Are There Pasties in Heaven?

The spring fling was just around the corner and Mabel was struggling to perfect her pasty recipe for the pasty cook off. She was in the kitchen experimenting with pasty recipes. The house smelled of onions, suet, pork sausage and rutabagas. Flour was strewn all over the counter and on the floor. Mabel’s apron was sprinkled with the white powder. Grease was also streaked on the worn garment. Mabel had a smile on her face picturing herself taking first place in the pasty cook off. She has won every pasty cooking contest for the past ten years.

            Other women and men tried to beat her and take the first place prize which was two cases of Old Milwaukee. Mabel prided herself on holding onto the secrets to the best pasties in the county. Even her husband wasn’t let in on her secrets. She was afraid he would spill the beans when he was drinking with his buddies. Most everybody in the U.P. believed pasties are da best food in the world to eat and would have loved to have her recipe.

            Gertie, Thelma Lou’s daughter, was sitting on her Papa’s lap. She thought her Papa knew everything and she had some important questions to ask him. Papa asked Gertie to tell him about what she’s been wondering.          

            “Papa, where did pasties come from. Did they come from heaven? They are so yummy.” 

            “Let me tell you about da legend of da first pasty in da U.P., Gertie,” said Papa. He looked down at Gertie and smiled. Papa loved to tell stories. He was known around these parts as da best story teller in da county.

            “Da pasty has a long history of being a cultural food in da U.P. People actually thinks they came from da U.P. We are so well-known for da delicious explosion of flavor. When da first pasty was made in da U.P. is a mystery. This is what I know about its origins. Mining was booming in da 1800s in da U.P. of Michigan and even sooner than dat. There’s been rumors dat copper was discovered in da lower parts of this country like da area where Texas is today, a long time ago dat copper was mined in da U.P. Dat’s another story for another time. Back ta pasties. I was told by my Pa dat pasties were introduced by da Cornish from England back in da early 1800s. I was told dat mining was drying up in England for da Cornish and so some of them decided ta come to da U.P. They brought us a lot of know-ledge about mining and they also introduced us to da pasty. Pasties, in those days, served as da main lunch for da miners. It was small, easy to carry and had all they needed in one meal. Pasties normally had potatoes and onions in them. Da other stuff in pasties were added by different groups.”

            “Who are da Cornish, Papa?” asked Gertie.

            “Da Cornish were known ta come from Cornwall, England.”

            Gertie appeared to be satisfied with her Papa’s answer so he decided to continue with his story. “Pasties were easy to heat up for da miners. They would place their pasty on a shovel and hold it over a fire or they would hold their pasties over a head-lamp candle. Ya can see how this would be handy, Gertie.”

            Gertie nodded her head.

            “There’s a proper way ta eat a pasty dat was introduced by da Cornish.”

            “What’s dat, Papa?”

            “Ya need to hold da pasty in your hand and start at da opposite end. Dat’s so if ya don’t eat da entire pasty, you can pick it up later and eat it.”

            “Dat makes sense,” said Gertie. Gertie looked up at her Papa and he tapped her chin.

            “There are some legends tied with our beloved pasties. One involved da Devil who could not cross da Tamar River near Cornwall. Dat was on account dat it was a well-known habit of Cornish women of putting every-thing into a pasty. Da devil wasn’t brave enough to face such a fate of going up against da all mighty pasty.”

            “Papa, I am afraid of da devil. Do ya think he is going to come after me.”

            “No, my sweet. Yer grandma says lots of prayers ta prevent him from coming after any of us.”

            Gertie climbed off of Papa’s lap and ran up to Grandma and hugged her legs. Mabel looked down at Gertie confused and patted her on the head. She ran back and jumped on her Papa’s lap again.

            “Do ya want to hear more about pasties?”

            “Yes, Papa.”

            “It was also passed down dat a pasty caused da great mine fire in da early 1800s. One of da miners forgot about his pasty dat was being heated on his shovel. There’s so much lard in those pasties dat it caught on fire. Fortu-nately, none of da miners met their fate dat day.”

            “What else is in a pasty, Papa?”

            “As far as I understand, there’s potatoes, rutabagas, meat, I think yer grandma uses pork sausage and suet, onions and some wonderful seasonings dat yer grandma won’t tell me about.”

            “Why won’t she tell you, Papa?”

            “I think she’s afraid I will tell others about her secret ingredients.”

            “Why doesn’t she want others to know?” asked Gertie.

            “Go ask yer grandma about dat and let me know.”

            Gertie climbed off Papa’s lap and went back into the kitchen to ask her grandma why she didn’t want anyone to know about her pasty recipe.

            “Grandma, why don’t you want anybody to know about what is in yer pasties?” Grandma looked sheepishly at Gertie, wiped her hands on her apron and walked into da living room to confront Papa.

            “What’s up with Gertie’s question?” asked Mabel.

            “I sent Gertie in to ask ya about why ya didn’t want anyone to know yer ingredients because I didn’t know how to answer da question,” replied Papa.

            “I don’t like dat ya are filling her head which such nonsense,” said Mabel. Her hands were placed on her hips.

            “Well, why don’t ya want to share yer recipe?” Papa confronted her.

            Mabel was feeling rather sheepish and decided to fess up. “I want to be da winner at da pasty cook off.”

            “But Grandma, you should share yer recipe so everybody can make pasties as good as yer’s.”

            Grandma tapped her finger on her chin and Papa swears he could see a light bulb light up above her head.

            “Gertie, you are so right. This year after I win da contest, I will share my recipe with everyone at da spring fling. You are such a smart little gurl, our little Gertie.” Mabel patted Gertie on da head again.

            Mabel has been fretting over da pasty bake off fer years and she decided it was high time she relaxed and enjoyed da Spring Fling.  She is more than willing to turn over da torch and let others take da lead with her recipe or their own recipes. Mabel let out a sigh of relief and sat down heavily on da sofa.

            “Tell us another story, Papa,” said Mabel.


Brunner, S. (2016). Lake Superior in the Moonlight. Michigan: Freedom Eagles Press.