1. Pastry: N.B. It's important to handle this pastry as little as possible. Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl. Cut the shortening into the flour and salt until it is pea sized. Add ICE-COLD water a little at a time and mix lightly with your hands until it is pastry consistency. Please note that the amount of water changes drastically, depending on the humidity. (For whatever pastry recipe you use, if it is very humid, reduce the amount of water called for.)
   
   
2. Divide the pastry into two equal parts. Handling it as little as possible, roll out the bottom crust on a lightly floured board. Put in pie plate. Trim. Roll out top crust and loosely roll around the rolling pin. Lay the rolling pin on top of the pie plate. REFRIGERATE AT LEAST ONE HOUR. It's the refrigeration before baking that does the trick. It makes the pastry flakier.
   
   
3. Filling: Soak TVP in vegetable stock (it should absorb all the liquid). Add more stock or TVP to make it the consistency of ground beef.
   
   
4. Heat oil in a large cast iron frying pan. Saute onions until transluscent. Add mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes more.
   
   
5. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in breadcrumbs, seasonings, almonds and cranberries. Adjust spices to taste.
   
   
6. Stir in wet TVP and beer. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated but mixture is still moist. You may need to adjust the amount of liquid depending on the heat and the absorbancy of the TVP.
   
   
7. Let cool slightly.
   
   
8. Put into a pie shell. Put the top pastry piece on. Crimp edges, and slash the top. Place in refrigerator for about ½ an hour.
   
   
9. Bake the pie in a preheated 425F oven for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350F and bake 45-55 minutes more until the pies are golden.
   
   

Serve with Major Grey Mango Chutney (mild English style chutney) and/or cranberry confit and/or cranberry sauce.

Revised from a recipe found at Veggies Unite! http://www.vegweb.com/food/