MOOSE JAW — There was only one thing sweeter than the smell of cinnamon and baked apples drifting through the event room at Atria Mulberry Estates recently — and that was the spirited showdown between two friendly rivals, each serving up their best take on a classic apple pie.
In one corner, Executive Chef Andi represented the professional kitchen staff at the retirement residence; in the other, longtime resident Dee Wilby — or “Chef Dee” for the day — honoured her mother’s time-tested recipe in front of a packed house of neighbours and friends.
“This is my mom’s recipe for apple pie,” Wilby said. “She taught me an awful lot, and she made an awful lot of apple pies because we had a lot of apples growing around. She had a recipe for pastry that you could just use it and use it and use it and it would never get tough.”
The event, hosted by Atria Mulberry Estates, welcomed a panel of guest judges, including Rob Clark, CEO of the Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce; Acting Chief Rick Johns with the Moose Jaw Police Service; Fern Paulhus with Moose Jaw Search and Rescue; Anna Penner with Mulberry Estates; and myself, representing the Moose Jaw Express.
We weren’t the only ones tasked with the important duty of declaring a winner — a panel of resident judges also sampled a slice of each pie, and more than a dozen residents also took part in the effort.
Chef Andi took a creative approach to her entry, admitting she didn’t grow up with a traditional pie recipe in the family.
“My mom was not a pie maker,” she explained. “So my mom made a lot of crumble … I loved crumble growing up. When I got older, I learned how to make pie. I was like, well, pie is good, but I love crumble, and so I combined them. Mine is a caramel apple crumble pie — kind of the best of both worlds.”
From a judge’s perspective, both pies brought something special to the table.
Chef Dee’s pie featured expertly baked pastry — golden, flaky, and tender, with the kind of texture only achieved by a well-rested dough and a practiced hand. While the slice was a little rustic on the plate, the flavour was unbeatable. The apples were cooked to a perfect consistency, with a deep cinnamon richness that evoked all the comforts of home.
Chef Andi’s creation, meanwhile, offered a standout presentation. The pie held together beautifully, with a golden-crisp topping and smooth filling that brought the apple crisp influence to life. Though the filling had less pronounced spice and was served partially frozen, it made for a refreshing contrast on a hot July day.
When the final votes were tallied, Chef Dee earned a decisive win: 23 votes to Chef Andi’s eight.
For my part, the vote went to Chef Dee — proving, perhaps, that there really is no substitute for mom’s home cooking.
