I grew up with a mother, aunt, and grandmother who were all great bakers. And I was lucky to not just taste the many varieties of pies that came out of their kitchens, but also to see the techniques and hear the tips that grew out of their years of pie making.

My mother’s recipes, when she used them, reflected her Southern childhood in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. When I started baking my own pies, I knew I wanted to incorporate some of her tastes and flavors with those of my own, developed in my years of living on the west coast, frequenting farmers markets, testing out new recipes, and really, just baking pies and more pies!