Easy As 1-2-3 Coconut Pie

Jeremy Headen

Whenever asked to tell about one dish that was my favorite I came to a dilemma. Coming from a family that prides itself on our cooking; there are so many delicious dishes that I could have chosen from.

But one thing sticks out in my mind; there is one dish that is known throughout my hometown of Sanford, NC, and that's my grandmother's coconut pie. If you ask someone, "Do you know Minnie Headen?" you'll get either of two responses: "Yeah, she's the beautician," or "Yeah, she makes the best coconut pie I ever tasted in my life."

Being known for her coconut pie, you would assume that she loves coconut pie, but this is not the case. Growing up, her mother instilled in her that a woman should always be able to cook, and she took this to heart. So, as she grew up, she learned how to make dishes in different special ways, from slightly frying beef tips before slow cooking them, to how to make a simple-but-delicious coconut pie.

My great-grandmother taught her how to make the pie by calling it the "Easy as 1-2-3 Coconut Pie." By doing it this way, it allows for the cook to teach it to other people easily, and for people to learn it easily--simply because everything is measured in 1, 2, or 3.

Although she had four sisters, she was the only one who would really bake the coconut pie. Till this day, she is the only person to make the coconut pies, and she brings them to almost every family, social, and church event. People love them so much that most times there be a line just to simply get a slice of coconut pie.

But the funniest part about this story is that, even though she is known for making the best coconut pie in the Sanford area, she doesn't even really like to eat coconut pie. Most times she only eats the smallest piece possible just to see if they are worth serving, and if they're not, she'll make them all over again.