My husband’s grandparents are from New England and spent a lot of time in the maritime provinces of Canada, home to the most wonderful maple syrup. Though I never met Grandma in person, I felt connected to her through stories, so lovingly told. She was a wonderful cook who skillfully used local ingredients in her recipes. She’d visit my husband as a child, boiling live lobsters in their tiny kitchen, delighting some and terrifying others. I wish I could have tasted her dishes first hand, memorizing their flavors and smells. This year our family cruise was diverted to the Canadian coastline in the wake of Hurricane Matthew. In our hearts, we knew it was meant to be, to visit the place those loving grandparents had been. It was there, on mountain ridge in the middle of New Brunswick, that I fell for that pure maple syrup that tasted like sugar and earth. In a lodge, on a grass-roots Maple Syrup Farm, we poured the sweet amber liquid over ginger spiced pancakes and sausages. We should have felt small there, but instead felt connected to a legacy. The flavors of this memorable meal inspired this pie, now a treasured family favorite.
