It's pretty easy to sing the praises of pie. The baked dish can be filled with a nearly endless variety of ingredients, be they sweet or savory. While classic recipes like apple ... to get your hands ...

It's almost as synonymous with the festival as spiced pumpkin pie, and whether you have an heirloom recipe ... strawberry, raspberry, and even watermelon or blueberry are refreshing adaptations.

Baking a pie isn't rocket science, but you do need to know a little about the science of baking and Mrs. Madi can help you learn!

Cornmeal, sorghum (both syrup and grain), pawpaws, pecans, buttermilk, sassafras, sweet potatoes: These became the engines that pushed all of that classic French technique to a purpose on my menus.