Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I applaud you for not titling this "the 9 best" or "the top 9" - digg and reddit ruined lists for me because of that.

There are countless dishes named after people and I'd like to toss another in the mix: Oysters Rockefeller. Named after Rockefeller because the sauce is so rich. I've been dying to make this with oyster mushrooms.

Delicious Orchards pies have always been very good, but not exactly convienient to NYC. One of the best pies in NYC is without a doubt the ones from The Little Pie Company of NYC. They've gone up in price quite a bit in the last two years, and their satelite store in Grand Central is no more, but that shouldn't dissuade you from braving mid-town. (Their sour cherry is to die for!)

There are some other excellent pies as well, such as the one's from Two Little Red Hens on the UES in the 80's, and the Lexington Candy Shop nearby also has a very good ones, but their's has to be ordered ahead of time as they come from a bakery in Southampton. Of course one can always go to Payard for a Tarte Tatain...$$$

Eat Fresh Food: Awesome Recipes for Teen Chefs
by Rozanne Gold, Phil Mansfield (Illustrator)

Barbara Beery!

ahhh ok, the paper pie pan threw me off for a second.

but still.. gross.

I second the recommendations of Emeril's "There's A Chef In My Soup" and "There's A Chef In My Kitchen." They have been my go-to gifts for kids who have a little experience with chopping, measuring, and everyone has loved them. And the recipes are very good too - the family will appreciate them.

I don't yet have the Pioneer Woman's cookbook, but I've been a fan of her blog, and I agree that the photos and friendly chatter will make it a safe bet too.

@downhillguru: Not microwaved. It's actually baked for 45ish minutes in the oven just like the rest of them, but it might as well be zapped in the microwave, since either way it tastes like a dead pie.

EVERYTHING Marie Callender's makes is delicious! I love most of her frozen entrees. Haven't tried the pie yet but I'm not surprised...her frozen foods are some of the best out there!

I had not bought a frozen pie in years, and the last time I did it seems like the Mrs. Smith's brand was considered to be pretty good. Well, I bought one last week (apple) and it was TERRIBLE! Worst pie I have ever tasted. In fact, we threw it out it was that bad. As the taste-testers above said, the crust was gummy (it really is taste-less, like cardboard). Also, the filling tastes really artificial. So . . . I'll try the MC brand next time. Although for a quick-to-make pie, those refrigerated Pillsbury piecrusts are the best of their type. Okay, okay, I know it's not as good as homemade, but it's better than any of the other pre-made crusts. And it really doesnt take long to mix up some fruit with a bit of tapioca and throw it in to bake. But it's good to know you can have something in the freezer that won't gag people, just in case.

@Erin Zimmer - the Paula Deen pie is an exclusive at WalMart. Food Network Humor has a great mashup of public reaction to said pie. I haven't seen/tried it, but I understood it to be a bakery item, not frozen.

@erin zimmer: only wal-mart carries paula deen pies. no joke.

@katieelby: Paula Deen has a frozen apple pie?! Where would one hypothetically buy such a thing?