Issue link: https://www.cominghomemag.com/i/1529448
What inspired you to become a baker, and how do you maintain your passion? My family owns a restaurant, so I grew up around food. I've always cooked, but I learned to bake bread at a previous job and thought it was so much fun. Baking bread can be difficult because the ingredients must be measured accurately, and working with the dough takes patience, skill, and attention. As luck would have it, the pandemic lockdown gave me time to refine my bread-making skills and expand into other doughs—pie dough being my favorite. Similar to bread, pie dough requires precision and talent to get it right. I challenged myself to master a basic pie crust, and after achieving that, I continued to push the envelope with new crust recipes. I embrace culinary challenges, so my passion is built in. I enjoy making dishes that people swoon over, and I find this profession really fulfilling. I love using my hands to make something beautiful you can eat, and developing recipes excites me. Not to mention, food brings people together, so making it gives me a special way to connect with others. Can you tell us the inside scoop to the perfect pie crust? A basic pie crust is just flour, salt, and butter. However, butter is the most important ingredient because it produces all the flavor and flaky layers. While you can use other fats, like lard, my preference, and what we use in the bakery, is cow's milk butter; it's the tastiest. You then need to make sure the butter is cold enough to produce quarter- to pea-sized chunks in the dough. When it melts in the oven, the chunks of butter create little pockets, and that's what's responsible for the flaky layers in the finished product. That's it—perfection in its simplest form! What's your most requested pie for the holidays? With a fall harvest, apples are at their ripest and most abundant, and many people celebrate the season by baking or decorating their holiday table with an apple pie. That's why it's no surprise that our deep-dish apple pie, the Lord of the Pies, is our most requested. Weighing about seven pounds, it's a crowd-pleaser year-round, but particularly during the holidays. Over our 10-plus years in business, it's become a must-have for many families' festive feasts. Plus, it's available for shipping nationwide! What are your favorite winter ingredients to use in your recipes? Winter is the most wonderful time for baking. The ingredients of the season are so bold, bright, and fresh. Mint is very versatile, and one of my top choices because you can use it in desserts and savory dishes. While I sprinkle fresh mint in a salad, my go-to treat is hot chocolate with a drop or two of mint extract. I also use oranges in everything. Orange is seasonal in winter, so I consider it a holiday flavor. The combination you never knew you needed: pair orange with rosemary in a custard, for example, to impress at the table. What's the most unusual pie or dessert combination you've ever tried, and how did it turn out? I recently made a cranberry-orange pie with a gingersnap crust. I was experimenting with flavors and had a vibe I was aiming for, but I wasn't sure how it would all go together. Fortunately, the pie worked out and tasted like a Christmas key lime pie. The cranberries were nice and tart, the orange offered a sweetness, and the gingersnap crust grounded it, so it was balanced and festive. It was a risk worth taking, and the pie was a hit. Do you have any advice for new bakers? As a newbie, baking can be intimidating, but giving yourself grace will make you an expert sooner than you think. My advice: Don't be afraid to fail. Not everything is going to turn out how you envisioned. That's how people develop recipes in the first place. Practice. I believe people get scared of doing things they haven't done before, so they never do them. But practicing practical skills, like knife-handling, is crucial to becoming an efficient baker. Try to be open-minded. Although there are some rules for baking, there's room for creativity. Going rogue with a dish can lead to something extraordinary! Trust yourself. Have confidence that you'll do a good job. Even if it doesn't go as planned, you'll be better off from the experience. Wash your hands—a lot. Germs and bacteria live everywhere. Do yourself—and everyone else—a favor by washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. How can people stay calm in the kitchen during the holidays? There's so much happening during the holidays, so cooking can be stressful but fun. To maintain calmness in the kitchen, be prepared and have a game plan. Understand and write out what you'll tackle each day, and gather the tools and ingredients necessary ahead of time to set yourself up for success. I thrive in a fast-paced environment but know when to take a break and walk away. Go outside to get fresh air and breathe. Be mindful of everything on your plate, communicate with others, and let people help. Together, we can all accomplish more! 2 3 4 5 6 7 LORI SUBIALDEA is the kitchen manager for Emporium Pies, based in Dallas, Texas. Emporium Pies ships Lord of the Pies, Drunken Nut, and other confectionary creations nationally. To order, visit www.emporiumpies.com. A holiday pie offers a multitude of gifts for the senses. The sweet smell permeates the air, its layered precision delivers a feast for the eyes, and palate-pleasing flavors and wondrous crunchy, smooth, and airy textures send your tastebuds to existential bliss. However, crafting this holiday masterpiece is an art form. We sat down with Lori Subialdea, kitchen manager for Emporium Pies, to get the skinny on her secrets for pie-baking success. 1 COMING HOME MAGAZINE 7