Nicole Rucker on pastries, fruit, and making a perfect pie for July 4

The LA Times and Eater called Nicole Rucker pastry royalty in their write-ups of her restaurant Fiona, which opened late last year on Fairfax. LA Magazine called her the biggest name in baked goods since Nancy Silverton. Rucker’s desserts are defined by her California upbringing, namely her passion for fruit, which she found around her neighborhood when growing up in the Bay Area. She’s now compiled her favorite recipes into a new cookbook called “Dappled: Baking Recipes for Fruit Lovers.”