Some readers have contacted me with questions about the Michigan locations found in my novel, MEN AMONG SIRENS. While the town  of Makwa Point is fictitious,  there are plenty of villages like it in the U.P. region. All of the historic parks and points of interest are real and worth seeing, if you ever have the opportunity. I've included the most requested locations below. You can share more ideas for U.P. attractions by emailing me at: contact@jenniferolmstead.net. Don't forget to scroll down the page for Lehto's Famous Pasty recipe!

Lehto's Pasties

St. Ignace, Michigan 49781

http://lehtosfamouspasties.com/

Fayette State Park

http://michigandnr.com

Kitch-iti-kipi

Indian Lake State Park
Route 2 Box 2500
Manistique, MI 49854
(906)341-2355

Trenary Home Bakery

E-2914 Highway M-67

P.O. Box 300

Trenary, MI 49891-0300

Mackinac Bridge

Presque Isle Park

Marquette, MI

http://marquette.org/Travel/presqueislepark.htm

 

 

---

         

 

 

A Primer on Pasties 

 

Q:What in the heck is a pasty and how do I make one?

A: A pasty is a meat and vegetable pie, originally serving as a meal for Cornish miners, who carried them in their pockets into the mines as both a source food and a source of heat. At the end of their meal, the men discarded the small portion of the crust they had held in their hand, which was soiled from dirt, tin, arsenic and other unsavory and toxic substances found below ground. When Cornish immigrants made their way to Michigan in the 1800's, they brought their pasties with them. Today, pasties can be found throughout Michigan at pasty stands, in full-service restaurants and in the deli aisle and freezer section of most grocery stores. Lehto's pasty recipe is included below:

Lehto's Original Cornish Pasty Recipe

Makes 8 Pasties

Pastry:

5 Cups Flour

2 cups Vegetable Shortening

1 Tbsp. Salt

2 1/2 Cups Water

(1 cup milk for patting on Pasties before baking)

Filling:

5 Medium Potatoes (quartered and thinly sliced)

4 Medium Onions (minced)

1/4 Cup Rutabaga (cut thin) optional

2 lbs Coarse Ground Round Steak (Sirloin)

This meat should include at least 4 oz of beef suet.

Any butcher will prepare this upon request

1 Tbsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

2 tsps Wylers Beef Bouillion, dissolved in 1 cup water

Mix flour and salt in large bowl, and mix in shortening by hand untiltexture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2 cups of water all at once and work pastry into a ball. Add remaining water to absorb any dry mixture remaining in bowl. This entire procedure should not take more then a minute or so before the pastry will be easy to handle. Chill pastry overnight, keep chilled while preparing filling.

Prepare and mix all ingredients for filling.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Spray 2 baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray.

Using chilled pastry, form approximately a 3" ball for each Pasty, and roll out on a slightly floured surface until you have about a 10" round. Place each round (one at a time) on baking sheet with one half of pastry on sheet and the other half off the side of the sheet. Fill the half on the sheet with a generous cup of filling, leaving about a 1" edge. Fold unfilled half over filling and bring the bottom edge up to the top so that the two edges meet with the bottom edge slightly overlapping the top. On each end, (after shaping the Pasty into a half-moon shape) pinch and seal and remove excess pastry. With your hand, pat each pasty with the milk and bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30 more minutes. (Make sure the 4 Pasties on each pan are not touching).

This recipe is protected and registered in the US Patent and Trademark

office. Reg. No. 1,167,800. It can only be used for non-commercial use.

Inquiries for commercial or franchising purposes can be made to:

DeRich's Licensing Co., Inc.

2048 West US #2

St. Ignace, MI 49781