About Sac Pie

What prompted you to start a blog about something as humble as, well, pie?

It's true that I not only love good pie, but I may also be a bit of a pie snob. I've been looking for a good piece of pie ever since I moved to Sacramento 3 years ago and all that I've tried so far left something to be desired (which reminds me of a story of a slice of pie ordered to go...but I'll save that for the blog). Although I don't pretend to any expertise when it comes to making pies, I have reached a level of proficiency and appreciation for fine pie-making, and I want to see what we can do to get people creating and sharing great pies in Sacramento. Here, in the midst of the country's agricultural bounty, we can play with ingredients in season and invent new flavor combinations and really have some fun with what I consider an underappreciated element of American cookery.

How did you learn to make pie?

I learned at the elbows of my mom, her mom, and other moms when I was young. And then, I forgot it all and had to re-learn it from yet another mom when I was in my 30s.

My mom used the scraps from trimming the pie to make cinnamon-sugar pinwheels, which were always gone before we ever sliced into the pie.

Are you a professional baker?

No. But I am a professional.

What is your favorite kind of pie?

My favorite is blueberry with honey and lemon. If you do it right, it is like eating summer.

What are your greatest pie fears?

That there won't be enough left for breakfast; that by June, it will be too hot to bake a peach pie.

Butter or shortening?

Shortening. Organic palm oil shortening. I confess I am scared of butter.

What are the main elements of this blog?

Pie of the Week, in which we share the making of a new pie, or a new twist on an old recipe.

Pie Spy, a monthly feature in which we search the local area and the region for a place to go and enjoy fresh and well-made pies. I am also contemplating another feature with a punny name - maybe "Eyes on the Pies" or "A la Mode" or some such, where we relate news, stories, books, web-sightings, tastings, and information about the Sac Pie Scene. And of course, reader comments!