Your trad pie.
If you know me well, then you’ve likely experienced my delicious home baking. Yes, I’m not afraid to own that I make some pretty damn good desserts.
My speciality, at least what I’m known for, is my pies. Let me be clear: this is not your British/Australian/New Zealand savory pie, this is your dessert pie that spans 8 inches wide with a sweet filling surrounded by a golden crust (I can hear some jokes being thrown around here…).
I love pie. I love eating pie and I love making pie. I love the contrast between a soft filling and a crumbly crust. I making my own pies because I can control the the amount of filling that balances out the crust, making sure there the filling:crust ratio leans heavily to the latter. I adore an extra thick crust that’s flaky and buttery and melts in your mouth. I love being an artist and creating intricate decorations to top the pie. I love seeing my friends and family’s smiles and “oohs” of delight when they savor a slice of homemade pie. I love creating and bringing joy through my baking.
My annual triumph is Thanksgiving Changsgiving where all the relatives flock over to my parent's’ home. We start off the day with a Turkey Trot (a 5k race/walk for all you non-Americans) and then it’s countdown to dinner time (promptly at 4pm — you snooze you lose). Luckily for me I’ve already prepped and baked prior to the day of (this year it was a full three days, three years ago it was three half-days) so I just get to chill until the feasting begins: one stomach for the Thanksgiving classics and the second for the desserts.
The key to success? Time, patience, and a lot of space. All of my crusts (all-butter only please!) are made from scratch, and for Changsgiving, 10 pie crusts really tries my patience (8 pies + extra pie dough for lattice work). I take over the entire kitchen (oven + kitchen counter + stove) and map out which ingredients go where to ensure I don’t mix anything up. And then I go have fun — whether that’s trying a new variation (pumpkin black sesame 🤤), designing pie decorations (a turkey for Thanksgiving), or watching Say Yes to the Dress while slicing a gazillion apples (a classic!).
The best part? Seeing everyone’s faces light up with delight.
Preparing food and sharing food is a love language of mine. This was something hard to do while traveling, specifically within the context of baking: hostel kitchens are not really conducive to baking (at least at my standards of cleanliness) and the countries I visited didn’t necessarily have all of the required ingredients. If we meet on the trail and I start telling you that I want to bake for you, then you know that you’ve been deemed worthy of friendship. I’m lovingly your trad pie.
