Weekend Reading: Regional Desserts, The Power of Pie, and More
Slate’s interactive “ United Sweets of America ” map is a guide to 50 of America’s most distinctive regional desserts—one for each state.

Some, like Wisconsin’s ring-shaped, fruit-filled pastry known as the Kringle, I was familiar with. Louis, Missouri’s gooey butter cake, and Rhode Island’s frozen lemonades, were new to me.
It’s a must-read for anyone with a sweet tooth. [ Slate ] — Karen Shimizu, senior editor, @karemizu I love this article by Stacy Adimando, which starts off with her wish to recreate the ricotta pie of her ancestral Italy—an attempt to recreate the world of her great grandparents in her own Brooklyn kitchen. The studio released some images this week; the short is due out this fall. [ USA Today ] — Michellina Jones, digital producer, @michellinajones According to a paper conducted by the Economic Policy Institute, 16.7% of restaurant workers are living below the poverty line (that’s 10% more than employees in other industries).
The research’s other findings, which examine race, gender, and benefits, are fascinating, and in addition pretty depressing.
- Who: Boston Terrier · Economic Policy Institute · United Sweets
- Percentages: 16.7% · 10%
- Figures: 16.7% · 10%