WHERE IS THAT FORK?
♪ SEAN: CRYSTAL MCDONALD IS SERIOUS ABOUT PIE.
♪ CRYSTAL: I LOVE PIE.
THAT IS THE SHORT ANSWER.
THE SHORT ANSWER IS I LOVE PIE.
IT IS WARM, COMFORTING, NOSTALGIC FOR ME.
IT IS CHILDHOOD, A LIFELONG PASSION.
SEAN: CRYSTAL HAS TURNED THAT PASSION INTO A BUSINESS, OPENING THE LIVE FREE OR PIE STAND AT THE END OF HER HAMPSTEAD DRIVEWAY TWICE A WEEK.
CRYSTAL: I THOUGHT -- THIS IS A LOVE OF MINE.
I WILL JUST PUT PIES IN THERE, AND IF PEOPLE COME, GREAT, AND IF NOT, I WILL JUST HAVE TO GO TO THE GYM A LOT MORE.
[LAUGHS] ♪ SEAN: SHE QUICKLY LEARNED IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME AND HAS BEEN SELLING OUT HER LITTLE STAND AS QUICKLY AS SHE CAN STOP
IT.
CRYSTAL: -- STOCK IT.
CRYSTAL: AT FIRST IT WOULD TAKE A COUPLE OF HOURS, TWO HOURS, THEN THEY WOULD FLY OFF IN 12 MINUTES.
SEAN: THE HIGH MAKING IS AN OUTLET FOR THE STAY-AT-HOME MOM OF TWO.
SHE RECENTLY LEFT A HIGH-POWERED JOB IN CHICAGO, MOVED TO TO THE COUNTRY, AND FOUND SHE NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING CREATIVE IN HER DOWNTIME.
CRYSTAL: YOU SEE ALL THIS FLAKY, BUTTERY GOODNESS?
THAT IS IT.
THAT IS THE MONEY.
THAT IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT.
THE WHOLE PREMISE IS I DO EVERYTHING IN SEASON.
IT IS ALL HAND-PICKED ME FROM LOCAL FARMS IN SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
THE REASON BEING THERE IS JUST REPLACING THE SUITE, BEAUTIFUL TASTE OF FRESH, SUNRISE IN FRUIT - SUN-RIPENED FRUIT.
SEAN: STRAWBERRY RHUBARB OPENS THE SEASON IN MAY, AND APPLE CLOSES IT OUT IN NOVEMBER.
WHETHER FULL-SIZE O MINI, WHAT MAKES IT THAT MAKES -- WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES LIVE FREE OR PIE STAND PIES SO GOOD?
CRYSTAL: MOST OF MY FILLING OUR SOFT, JUI BECAUSE OF THE FRESH FRUIT, SO THE FROZEN KEEPS IT FROM GETTING SOGGY AND SEEPING INTO T CRUST, BUT IT ALSO KEEPS THE FAT NICE AND COLD.
SEAN ALL OF THAT HANDMADE LOVE AND LABOR THAT GOES INTO EVERY PIE.
CRYSTAL: WHAT I LIKE TO DO IS MAKE SURE THERE IS NO MISSED REAL ESTATE.
I LITERALLY TAKE THEM HAD LAY THEM -- A LAY THEM SO THERE IS NO POCKET.
SEAN: WITH TURKEY DAY RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, THERE IS NO QUESTION WHAT CRYSTAL’S FAVORITE PART OF THE MEAL IS.
CRYSTAL: TURKEY?
WHAT?
NO, PI NO.
PIE IS THANKSGIVING, AND IF YOU DO NOT HAVE PIE ON YOUR TABLE THANKSGIVING, I CANNOT BE A GUEST.
SEAN: NOW IT IS CRYSTAL’S PIES THAT ARE ON THE TABLE OF HER FRIENDS, FAMILY, NEIGHBORS, AND ANYONE STOPPING BY THE LIVE FR OR PIE STAND -- BEFORE THEY ARE ALL GOBBLED UP
CRYSTAL: IT HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING.
I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS AT ALL.
UM, I TRULY JUST THOUGHT "I AM GOING TO PUT SOME PIES OUT." WHO KNOWS?
I DON’T KNOW.
AUBREY SO RIGHT NOW, I AM MAKING SOME PIES.
I WILL MAKE A CHOCOLATE MAPLE FAN AND -- PECAN AND PUMPKIN FOR LATER IN THE DAY.
SEAN: AUBREY SACHS AND PERKINS -- SAXTON PERKINS IS A PIE- MAKING MACHINE.
AUBREY: I DO HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL MACHINE, BUT I DEFINITELY TOUCH EVERY SINGLE ONE.
THEY ARE HANDMADE FOR SURE.
AUBREY: -- SEAN: BASED OUT OF A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN IN ANTRIM, AUBREY, ALSO KNOWN AS THE SAXY CHEF, TURN OUT ABOUT 300 PIES A WEEK.
AUBREY: I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A LO FOR BAKING.
YES, I WENT TO CULINARY SCHOOL FOR COOKING, BUT I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED BAKING ALSO.
MOSTLY BECAUSE I LOVE EATING BAKED GOOD.
SEAN: ENTER HER COMPANY TAGLINE -- "MAY THE FORK BE WITH YOU." AUBREY: IT DOES HAVE TWO MEANINGS, OBVIOUSLY THE "STAR WARS" REFERENCE, BUT IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO HAVE A FORK WITH
YOU, AND CLAY SOMETHING DELICIOUS COMES ALONG AND YOU NEED TO EAT IT RIGHT AWAY.
SEAN SHE STARTED BY MAKING A DOZEN FOR A FARM STAND, WORKING OUT OF A SHARED KITCHEN.
IT WAS NOT UNTIL MORE AND MORE PEOPLE STARTED ASKING FOR HER PIES THAT SHE DECIDED TO MAKE IT HER FULL-TIME JOB.
AUBREY: I USED TO BUY CASES OF BUTTER MAYBE ONCE A MONTH AND PULL OUT A FEW POUNDS EVERY WEEK, AND NOW WE GO THROUGH MULTIPLE CASES OF BUTTER EVERY WEEK.
♪ SEAN THE SAXY CHEF HAS GAINED A REPUTATION IN THE MONADNOCK REGION FOR NOT ONLY HAVING DELICIOUS PIES BUT ALSO FOR SOME FAR OUT FLAVOR COMBOS, LIKE
APPLE APRICOT GINGER AND B ESELBERRY.
AUBREY ONE OF MY NEWER ONES IS THE APPLE BLOOD ORANGE FIG.
SEAN: BUT YOU CANNOT BEAT THE ALL-AMERICAN APPLE HIGH.
AUBREY: THE BESTSELLER IS DEFINITELY THE APPLE.
ALL YEAR.
EVERYBODY WANTS APPLE PIE ALL THE TIME.
SEAN THIS YEAR, THE SAXY CHEF WILL BE PROVIDING THOUSANDS OF TABLES WITH PIES.
AUBREY LAST YEAR, WE GET 1600.
THIS YEAR, I THINK WE ARE TO HIT THE 2000 MARK.
THANKSGIVING IS, HANDS DOWN, THE BIGGEST THING AL YEAR, ON MY MIND IS THANKSGIVING.
I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ONLY EAT PIE AT THANKSGIVING, WHICH IS CRAZY TO ME, OF COURSE.
SEAN: TOO MANY FLAVORS TO CHOOSE FROM?
YOU CAN ALWAYS TAKE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE EXPERT.
AUBREY: APPLE CRANBERRY RASPBERRY, THE MAPLE PECAN, I LOVE THE SWEET POTATO.
MAKING PEOPLE HAPPY IS DEFINITELY THE MOST REWARDING PART.
THAT IS WHY I AM HERE, TO MAKE THINGS THAT TASTE GREAT FOR PEOPLE TO EAT.
THAT IS THE WHOLE REASON WHY I GOT STARTED.
WHEN PEOPLE TELL ME THE PIE WAS THE BEST THING TO EVER HAD AND IT BRIGHTENED UP THEIR DAY, THAT IS WHAT IT IS REALLY ALL ABOUT.
♪