It’s the Multicultural Hand Pie Challenge!

Hello Meltingpot Community,

I don’t know about you, but in these days of forced isolation, I am spending a lot of extra time in my kitchen. I’ve always loved cooking (and eating, of course) and trying new recipes. But this last month, I’ve been trying to take my culinary skills to the next level. I mean, I can’t exactly claim I don’t have enough time. And take-out is pretty much off the table – no pun intended.

Hand Pies are Delicious in any Language

So, this weekend I was chatting with my mom and she mentioned that she saw a show on PBS all about the many multicultural variations of the hand pie. I didn’t see the show, but I could easily list a bunch. Empanadas from Spain and Latin America. Jamaican meat pies. Puerto Rican pasteles, Asian dumplings. Pierogis from Eastern Europe. Samosas from India.

It goes without saying that almost every culture stuffs dough with some sort of savory filling. Because the dough in question is often made from flour and is cheap and satisfying, hand pies are often associated with the working class or peasant stock. And we all know, the most delicious foods a culture offers, usually comes from the working class. Hand pies are the perfect example. Indeed, not only are hand pies hearty and cheap, they’re also super convenient and can be carried with you and eaten on the go.

Well, I looked up that documentary my mother spoke about. Turns out it was the premiere episode of a new show called Somewhere South and you can watch it here. On this particular episode, chef Vivian Howard travels all around the southern states of the US, learning about multicultural hand pies. The show was delightful and it totally got my juices flowing and my head spinning. I decided to take on a new culinary challenge during these particularly challenging times.

The Multicultural Hand Pie Challenge

I’m going to try to make as many different types of Multicultural hand pies as possible while we’re in the social distancing, stuck-at-home phase of #Corona2020. It’s a crying shame I won’t be able to share them with my friends and family, but I’ll just look at it as practice for when this is all over.

Would you like to join this challenge with me? I mean, low stakes here. Just try making different versions of a hand pie and share your successes or failure/lessons here on this post or on the My American Meltingpot Facebook page. I’ll do the same. And don’t forget, a hand pie could be as a complicated as a Moroccan Bastilla or as easy as a hot dog wrapped in a crescent roll. (Is Pigs in a Blanket an American hand pie?). If you’re not interested in actually making any hand pies, but happen to have a wonderful recipe to share, you can do that too. You can also just share your absolute favorite multicultural hand pie that you like to eat, and maybe someone will make it for you. Just join me in celebration of this most universally appealing treat.

Happy Cooking + Be Well.

Peace!