Pasties, patties, turnovers, samosas, empanadas — handheld meals and desserts abound in countless varieties. In this issue, we talk with three ardent Atlantic Canadian cooks who share their unique and delightful recipes, perfect for picnics, to-go meals, buffets, and more.

When’s a pasty not Cornish?
Kate Lander and her family followed her brother Pete Luckett, of Pete’s Frootique fame, from Nottingham, U.K., to Saint John, N.B., in 1987. She got her start cooking and baking at  the Saint John City Market, providing a taste of the United Kingdom every weekend. “My mother always cooked and baked for our family, so I learned early,” she says. When Pete relocated to Nova Scotia, Kate and her family followed, settling in Falmouth.

In 2018, Kate began managing Kate’s Bakery in New Minas, where her penchant for great baked goods, and lunch items — especially pasties and other pastries — blossomed. Then along came COVID-19, and the lockdown forced the business to close.

Kate took a year or so to regroup, with the help of friend and employee Cheryl MacKay. “I couldn’t do this without her,” she says. When she was ready to reopen, she found a near-perfect location in Hantsport: a former Tim Hortons coffee shop that already had walk-in coolers and freezers, plus parking. She opened Essentially English Bakery and Café in late summer of 2021 at 16 Chittick Ave.

Although the most popular of her savoury items are her sausage rolls, Kate’s pasties are a close second, with three popular choices: cheese and  onion, curried chicken, and the seemingly familiar beef and vegetable.

“I’m not from Cornwall or Devon, so I can’t call my beef and veg pasties Cornish, although they are quite similar,” she says. Like the makers of those famed pasties, Kate makes a shortcrust pastry with shortening, rather than lard or butter. But she uses carrot rather than turnip and cooks the filling before making the turnovers. She also crimps her pasties together at the top of the pastry, rather than on the side, as is traditional with Cornish pasties.

Regardless of shape or name, they’re simply delicious. Click here for Kate's recipe.

Spicy goodness in a patty
If you’ve not been to Brawta Jamaican Jerk Joint, 1567 Grafton St., what are you waiting for? Authentic Jamaican dishes, made with as many local ingredients as possible, is the aim of owner Christine Allen, who, with daughters Dejhani and Judy-Ann, creates fragrant and tasty jerks, curries, and — you guessed it — Jamaican patties.

Christine and her family come originally from Kingston, the Jamaican capital, but moved to Nova Scotia from St. Catherine’s, Ont., a few years ago. “I wanted a better quality of life for my daughters than we could get in Kingston,” she says.

Christine says she always enjoyed baking and cooking. Wanting to share her culture, she started cooking Jamaican dishes with her friends and, as her confidence grew, going to farmers markets in Halifax. In 2019, she and her daughters opened Brawta (which means freebie/bonus in Jamaican patois), and the response was, in a word, excellent. Then, of course, came COVID-19 the following year, but the women navigated the pandemic by offering take-outs and deliveries and worked even harder.

Christine says that Jamaican patties are historically a variation of the Cornish pasties that British settlers brought to the island, enhanced with African and Indian flavours into the handheld delights diners love today.

“The flavour profile, which is filled with spices such as allspice, scotch bonnet peppers, makes the patties uniquely Jamaican,” Christine says.

While beef patties are the most common, Brawta offers a vegan patty option along with beef, chicken, seafood, and more. Christine also plans to add more allergy-friendly options. “We enjoy them still as a family, and often bring  patties home from the restaurant,” she says, adding, “My favourite is beef, but some days all I want is chicken, and when I want to feel healthier, I have the vegan patty.” Click here for Christine's recipe.

Dessert hand pies from The Rock
In 2007, Barry Parsons of St. John’s, N.L., launched his food blog Rock Recipes, making him one of the province’s first popular food bloggers. Today, he has more than 175,000 likes on Facebook and is the author of five best-selling cookbooks, embracing a mix of old and new recipes in his cooking.

Daughter Olivia Parsons, 25, says the website has been part of her life since childhood. “I often remember helping shoot photos of treats and dinners before we could eat them; holding a reflector, arranging props, maybe pouring a sauce for an action shot.” Now living in Toronto, she continues to work with her father on Rock Recipes, managing social media, developing recipes, and producing videos and podcasts.

“Handheld snacks can be very convenient, but they’re also just plain fun to eat,” Olivia says. “I love a perfectly proportioned snack.” One of her favourites is her father’s special Hand Pie with Heavenly Strawberry-Rhubarb Pineapple Jam but she also likes an offering featuring a unique pastry and delicious homemade lemon curd.

When making pastry, Olivia says, “Use very cold butter and water for the dough. Leave pea-sized pieces of butter, which encourages a flaky texture. And don’t overwork your dough. Just knead until it comes together.” Click here for Olivia's recipe.