GERMANTOWN -- Last October, when Marilyn Siddle was working on her cookbook, neighbors and friends kept showing up at her yellow-frame house with the blue shutters.
"People knew I was making pies on Wednesdays," said Marilyn, eyes twinkling as she laughed. The aroma of cooling crust and rich, sweet filling wafted down tree-lined Maple Street and lured the hopeful.
For six weeks, she baked about four pies per testing session, using the convection oven relegated to the garage because it gave off too much carbon monoxide and brought the fire department one day.
Neighbors came over with plates and napkins and placemats to help "make the pies look fancy" when they were photographed by friend Karen Kreke for the book.
Lucky ones went home with a slice.
The result of that kitchen time is a small spiral-bound cookbook the former restaurant owner put out late last year called "Marilyn's Pie Pantry: Marilyn's Famous Pie Recipes." The book contains 23 pie recipes, as well as recipes for crusts, no-weep meringue (the secret is marshmallow creme), crumb topping and two of her most popular menu items that aren't pie: Broccoli Quiche and Spinach Salad with bacon dressing.
Plus tips that include: "Use real butter and whole milk -- and good vanilla."
Not in the book is her advice on crust anxiety: "Relax with the pie crust! Today, my first one didn't roll out and I had to patch it. So, I patched it!"
Building a reputation
Anyone who lived in or around Belleville from 1975 to 1983 probably ate at Marilyn's Pie Pantry, which was downtown at the corner of East Main and Church streets. (The current Pie Pantry restaurant in Belleville is not connected to Marilyn or her family.)
Pies were the big draw at the eatery. As many as 18 varieties were offered daily. Marilyn's also stood out for its chicken salad with fresh fruit and almonds served on raisin toast, as well as small loaves of homemade bread served on wooden cutting boards.
"Everything we made, we made from scratch," Marilyn said, sitting in her pretty kitchen with its rows of blue glass vases on shelves, blue floral wallpaper and a dial phone. She had made several pies that morning. They sat on the counter near the stove, among them coconut cream, rhubarb and lemon meringue.
There are no handed-down family pie recipes to share.
"The first year we were married, my husband asked me to bake him a pie," she said. "I took the recipe off the Crisco label and that's still his favorite (crust)!" His favorite filling: peach. She and Fred celebrated 56 years together Saturday and have six children and 10 grandchildren.
Early on, Marilyn's mother-in-law taught her to make cream pies, then showed the young bride how to use the dough left over after crimping the edges: Lay it in strips on top to create a lattice pattern.
"I still do that."
Marilyn soon was asked to bring pies to church and other events. Then came the decision she and Fred made together.
"I wanted to cook. I wanted to have a restaurant. We decided to theme it around pies."
Her youngest was in kindergarten when they opened Marilyn's Pie Pantry in 1975; the oldest about 20. The older boys waited tables and Marilyn's sister, Louise Rathmann, worked with her as a server.
Coconut cream was No. 1 -- also Marilyn's favorite -- followed by apple and cherry.
The restaurant retained its name when Marilyn left the business in 1983. The couple then operated Marilyn's Pie Parlor in St. Louis' Central West End from 1984-1986, returning to downtown Belleville in the late '80s with Siddle's Restaurant in the former Kresge's location at High and East Main streets.
"We were open for a couple years. The whole family was involved," Marilyn said. "Running a mom and pop operation is tough."
Still cooking
Born and raised in nearby Damiansville, Marilyn settled in Germantown with Fred a decade ago to be near their only daughte,r Mary Lynn Johnson,and family.
The cookbook already was in the works when Marilyn had triple bypass surgery last March. She made a full recovery, but cut back on the number of recipes to include.
Son Joe, who lives in Alton, was the driving force behind compiling the recipes.
"I baked him 10 pies for his 50th birthday. I worked on 'em for two days."
Nowadays, Marilyn bakes pies on Saturdays.
"My grandchildren expect it!"
Peach, apple, cherry and coconut are most-requested.
"I've never grown tired of it," she said.
Want one of Marilyn's cookbooks? Send her a check for $14.95 and she'll mail you one, postage included in the price. Address: Marilyn Siddle, P.O. Box 65, Germantown, IL 62245. You also can order on her website, marilynspiepantry.com.
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