From the Archives

Just two short years ago, I lived in Queens, worked at a grocer that rhymes with Balducci's, and rooted for the Steelers in Super Bowl XL. Pittsburgh is my second home, and I missed it dearly knowing that I'd be missing the absolute chaos as Stiller fever took over the city. To bring some of that charm to NYC, I made some dishes that would evoke memories of the Steel City and harden even the most supple of arteries.

My apprentice for the evening was Mike. Together we made Black & Gold Pierogies with a cheesesteak filling in the style of Primanti Bros. We also made Black & Gold linguine with a saffron cream sauce.

The details are a bit fuzzy. My internet connection in those days was bootlegged from someone else in the building, and it was a little unreliable, so the post unfortunately didn't make it up when it was more relevant and fresh. Here's what I remember:

The yellow pasta was colored with saffron; the black with squid ink. Of the squid ink, Sheila said, "That smells like men-stru-ation."



The pierogie filling contained chopped sirloin, provolone cheese, french fries, cole slaw (I think) and probably some hot sauce.

The saffron cream sauce had shallots, saffron, vermouth and maybe some celery and carrots, probably thickened with a roux.

In the end, the Black & Gold prevailed. These colors don't run. 'N'at.

Photos by Mike.