Pie Standards

There are hundreds of ways to make a pie, and just as many ways to evaluate one. My standards are heavily influenced by my father and were developed through various investigations—in the pie factory where I spent my formative years, at countless bakeries and restaurants, and in my own kitchens. Flavor and texture will trump presentation and innovation (or rather, gimmicks disguised as such) every damn time. Here are the tenets of good pie—the kind of pie you won’t want to stop eating—that I’d like to pass on to you: