Proud to be Cornish

In college, I had to do a project on my culture.  Next to my Mexican American, Native American, and European classmates, I felt like I had nothing to be proud of.

Then, I remembered the pasties that my family has been making forever.  

The pasty, almost like an empanada, is a meal that Cornish miners used to eat underground.  Made of a simple dough, stuffed with beef, onions, and potatoes, the pasty was no-nonsense.  Holding on to the thick crust kept dirt and grease out of mouths.  Tossing the crust on the ground for the "tommy knockers," the ghosts who knocked along the walls of the mine to alert workers to danger, guaranteed safety.

Being the daughter of a 4th generation copper miner and who-knows-how-many-generations of Cornish tin miners, I am proud to have the tasty pasty in my recipe book.

But, when I'm too lazy to make them, there is always the Cornish Pasty Co., right around the corner.