My boys are wondering why I am still practicing pumpkin pie. They are of the opinion that there must be a ceiling here – a moment when it’s perfect and I no longer have to get out my notebook, review my notes from past years and reach out for advice. It’s quite possible that they […]

The pie I think least about is apple pie. Not apple sour cherry or apple plum – just regular apple pie. It seems boring to me, yet it’s the most coveted emblem of American dessert eating. To be honest, any of the apple mash-ups on this blog can be changed into a regular apple pie. […]

This pie has a long name. I couldn’t bring myself to discount any of these ingredients because they are all what makes this pie so good. I thought I had made the holy grail of summer pies with the peach blueberry, but this one was an accidental show stopper. Summer pies are so special not […]

Let’s face it.  Traditional pumpkin pie is in the “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” category. Every Thanksgiving I embark on yet another futile effort to find THE pumpkin pie.  You know where it is?  On the back on the Libby’s pumpkin can.  Sure, go ahead and roast your own pumpkin or get all […]

Reach out.  Roll balls.  That was the tag line for my New Year’s resolution in 2015. I had slipped into a terrible habit of not proactively reaching out to friends and getting the ball rolling on plans.  I was either the recipient of an invitation where I joined in the fun, or text strings would […]

Sweet Surrender If the sweetest bit of surrender is inherent in pie baking, Sunday’s peach pie required downright capitulation. My plan was to make a lattice crust peach pie. I’m a huge fan of multi-fruit pies (or mashups as Emily calls them), but am so thrilled with the new bounty of local peaches in my […]

First a Cook  I love ritual, especially those involving food and connection with family and friends. My favorite ritual is Friday night Shabbat dinners. It’s quite lovely when we get together with extended family for Shabbat, but I am especially fond of those that we share quietly in our dining room as a family of […]

The Privilege of Helping My name is Emily and I am a chronic helper. Anyone who has been the recipient of my gestures can attest – I am well intentioned, but I am an eager, enthusiastic helper who though genuine, can run the risk of over-helping. Back in grade school, it was a minor holiday […]

I purposely don’t spend much time scouring the internet for recipes. I feel like they hinder my creativity by planting preconceived ideas in my head. That’s kind of the way I feel about toys for my kids – we don’t have many because I’d prefer that they figure out how to play with something by […]