As a professional pie baker, not much could be more disappointing than to have a great pie filling, perfect crust -- and then the meringue falls, shrinks or weeps. Or all of the above! There are many reasons that a meringue can become a problem for even the most serious baker. I can tell you, those egg whites are picky little buggers that demand your care and will let you know what you did wrong. After the fact. So the best way to get comfortable with using meringues is to find a recipe that is basic, fairly easy, tasty and consistently beautiful. We can talk about the ephemeral lightness of a French meringue. But I'll go for the sturdier and more reliable Italian Meringue as my every-day choice. What's the difference? I bet your mom or grandma used a French meringue recipe, which requires beating the egg whites with a little stabilizer (usually cream of tartar) a little flavoring and sugar until light and fairly stiff.  Then the meringue is spread over a hot pie filling and baked so the egg whites are cooked and the meringue is browned. When you get it right, the French meringue is a thing of beauty. Light, fluffy, a very slight crust that just dissolves in your mouth into an airy cloud of just-enough sweetness. Ahh! But it's easy to overcook this meringue. You can put it into too hot an oven, simply cook it for too long, not cook it long enough, cool it too quickly -- the list of errors is long. In rides the Italian meringue like a hero in your favorite western. Don't stress out about your meringue, my friend, help is here! Italian meringues are cooked before you even spread them onto your pie. So, your only worry is in not over-cooking this meringue once you endeavor to brown it. Go for a light brown color after a short time in a hot oven. Wonderful!