[senior citizen]

http://www.heatherlikesfood.com/st-p...sh-beef-pasty/

My sweet old mom had a dear Irish lady friend who loved these and gave me the recipe, very similar to this one.

"Mary" came from Ireland as a young girl to work as a maid servant in Boston. When her daughter later took the grandchildren back to see the old homestead, it was basically a "mud dwelling with straw" as she described it. Mary later lived a good life in our town as her daughter married a doctor.

Mary was a real sweetheart and would speak longingly of these meat pies from her childhood..........which she later made for her own children.

The only difference,of course, was we used real potatoes.......scroll down for recipe.

My sainted Irish stepdad also loved these........(read the cute story that goes along with the pronounciation of these “turnovers” or “little pies”)

P.S. THE RECIPE IS AT THE VERY END OF THE ABOVE HYPERLINK.........

[simpkinp]

Oh SC you must be the world's best cook. My father, full blooded Irish, loved pastys. He even wanted to open a pasty shop in California when I was a kid. His last name was McDonald, and he wanted to compete with the other guy, lol. He had them. As a child growing up in Michigan. Thank you soooo much for this simplified recipe. The ones I have from him are much more complicated. Do you remember the great turnip controversy?

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by simpkinp

Oh SC you must be the world's best cook. My father, full blooded Irish, loved pastys. He even wanted to open a pasty shop in California when I was a kid. His last name was McDonald, and he wanted to compete with the other guy, lol. He had them. As a child growing up in Michigan. Thank you soooo much for this simplified recipe. The ones I have from him are much more complicated. Do you remember the great turnip controversy?

You are welcome. They are easy to make. You can also make your own pastry dough. I'm sure every family makes them differently.

My Irish stepfather used to talk about his mom making them for her large brood of kids.

No, tell us about the turnips??? Never heard about the controversy.
Unless someone fell off the turnip truck???

[simpkinp]

Originally Posted by senior citizen

You are welcome. They are easy to make. You can also make your own pastry dough. I'm sure every family makes them differently.

My Irish stepfather used to talk about his mom making them for her large brood of kids.

No, tell us about the turnips??? Never heard about the controversy.
Unless someone fell off the turnip truck???

There is, or maybe was, a big discussion as to whether or not to include turnips in the pasty filling. It was traditional to add them at one time, and some old recipes show them as on of the ingredients. My dad, raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, believed they were essential, but turnips fell out of favor as did most root vegetables such as beets, parsnips and rutabagas. Any Uppies out there to comment? I noticed the new wave of chefs are using these heritage vegetables more these days. I will have to try them, as I haven't had them since I was a tot, and of course did not like them then.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by simpkinp

There is, or maybe was, a big discussion as to whether or not to include turnips in the pasty filling. It was traditional to add them at one time, and some old recipes show them as on of the ingredients. My dad, raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, believed they were essential, but turnips fell out of favor as did most root vegetables such as beets, parsnips and rutabagas. Any Uppies out there to comment? I noticed the new wave of chefs are using these heritage vegetables more these days. I will have to try them, as I haven't had them since I was a tot, and of course did not like them then.

Thanks for that. All of the root veggies were used by the immigrants and also the rural folks.........it's what they ate. My Ukrainian grandmother used the beets to make beet soup.......they ate all kinds of vegetable soups......also potato soups and cabbage soup. My mom was raised on vegetables primarily and very little meat.

The one and only time I had turnips and parsnips was when we first came to Vermont back in 1970 and ate dinner at an "inn" which served turnips and parsnips as the side veggies with a roast chicken.........

I don't believe I've ever had a rutabaga.....but see them in the supermarket.........

Even though it's in the "nightshade family" I do love eggplant, but that isn't a root vegetable.......right? Never grew one.

I have a slew of "cousins" (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc.) who settled in the upper peninsula of Michigan by way of Ottawa Canada, etc. after coming to N.Y.C. from Italy "way back when"..........someday we plan to take a road trip to the upper peninsula as all of the travel info I have shows the little fishing coastal villages to look very much like Maine.
We also want to go to Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) Island where cars aren't allowed. They say lilac season is the prettiest.

Interesting about the "heritage veggies".......

P.S. The only Great Lake we've ever seen up close and personal is Lake Erie .......went to the pier from the city of Erie and then took a ride to the "park" and stayed overnight...........
They even had a lighthouse by the beach...........the lake looked just like an ocean to us. Further down were houseboats. Glad we got to see it.

PRESQUE ISLE STATE PARK
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presque_Isle_State_Park