New England Pie: History Under a Crust (American Palate)

Pie has been a delectable centerpiece of Yankee tables since Europeans first landed on New England's shores in the seventeenth century. With a satisfying variety of savory and sweet, author Robert Cox takes a bite out of the history of pie and pie-making in the region. From the crackling topmost crust to the bottom layer, explore the origin and evolution of popular ingredients like the Revolutionary roots of the Boston cream. One month at a time, celebrate the seasonal fixings that fill New Englanders' favorite dessert from apple and cherry to pumpkin and squash. With interviews from local bakers, classic recipes and some modern twists on beloved standards, this mouthwatering history of New England pies offers something for every appetite.

A recovering paleontologist and sometime historian, Rob Cox is head of special collections at UMass Amherst, having previously held positions at the University of Michigan (where he received his PhD in history) and the American Philosophical Society. Having written on topics ranging from talking to the dead to Lewis and Clark and Quaker-Seneca relations, his most recent books include a trilogy on New England culinary history and, quite separately, the history of sleep.