so deeply into history; not, however to slight the impressive English, equally of the finest texture fabric of humankind, even with their dalliances and common folk associational dalliances. Then, of course, is the capitalism Mecca of the free world, that auspicious group of American self-appointed royal-pains, the executive, the legislative and the elite judiciary, wholly unable to find their own backsides without aid, much less abbreviate the myriad problems facing their constituents caused by terminal career cancer, revenue-sharing and the biggest fault of the entirety, lies, lies and even bigger lies. Amen!

Of course, the cheese plates are of the very finest crystal, not gaudy gold nor mother-of-pearl demanded of the ostentatious serving utensils for the fish eggs. The beautiful porcelain holds Cantalet cheese from France, Tallegio imported from northern Italy and English cow milk North County Blue served as a cocktail canapé with smoked salmon. All such delicacies to be drowned or washed down with Louis Roederer Cristal, vintage-2004, served in gleaming, thin goblets.

In a slight lull in the exquisite conversation a protégé is heard to say, “Pie are square.” The Dean quickly rallies to the defense of his associate and pronounces in an air of utter sophisticated erudite intelligent elucidated education, “You idiot, everybody knows that ‘Pie are round!’”

Square or round, whether the pies are my favorite, cherry custard, which my grandma made for me upon any urgent request, or apple, tinged with a golden brown top crust sugar-coated, or lemon with meringue three inches high that my mother makes, each wave of delight toasted to golden color, or chocolate or pecan, mom’s favorites, all are exceptional when baked with just the right ingredients, including that special secret subtlety: ample pure and abiding---love!

No one’s future is ever late!

Bon appetit! Mon Amie!