[Brlesq]

What a great hit!

I've never heard of a pastie either, so I just Googled images of it and it looks exactly like the Italian Fraroons (sp?) that my wife's family has been making for generations around Easter time. Even the recipe for the dough is the same. I'm told it is not a widespread Italian food, but something local to a village near Naples where my wife's grandparents emigrated from. They are made in 3 varieties:
1. Spicy Italian ground sausage (my favorite!)
2. Italian greens, garlic and raisins
3. Thinly sliced potato, onion and little bit of egg

It's neat how many different cultures assimilate the same food item and give it their own, unique spin to make it their own. Now I gotta talk the wife into make some a bit earlier than Easter, like maybe for Valentine's Day . . . I'm hungry!