My mom (right), me (center), and my boyfriend (left) eating (and drinking) at our local Primanti’s before Pittsburgh’s annual winter beerfest!
One of my favorite restaurants is called Primanti’s. They have the most amazing pizza but they are more famous for their sandwiches. Primanti’s is a chain restaurant that originated in Pittsburgh and is Pittsburgh themed no matter what state the restaurant is in. My mom cannot drive past one without going in and getting a sandwich because they are that good. One very special thing about their sandwiches is that they are topped with not only the Pittsburgh tradition of fries on everything, but also coleslaw. Now, I do not eat coleslaw, I don’t like cabbage. But, my mom and aunt eat it like crazy and will cause a scene if you try to eat a Primanti’s sandwich without
Primanti’s famous sandwich! Stacked high with coleslaw and fries.
the coleslaw. In my family coleslaw is a side dish that can be eaten with anything. Most restaurants in Pittsburgh will give you a side of fries as well as a small container of coleslaw with your meal. Me saying “who wants my coleslaw” has become something of a famous saying when my family goes out to eat!
Coleslaw actually started in America in the state of New York when the Dutch who founded New York decided to grow cabbage around the Hudson river. Before this it can be seen served with the ancient Romans. They did not call it coleslaw as we do today but it was a dish that contained cabbage, vinegar, eggs and spices. This dish is close to the recipe of coleslaw that we serve today. The Dutch did not called their shredded cabbage recipe coleslaw either. Although it sounds the same, they spelled it as Koosla. Koo meaning cabbage and Sla meaning salad.
In a cookbook called The Sensible Cook: Dutch Foodways in an Old and New World, which was written by the authors Dutch landlady in 1770, there is a recipe that mixes thin strips of cabbage, butter, vinegar, and oil together. This recipe is so close to the one that people use today to make coleslaw. Today most people make coleslaw using mayonnaise, this recipe is only about 250 years old. Since coleslaw’s American debut in New York, it has spread throughout Northern Appalachia pretty easily.
If you’ve never had coleslaw I would recommend trying it. Although I don’t like it personally, my family would say you need to try it. Or you could make it yourself with this super easy recipe:
Ingredients
1 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
2 tsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. celery seed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 large head green cabbage, thinly sliced
3 large carrots, grated
Directions
Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, dijon mustard, sugar, and celery seed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add cabbage and carrots and mix to thoroughly combine.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
*If you or anyone in your family makes/eats coleslaw, let me know in the comments! I would love to know what special occasions, or any occasions, that coleslaw makes it’s way into your families meals. Or if you even like it!
Me and Bill Mazeroski (a former Pittsburgh Pirate) at a Pirate game a couple years ago!
One of my favorite memories is going to Pirates baseball games as a child. Being from Pittsburgh, PA my entire life, it became sort of a tradition to attend at least one game a year. I have never been a big sports fan, I understand baseball and I can sit through a game and cheer for my team (the Pirates, obviously). But, my absolute favorite part of the game is the pierogi race. Now, I know this sounds weird to anyone who is not from Pittsburgh because it kind of is. To explain, people dressed as pierogies race around the field during the seventh inning stretch. Being from Pittsburgh, where we have an annual pierogi festival, I never questioned the tradition of the pierogi race.
The Pittsburgh Pirates “Great Pierogi Race” featuring Jalapeño Hannah, Cheese Chester, Oliver Onion, and Sauerkraut Sal!
My mother is Polish so pierogies were something that she ate as a child and made for us. If you don’t know what pierogies are, they are just dumplings that can be filled with basically anything you want, but normally cheese or potato. The are normally associated with Polish culture but were consumed by European and Russian nations for hundreds of years. Pierogies came to Northern Appalachia because of the Great Migration. The Great Migration was when many immigrants migrated to Ellis Island in New York. These immigrants made their way throughout Northern Appalachia and settled here. Naturally, this means that new foods from many different cultures were being introduced.
Many Polish immigrants came to Pittsburgh and settled here. There is even a neighborhood in Pittsburgh called “Polish Hill.” This is where we started seeing Polish dishes throughout not only Pittsburgh but all Northern Appalachia. Focusing on Pittsburgh, it’s important to know that many people who lived here worked in the mills. The way that pierogies are made, made it easy to put into a lunch box and take to the mill with you.
Freshly cooked Pierogies.
Today, pierogies are very much a part of Pittsburgh’s culture. People living in or around Pittsburgh as well as Northern Appalachia eat pierogies. Whether your family makes them by hand or buys Mrs. T’s in the store. Pierogies may not have originated in Northern Appalachia but, they are a very important part of the culture (especially in Pittsburgh). For a native “yinzer”, it’s hard to believe that not everyone eats or even knows what pierogies are. I have friends who live less than five hours from Pittsburgh and they had no idea what a pierogi is, or why we have them as mascots. If you’re not a Pittsburgher or a Northern Appalachia native, you may have never had a pierogi. If this applies to you, eat one now (only if you wanna). One of the best things about pierogies is that since you can fill them with anything and everything, they can be vegan and vegetarian friendly! So, everyone can try pierogies. They’re a dinner game changer, honestly.
Super easy pierogi recipe:
Ingredients
Dough:
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus some extra for dusting
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons sour cream
3/4 cup water
Filling
2cupsmashed potatoes
1/2teaspoongarlic powder
1/2teaspoononion powder
1/2teaspoonsalt
1/4teaspoonblack pepper
1cupgrated cheddar cheese
For Serving
1/2cupbutter
1/4cupsour cream
minced chives
Instructions
Use a large mixing bowl to make the dough by combining flour, eggs, sour cream and water. Slowly beat in the eggs until the ingredients are completely mixed. Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Knead 3 to 5 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and leave for 30 minutes.
In a different large mixing bowl, stir together mashed potatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cheese.
(Here we are making potato and onion pierogies but remember that they can be filled with whatever you want.)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, pinch of tablespoon sized pieces of dough and roll into about three dozen balls. Roll each ball out on a lightly floured surface into a 3 1/2 to 5 inch circle. Cover with a damp towel or paper towel to prevent them from drying out.
Place a large tablespoon of filling into the center of each circle. Fold in half, pinching the sides shut with your fingers, or gently with a fork to seal. Working in small batches, boil in salted water 2 to 3 minutes, until they float. Remove and transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large skillet and saute pierogi until lightly browned. Serve hot topped with sour cream and garnish with chives.
*If you or anyone in your family makes/eats pierogi’s, let me know in the comments! I would love to know what special occasions, or any occasions, that pierogi’s make their way into your families meals!
My family and I at my first Steelers game in 2011!
During football season, my family gathers at my aunts house on Sundays and we watch the Steelers play. Everyone brings their favorite “tailgating” dish and we eat and yell at the TV all night. One of my favorite things to eat are my cousin’s pepperoni rolls. Pepperoni rolls are a dish that my family enjoys on so many occasions, they are fun to make and taste amazing. For those of you that have never had a pepperoni roll, you need one ASAP.
The inside of a pepperoni roll, yum!
While I have been eating pepperoni rolls my whole life, I never stopped to think about where pepperoni rolls came from or that the majority of people in the United States might not know what they are. Believe it or not, pepperoni rolls are pretty much strictly Northern Appalachian. They originated in West Virginia and then were sold throughout West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and some parts of Ohio. I bet all the people who live in these states cannot even imagine going to a grocery store and not being able to buy a pack of pepperoni rolls. I know I can’t. But, they are only sold in Walmarts and Giant Eagles that are in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio.
The story of the pepperoni roll is an interesting one. It is of Italian descent and was created by a man named Guiseppe “Joseph” Arigo. He created pepperoni rolls in 1927 and sold them in a bakery called The Country Club Bakery in Fairmont, West Virginia. Since Fairmont was a spot that was heavily populated with mines and railroads, many immigrants (especially Italian immigrants) were attracted to Fairmont. With many Italian families were settling here, they shared traditional dishes that were modified for the area. This is how we got the pepperoni roll, it is modeled after the Italian calzone.
Not only was this a good place for immigrants to come for work, it was also a great spot for pepperoni rolls to pop up. The pepperoni roll became a great lunch for coal miners during their long days in the mines. Pepperoni rolls don’t need to be refrigerated so they were easy to take and eat throughout the day. Arigo sold these to coal miners until 1950 when they started selling throughout Northern Appalachia. At this point, pepperoni rolls had gotten so big that they were getting their own bakeries.
Now, the inhabitants of WV, PA, and Ohio can’t imagine life with out the pepperoni roll. They are a Northern Appalachian delicacy. I have been eating these all my life and just assumed that people everywhere had been too. Learning about the history of a food you eat is a good way to connect with your ancestors. Below I will include a recipe for pepperoni rolls. If you’ve never had one, you should absolutely try one or try to make one!
*If you or anyone in your family makes/eats pepperoni rolls, let me know in the comments! I would love to know what special occasions, or any occasions, that pepperoni rolls make their way into your families meals.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 large egg
One 6-ounce stick pepperoni, cut into 4 logs and each split in half lengthwise
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella
Directions
In a small saucepan, gently heat the milk and butter until the butter is melted. The milk should be just a little hotter than warm, between 100 and 115 degrees F, but not over 115 degrees F. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the sugar, salt and yeast. Let the mixture sit until the yeast is activated and foam covers the top, 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the flour to a large bowl and make a well in the center. Crack the egg into the middle and pour in the yeast liquid. Make the dough by mixing all ingredients together with a rubber spatula. Make sure all ingredients are incorporated; the dough will be sticky and loose. Leave the dough in the center of the bowl when it is fully incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Remove the plastic and gently re-knead the dough while still in the bowl. Form into a ball, as best you can, and cover with plastic wrap. This time allow to rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
After the second rise, remove the dough to a very generously floured surface, kneading to bring together. Cut the dough into 8 pieces, about 3 1/2 ounces each. Gently form each piece of dough into balls, incorporating more flour as needed. Use your hands to flatten each ball to a 4 1/2-inch circle. Brush a piece of pepperoni with oil and place in the center of the circle, along with 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella. Fold the dough over the pepperoni, like a burrito, and place on a parchment-covered baking sheet seam side down. Repeat with the remaining pepperoni and cheese. As you place each pepperoni roll on the sheet tray, leave at least 1 inch or space around each roll to allow for a third rise (therefore you will need 2 baking sheets). Cover the rolls loosely with plastic wrap and place in a warm place for 30 minutes. The rolls will puff up just a bit.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the tops of rolls with the remaining oil and bake in the oven 30 to 35 minutes. The rolls will have a rich golden color and crispy crust.
Welcome to North of Your Mother’s Kitchen! Here we’re going to explore the best foods throughout Northern Appalachia. Many of the other parts of Appalachia, such as Southern Appalachia, have many of their foods throughout the United States. If you ask someone about Appalachia, they’ll normally think Southern. But, Northern Appalachia exists too and we hardly get any recognition for our (fantastic) foods and culture.
Me and Kris Letang (a Pittsburgh Penguin, the Pittsburgh hockey team) at the parade for the Penguins when they won the Stanley Cup for the second time in a row in 2018!
I am a undergraduate, soon to be graduate, student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania studying English literature. I hope to post regularly but as I am as student preparing to graduate in a month, time seems hard to find. Also, I am a Pittsburgh native, born and raised on black and gold. Many of my posts will include personal antidotes. I love talking about the food that has shaped my family and the city I was raised in. But, I promise I will include different places! If you’ve eaten any of the foods I talk about, let me know your experiences with it (when you eat it, how you eat it, who makes it) in the comments!
If you are from West Virginia, Pennsylvania or Ohio, you count as a Northern Appalachian. Hopefully, I’ll discuss some of the foods you grew up eating! If you’re from Northern Appalachia and there’s a food your family eats that you want history on, leave it in the comments and they might pop up in a post! Eating is an extremely social act and I would love to know who you eat with and why. So, feel free to include personal stories of the foods you share!
