Chef Christine Nguyen throws down the pastry gauntlet
Cherry pie was my absolute favorite when I was a kid. There was nothing better than the anticipation of going to Grandma’s and knowing what was waiting for me on the window (after a proper Southern dinner, of course).
She knew it was my favorite, as is the tradition of grandmothers. She never left me hanging. It’s a memory that I will never forget, just as much nostalgia as it is an appreciation for the beautiful dishes so inherent to our culinary heritage.
When I learned that a new pie monger was on the scene in Chattanooga, I instantly had flashbacks to this young memory. The fact alone that our city is developing the ability to support specialty shops like this and others (Bleu Fox, for instance) makes me a happy eater. It hints at a path of progress and greatness for Chattanooga’s future.
Christine Nguyen grew up in Northern Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC.
“I grew up loving food and watching every cooking show on PBS that I could find, but I never really imagined going into the food industry myself,” reminisces Chef Nguyen. Nevertheless, she ended up in culinary school in DC. That was over a decade ago, and she still calls the kitchen her home.
She arrived in Chattanooga in 2015 and decided to take time away from work to raise her young daughter. The seed of an idea, opening a pie business, existed in the back of her mind for a while, but Christine began to ponder it more seriously. The dream grew until it was a budding reality.
“I became very interested in making pies and refining that craft,” she recalls. And it very much is a craft of delicacy and methodical precision. Making a pie, rolling out the crust, selecting the flavors: to do it well, the process is the work of a master.
“In March of 2016, I started Mama Crunk’s Pies,” Nguyen says. “The name was taken from my old college nickname ‘Crunk’.” She laughs and doesn’t explain the name, making me miss my own college days.
Kitchen life is no cake walk. The process is difficult, demanding, and hard on the body. The general culture, though transforming for the better in recent years, can be belittling and lacking in inclusivity.
“I wanted to be able to create a kitchen removed from the toxic culture that’s been ingrained in the industry for a long time. I also wanted to build a place to work with people with a diversity of experiences and perspectives,” says Nguyen. “Working in the food industry, especially as a woman, has been very grueling and difficult and it’s an industry that I’ve contemplated leaving time and again. The only thing that has kept me here has honestly been my intense love of food and my desire to communicate and share different perspectives, whether they be cultural or culinary ones, through food.”
Visit them at mamacrunkspies.com or swing by Common General in St. Elmo. We’ll be back to visit Common General, home of Mama Crunk’s, to explore all of the exciting things coming to our doorstep in the soon-to-be co-op culinary general store. Think Vietnamese and Korean fare, some of my favorite cuisines on earth.
Rum Chess, Apple, Pear Cheddar, Quiche Florentine, Pecan, Pumpkin…is your mouth watering yet? Pies ship to the surrounding region, so if you’re looking for a gift for out-of-town family, this is a perfect way beat out everyone else and show them that you’re the best gift giver around.
You can keep your cake. It’s all about that delicate, buttery, flaky crust and those lusciously delicious fillings for me.