Member-only story
Apple Pandowdy
America’s forgotten dessert
When I was a kid growing up multiple decades ago my family ate dinner together at the dining room table. Back then people still did that. As far as I can tell, today many people eat their dinners together either on the couch in front of a TV or in their car.
My mother sat at the head of the table across from our father. On the other two sides of the table were us four kids; two boys and two girls. We had assigned seating and always sat in the same chair. The two boys sat on one side and the two girls sat on the other side.
At the end of most every meal our father would push his plate forward and lean back in his chair. And then he would say, “Man, that was deeeelicious. Okay, now I’m ready for some apple pandowdy.”
Even though we probably heard him say that a few thousand times, every time he said it we kids broke out in laughter and giggling (while our mother rolled her eyes). Seriously, what kid would not laugh at that? ‘Pandowdy’ is a funny, goofy word.
Our father was always making up words and always trying to make us kids laugh. He was the family comedian. Everything that came out of his mouth was either a joke or a Zen koan.
Since our mother never once served apple pandowdy for dessert I assumed that apple pandowdy was something that our…
