As a resident of Pittsburgh’s historic Deutschtown neighborhood, I’ve come to accept that my neighbors are going to keep saying Dutchtown as if we are all running around in our ancestral wooden klompen clogs. (Newer transplants to the North Ver-sayles area know what I’m talking about here.) Much to the chagrin of the Netherlands Society of Pittsburgh (NSOP), I’m here to tell you that there isn’t much of a Dutch presence in the Burgh. And if the NSOP website’s photo gallery is our evidence, I don’t think we’re going to get an argument from their corner on this one.

So it came as no surprise to me when I learned of another regional misnomer: Pennsylvania Dutch. Who knew that they’re not Dutch at all? Dutch is commonly misused in Pennsylvania and parts of Ohio to refer to what should be Deutsch. Otherwise known as German. Which makes a whole lot more sense, don’tcha think? The Pennsylvania “Dutch” population, which also includes some Swedish heritage, has dwindled in numbers over the past few centuries and is now most often associated with the Amish or Mennonite people of central and eastern PA. You can look at the 2000 US census breakdown of the community in this surprising infographic.

The longer the eggs rest in the beet pickling brine, the redder they will become.

As far as these pickled eggs go, you may know them as Red Beet Eggs, and the most common place to find them – besides on your grandmother’s Easter table – is behind the bar at an old-timey local tavern. Especially popular in the 70s and 80s, Red Beet Eggs were kept behind the bar in a big glass apothecary or deli-pickle jar and sold one-off for local yokels to munch on with an ice-cold E&O or Duquesne Pils.

You may wonder, Why would I want to eat these pink balls of preserved egg food? Well because they are fun and delicious! And a conversation-kicker to boot. I would like to officially propose that we bring back the behind-the-bar pickled-egg tradition! Who’s with me? Hello?

I like my Red Beet Eggs plain and simple, but I’ve offered you two ideas for variations that will make them sweeter or spicier as you prefer. You’ll have to use your own tastebuds to decide how much of these ingredients to use, though.

Red Beets & Eggs

• an oversize glass container, or several canning jars
• 6 beets, peeled and halved or quartered if large
• 2 cups reserved beet boiling liquid (see recipe)
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 12 hard cooked eggs, peeled
• optional ingredients (variation 1): sliced raw onions, garlic, and/or jalapeno
• optional ingredients (variation 2): any combination of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, or star anise to taste

Hard boil the eggs. Cool completely, then peel and rinse the eggs.

Put the peeled, cut beets into a saucepan. Add enough water to just cover the beets by 1/4 inch. Bring the beets and water to a simmer. Cover and allow to cook on medium low heat until tender, about 30 minutes.

Drain 2 cups of the beet cooking liquid into a measuring cup. Discard any remaining liquid. Set the beets aside. In the same saucepan, combine the beet juice, vinegar, sugar, and any optional ingredients. Allow to boil for a few minutes until the sugar has dissolved.

Arrange the beets and eggs evenly in your glass container(s)  so that there are beets on the bottom, middle, and top of the eggs. Pour the pickling liquid over the beets and eggs to cover completely. If you don’t have enough liquid, you may need to remove one or two of the solid ingredients. Cover the beets and eggs tightly and put into the refrigerator for at least 3 days or as long as a month. They will become redder the longer they sit, but they don’t have an indefinite shelf life, so eat them up within 30 days.

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Ah, the most revered of Pittsburgh picnic delicacies- the salty, savory, butter-glistening pierogie. Many Eastern European cultures lay claim to the original, but in Pittsburgh we’re satisfied with lumping it into the general hunky classification. Both my Polish and my Slovak grandmothers enjoyed making and eating pierogies, and their recipes were very similar. Fillings for this scrumptious dumpling can range from potatoes to cabbage – or even prunes. You’ll find a lot of sour cream based dough recipes online, but I prefer this all-butter recipe. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the entire process from scratch.

In following posts, I’ll share alternative filling options, but let’s start with the popular Potato and Cheese variation.

For the dough

Makes 3 dozen pierogies

• 4 cups flour
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened & cut into 4 pieces
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk
• more flour as needed

Gently knead the dough just until smooth without over-working.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, salt, and softened butter. Using the paddle attachment, gradually increase the mixer speed to medium while drizzling the water into the bowl to moisten the dough. Then add the eggs one at a time. Continue mixing for 30 seconds.

With floured hands, pull the dough out of the mixer bowl and knead slightly into a smooth, round ball. If the dough is tacky, add a little more flour, a tablespoon at a time, as you knead. Do not overwork the dough here- you just want to get the dough into a ball.

Divide the dough into segments and wrap in plastic wrap before chilling.

Cut the dough ball into 4 equally sized pieces. Wrap each hunk of dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

After chilling, remove the dough to a floured work surface. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll the dough with a rolling pin until it is as thin as a pie dough. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter to create rounds of dough.

On a large cookie sheet, lay the dough rounds on a sheet of lightly floured parchment paper.

Using a biscuit cutter, prepare your dough to receive the filling.

You can stack layers of parchment and rounds, just be sure to dust a little flour over the rounds before laying the next sheet of parchment (parchment, flour, dough, flour, parchment, etc.), and cover the sheets of dough with an additional layer of parchment and then a damp kitchen towel to prevent drying. Do not allow the dough rounds to touch each other.

Potato & Cheese filling

• 10 potatoes, peeled & cubed
  

  Add cheese & herbs to the mashed potatoes after they've cooled to prevent the cheese from melting and to keep the herbs at their freshness peak.

• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 5 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp snipped chives
• 3 oz Farmers Cheese, grated
• 3 oz Gruyere Cheese, grated

Add the potatoes to a large pot of well-salted, cold water and bring to a boil. Bring to a boil and let cook 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes easily break apart when pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes. While still hot, transfer to a large bowl. Add butter & salt and mash with a potato masher (you could use a ricer or hand blender instead) until few if any solid lumps remain. Refrigerate potato mixture until cool. Once cool, add the chives & cheeses and stir until evenly distributed. Return to refrigerator, covered, until ready to fill pierogies.

Assembly

To fill the pierogies, you can use a tool like the one pictured here (I bought this one at Giant Eagle in the baking section for less than $5), or just use your hands like grandma used to do.

This inexpensive tool makes beautiful pierogies and ensures consistent size and appearance.

Keep a small bowl of cool water nearby to dip your fingertips in to make a tight seal with the edges of the dough. Take one dough round and roll it into a 4-inch round with a rolling pin, or use your fingers to press and stretch the dough til it’s four inches in diameter.

Place 1 even tablespoon full of filling into the center of the dough. If using your hands, simply fold the dough sides in half over the filling and squeeze the edges closed, pushing out any air and being sure the filling doesn’t escape at all. Use a little water to seal together the edges if they are dry. If you are using the dumpling press, just lay the 4 inch dough on top, place your filling in the center, smear a little water around the edges and press. Trim the edges with a paring knife if necessary.

Freeze the pierogies on flat sheets before bagging, and don't foget to label and date the contents.

Lay the filled pierogies in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze the pierogies for at least 30 minutes before transferring to a gallon-sized freezer bag. I use a system of rotating baking sheets to fill, freeze, and bag my pierogies.

Cooking Instructions

Now the hard work is done and you’re ready to eat!

Prepare a large pot of heavily salted, boiling water. Meanwhile, make a butter and onion sauce. This will make enough sauce for about 20 pierogies (3-4 people).

• 1/2 cup of ghee (or 1 stick of butter)
• 1 large white onion, sliced
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
• ground black pepper, to taste

In a large, flat-bottomed saute pan, melt the butter or ghee over high heat. Wait for the foam to subside, then immediately reduce the heat to medium and add the onions. Saute the onions for two minutes, then stir in the salt (to taste) and cover the pan and allow to cook until you have finished boiling the pierogies in the next step.

Plunge the frozen pierogies into the pot of boiling water. Allow the water to return to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer over medium heat. The pierogies will be fully cooked when they have all floated to the top of the water.

Quickly brown the pierogies with butter and onions.

Increase the heat to high on the butter sauce and transfer the pierogies with a slotted spoon to the pan with the onions and butter. Lightly brown the pierogies on both sides, about 3 minutes per side, being careful not to burn or over-brown the onions. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pierogies and onions to a plate. Finish with a dusting of ground pepper. Enjoy with friends!

A Pittsburgh tradition from Polish & Slovak heritage… both of which are in my family’s ethnic composition. My Slovak grandmother likes to make her Haluski with anisette or caraway seeds (she uses anisette in her pizzelles too), and my Polish grandmother opts for sauerkraut over fresh cabbage. Here’s my take on one of Pittsburgh’s all-around favorites. What’s a hunky?

• 1 to 1 1/2 stick of Unsalted Butter
• 2 medium Onions, sliced
• 1 head Cabbage, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 2 lbs. fresh Pappardelle Noodles (make your own or find some at PennMac)
• Salt & Pepper

Melt one stick of the butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until beginning to soften.

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and allow to soften for 20-30 minutes more, until clear and glistening. Do not allow to brown. Add cabbage to the pot and stir. Season with S&P.

Increase heat to medium, cover pot and allow to steam for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, boil pasta in heavily salted water and then drain. Add the hot noodles to the cabbage and onion mixture, stir, season to taste. Add remaining butter if desired, to taste.

Note: For a vegan alternative (and healthier!) eliminate the butter and use just enough olive oil to caramelize the onions, then add a drizzle more oil whenever the pasta mixture seems dry. But don’t tell Grandma I said that!

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If you don’t know what City Chicken is, here’s a hint: It ain’t chicken…

That’s right. City Chicken is actually pork and sometimes even veal and/or beef, but never chicken. A popular dish in Pittsburgh and the surrounding region, this mock-chicken dinner has been handed down for generations over the past century. In the early 1900s, chicken was much more expensive than pork. Immigrants would try to replicate the flavor of the swanky fried chicken using more accessible meats like pork and veal. Today we still eat it because it’s a family tradition, plus it’s delicious! What’s a hunky?

City Chicken

Makes 4-6 skewers. Plan on 2 skewers per person.

• 1 lb. pork shoulder, cut into 1-1/2 inch uniform cubes
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
• 4-6 six- inch wooden skewers
• 1 garlic clove, halved
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 10-oz can low-sodium chicken stock

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Allow the liquid to cook down until slightly thickened.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, S&P, and the leaves of four thyme sprigs. Stir until well blended. Roll pork pieces in flour mixture until completely covered, gently shake off excess flour, and remove to a dry plate.

Pierce the meat onto skewers evenly. You should fit 3 -4 meat cubes on each stick.

Rub the bottom of an enameled cast iron pot or pan with the cut side of the clove of garlic. Set garlic aside for another use. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the pork skewers to the oil and allow to brown until golden and crispy on all four sides, about 4 minutes per side. Add a little more oil to the pan if it all gets soaked up early.

Leave the pork in the pan and pour in the chicken stock and drop in two sprigs of thyme. Bring to a simmer and transfer pan to the oven, uncovered. Let simmer for one half hour, turn skewers over and continue cooking for another half hour.

Remove pan to stovetop. If the juices are still thin, let simmer on stovetop until reduced to desired consistency. Serve City Chicken with a side of Haluski.

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