Photo Credit: SotoSpeakJournal.Org
Lisa Ludwinski is the owner of Sister Pie in Detroit, Michigan. She started Sister Pie by growing her business one pie at a time. She sold pies out of her parents house and then graduated to a shared commercial kitchen. From there a space on the corner of Parker and Kercheval in Detroit’s West Village caught Lisa’s eye, and over the course of many months she along with family and friends repaired the shop into what is now the Sister Pie Bakery.
Out of the four shops we featured this summer during The Inspired Pie Series, Lisa is the only owner that I have not met personally. Despite never meeting in person, I feel like I do know her. That is the power of Instagram and Lisa. She and her team of all women bakers showcase the personality of Sister Pie through dance break videos, photos of giant cinnamon rolls, and of course, sharing about their pies.
Sister Pie is known for creating treats highlighting local, Michigan produce. They care deeply about their suppliers, their team members, and their guests. The unique combination of flavors represented at Sister Pie truly showcases Lisa’s personality and passion for baking what inspires her. With flavors like Blueberry Plum Balsamic Pie to a Buttered Corn Scone, if you ever get the chance to visit with Lisa and the team at Sister Pie, I can only imagine how delighted your taste buds will be.
Lisa published The Sister Pie Cookbook in 2018. When I read her Instagram post announcing the book I immediately sent her a private message congratulating her on the accomplishment. She was kind and gracious, just like she was in all of her videos. She jokelying wrote that she just had to “find the time to write it.” She ended up writing a cookbook that shared about her experience creating Sister Pie along with pie recipes that showcase her distinctive taste. When we began discussing what flavor would best represent Sister Pie in our Inspired Pie Series, the flavor that stood out to me the most was the Honey Lemon Meringue Pie.
Our Kitchen Manager, April, tensed when I told her. “Meringue?!” she wailed. She knew the perils of making meringue, especially in large batches and in the Georgia heat. During the weeks leading up to August we poured over the Sister Pie Cookbook, trying to imitate their perfectly whipped meringue and their bright yellow, lemon filling. We knew it would take practice to get this recipe right.
By the beginning of August, our team was whipping meringue and baking off perfect lemon pies based on the Honey Lemon Meringue Pie written by Lisa and her team. All it took was a little practice, patience, and persistence.
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