It seems that apple pies, like many other things, are regional favorites. My best apple pies are filled with Sonoma County Gravenstein apples. The apples are best picked tree-ripened (green/yellow with a light red blush) and already have a delicious apple scent. After baking, the slices are tender, yet "al dente" as one would experience with a fine pasta. These apples have a natural sweetness that requires little amendment and yield a robust apple pie flavor. Finish the presentation by creating a romantic sauce using apple juice, dark rum, butter, a little brown sugar and a pinch of salt cooked until it spins a thread off of a wooden spoon. Your guests will love you for it and ask you how you did it.

• Reply