To become a better cook, sharpen your senses

New York

KATE McDermott describes it as "the sizzle-whump". It's the sound a pie makes when it's perfectly baked, said Ms McDermott, the author of Art of the Pie. The "sizzle" is the sound of hot butter cooking the flour in the crust, melding it into a crisp, golden lid. The "whump" is the sound of the thickened filling bumping against the top crust as it bubbles at a steady pace.

"I call it the heartbeat …