Every time I am feeling a little too much, or sometimes not enough, I bake a pie. I bake a pie when I celebrate something, make a new friend, figure out something hard, go on an inspiring trip, and, most of all, when I am trying to create a feeling of home.

For my project-turned-cookbook, “50 Pies, 50 States,” I decided to learn about America by creating a pie for each state that said something about its people and included meaningful regional ingredients.

For pumpkin pie, one state stood out: Illinois. About 85% of canned pumpkin consumed in the United States comes from Illinois, and pumpkin pie is the official state pie.

But I couldn’t just make a regular ol’ pumpkin pie! I had to think outside the box. Then it hit me: I could make the love child of a pumpkin pie and a deep-dish pizza

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