Holly Ricciardi believes that pie is love. An accomplished baker with roots in small-town Pennsylvania and a deep affection for fresh, in-season produce, Ricciardi left her graphic design career to open a pie shop, Magpie, in Philadelphia in 2012. The shop's rotating menu of seasonal offerings has already earned wide acclaim. In Magpie, her first cookbook, Ricciardi shares more than 90 recipes for sweet and savory pies, along with a wealth of baking tips.
Ricciardi begins with a piecrust primer aptly titled "Don't Fear the Piecrust!" She shares the method for Magpie's essential crust, explaining its uses for single- and double-crust pies, lattice-topped pies, mini pies, potpies and quiches. Her informative, no-nonsense directions will give pie novices a confidence boost before they even turn on the oven.
The book's recipes fall into three main categories: fruity pies, creamy pies and savory pies (including quiches and potpies). Ricciardi shares her own twists on classics, such as Lemon Gingersnap Pie and Caramel Apple Pie, before branching out into innovative combinations such as Cafe Mocha Pie, Berry Custard Thyme Crumb Pie and her signature Butterscotch Bourbon Pie. The savory section includes classics such as Quiche Lorraine and inventive dishes such as Smoked Gouda Butternut Squash Pie. Practical baking hints and variations on recipes appear throughout.
Gorgeously illustrated with full-color photographs, Magpie is as informative as it is delicious. The plethora of recipes will have readers reaching for their aprons so they can whip up a pie or two to share with those they love. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams