It would be impossible to grow up in my mother's house and not learn to bake. She's a Frenchwoman and a Cancer, a culinary double whammy that turns even her most casual dinner parties into events. Her idea of taking it easy is using a food processor (sacre bleu!) to slice the apples for a tart tatin or, in go-for-broke sloth, actually baking the chocolate-glazed hazelnut mousse cake the night before. Even now, hearing her describe a dinner menu is like listening to a fairy tale. So I can bake a little and I can cook a little. Nothing fancy, which I think may be the secret to my recent pie success. Buy great fruit. (I used the two apple varieties in the photo.) Use real butter in the crust. Keep it simple. Recipes after the jump.

Apple Pie
3 to 4 pounds of apples, peeled and sliced into large chunks, eighths or tenths.
1/4 c. white sugar.
1/4 c. brown sugar.
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 to 2 Tblsp unsalted butter
1 to 2 tsp fresh lemon zest

Starting near the outside edge, line the pie crust with apple chunks. Move in concentric circles inward. When you've got the bottom layer covered, mound the rest on top. Go for density without overcrowding.

Mix the spices and salt with the white sugar, then sprinkle evenly over the top of the apples. Don't worry, it'll all migrate downward. Do the same with the brown sugar. Cut the butter into tiny chunks and drop it around, random but even. Sprinkle in the lemon zest.

Put the top crust on, crimp, then cut steam holes. Glaze with an egg wash or cream or whatever works for you.

Bake in a 450 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes. (And be sure to preheat it all the way as the first 15 minutes are critical to cooking the fruit.) Then lower the heat to 350 and bake another 30 or 40 minutes, depending on your oven, the fruit, the day, your tastes. You can stick a tiny paring knife through one of the vents to see how the fruit's doing.

Cool to room temperature before serving. A few hours is fine, even overnight is good. The flavors blend and mellow and the juices have time to solidify.

Meyer Lemon Pie
It's a Shaker recipe that Jenny Price (a wonderful cook) forwarded to me from her mother's recipe collection.

Slice 2 or 3 Meyer lemons, paper-thin. You can leave the rinds on if you like pie with a strong bite, or peel half of them for a milder flavor.

Mix in bowl with 2 c. sugar. Toss and leave to macerate several hours or overnight.

Mix in 4 beaten eggs, then pour the fruit mixture into a bottom crust. Add a top crust. Crimp.

Bake at 450 for 15 minutes in a pre-heated oven, then another 20 minutes at 375.

Cool to room temperature before serving.