Charts and Graphs:
Dave's Mom's Pies
One of my favorite Late Show with David Letterman traditions occurs each Thanksgiving, when Dave fires up the satellite and chats with his Mom (Dorothy), and attempts to guess what kind of pies she has made for Thanksgiving. Here are the charts and graphs detailing the pies she has baked over the years.
| Year | Dorothy's Pies |
|---|---|
| 1993 | Orange Pumpkin Cake with Whipped Cream and Hickory Nuts |
| 1994 | Pumpkin Pie
2 Cherry Pies |
| 1995 | Pumpkin Pie
Cherry Pie |
| 1996 | Cherry Pie
Hickory Nut Pie |
| 1997 | Coconut Butterscotch Pecan Pie
Cherry Pie |
| 1998 | Rhubarb Pie
Pumpkin Pie |
| 1999 | Pumpkin Pie
Raspberry Chiffon Pie |
| 2000 | Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie |
| 2001 | Pumpkin Pie
Lemon Chiffon Pie |
| 2002 | Pumpkin Pie
Raspberry Pie |
| 2003 | Pecan Pie
Apple Pie |
| 2004 | Pumpkin Pie
Chocolate Chiffon Pie with Graham Cracker Crust |
| 2005 | Pumpkin Pie
Blueberry Pie |
Dave's Mom's Thanksgiving Pie Frequency Distribution
| Flavor | #Pies |
|---|---|
| Pumpkin | 9 |
| Cherry | 5 |
| Apple | 2 |
| Raspberry | 2 |
| Orange Pumpkin Cake with Whipped Cream and Hickory Nuts | 1 |
| Blueberry | 1 |
| Lemon Chiffon | 1 |
| Rhubarb | 1 |
| Hickory Nut | 1 |
| Pecan | 1 |
| Chocolate Chiffon | 1 |
| Coconut Butterscotch Pecan | 1 |
| Total | 26 |
Bar Graph of Dave's Mom's Pie Frequency Distribution
Here is the distribution in the form of, what else, a Pie Chart
What Is Dave's Favorite Pie?
Dave has said on the show that his favorite pie is cherry. However, in Dorothy's cookbook, she explains that as a child, Dave's favorite was chocolate chiffon pie, which he liked so well that she would bake it for his birthday instead of cake. (I love the image of young Dave blowing out birthday candles on a pie.) Dorothy still bakes Dave a pie for his birthday each year, but since she can't ship a chocolate chiffon pie, she now bakes Dave his second favorite pie, cherry. Perhaps cherry has now displaced chocolate chiffon as Dave's favorite because it's what his Mom now bakes for his birthday.