What Is "Pittsburgh" Food?

Tomorrow is Superbowl, and if you are not from Pittsburgh or Phoenix, you are going to have to pick a team to be for and a menu to go with it. The Tattooed Mama called and asked me last week what you would plan for Pittsburgh food. (She also asked me to order her a "terrible towel" on ebay but I forgot.) I guess I didn't know. Cheese steaks are really Philly food, although they are popular in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh seems to be very ethnically diverse, I know Italian is pretty predominant, and German and Dutch.

I finally got curious enough to google it and here is what I found. Pierogies. And Keilbasa. I guess there is a large Polish influence there too, didn't know that. But here is a discussion on Chowhound.com that is pretty interesting.

Or at least I found it pretty interesting that they have a famous restauant there that serves fried bologna and egg sandwiches with fries and coleslaw on it. And coleslaw seems to be a recurring theme there too. They put it on the keilbasa sandwiches too.

If you want to make Pierogies, here and here are some recipes for them. Be warned: the second link is about some serious Pierogie making. Or the kielbasa cooked in beer with the chili sauce and pineapple dipping sauce might be a little more manageable. Here is my version for that: one pkg Little Smokies Sausages, Bullseye Spicy BBQ Sauce, Grape Jelly. Simmer sausages in the sauce until hot.

Or if you want to be an Arizona fan that is a little easier. Enchiladas and chimichangas. Margarita's too, don't forget the margarita's. Personally I have never forgiven Pittsburgh for the utter humiliation they handed us Broncos fans in the playoffs 3 years ago, so I am going for the margarita's and the commercials.