Hometown Pasty Pies —rsquo; The Comfort Karen Always Comes Back To

The first full week home. I went back to Amazon Thursday. The return was softer than I expected — I had dreaded reentry, but the office in June is quieter than the office in March, and my team had covered well, and my inbox was manageable. Priya said, "Welcome back. You look different." I said, "I am different." She said, "Good different?" I said, "Yes." She said, "Come find me this week. I want to hear about the trip." I found her Friday afternoon. I talked for forty minutes without her interrupting. She listened. She said at the end, "Stephanie. I think you might be leaving us." I said, "I might. Not yet. But eventually." She said, "Let me know when it's coming. I want to give you the kind of goodbye you deserve." She hugged me for the second time in our working relationship. I will remember it.

Karen wanted every detail of the trip. I drove out Sunday and spent the whole day with her. I sat on her bed with my phone and showed her every photo. She looked at every one. She asked about Jisoo's apartment (small, clean, smell of sesame oil and detergent), about Jun-ho (kind, quiet, reads the paper every morning), about Eunji (sharp, funny, loves Jisoo fiercely), about Jihoon (silly, musical, adores Bora). She asked about Jisoo's mother's grave. She asked about the food. She asked about the walk along Haeundae Beach. She asked about the church. She asked about the priest who had said, "God has been listening."

At one point she said, "Steph. Your Korean mother has given you something we could not give you. I hope you know we are not sad about that. We are relieved." I said, "Mom." She said, "Let me say it. I want it on record. We are relieved. Having her in your life has completed you in a way your father and I did not know how to. We are so grateful to her." I was crying by then. Karen said, "Your father and I talked about it. We want you to invite Jisoo to the wedding. Not just on the live stream. In person." I said, "Mom. She cannot travel." Karen said, "We want to pay for her to come if she'll come. We want to offer her business class. We want to offer her a hotel. We want to pay for Jun-ho too if he'll come. We want her here."

I did not know what to say. I said, "Let me ask her." Karen said, "Ask her. We mean it." I said, "Mom. You and Dad are extraordinary." Karen said, "I love you, honey. Now go make me a sandwich."

I wrote Jisoo that night. I told her what Karen had said. Jisoo wrote back the next day: "Stephanie. I am not sure my body is up for that flight. I will think about it. I will see. Tell Karen I love her for offering. Tell her I will discuss with Jun-ho. Tell her the offer means more than I can express in my English or even my Korean."

Jun-ho, Jisoo wrote three days later, has said he will come with her if she decides to come. He wants to meet Karen. He wants to see the winery. He wants to see where I live. Jisoo says she is considering. A sixty-seven-year-old woman with her own health challenges considering a twelve-hour flight for her lost-and-found daughter's wedding. I do not know what she will decide. I am trying not to pressure her. I am trying to hold the possibility lightly.

The recipe this week is Karen's tuna casserole, which I made for Karen on Sunday because she wanted it, because the tremors have made casseroles comforting for her in a new way — the noodles slip off the fork easily, the whole dish is forgiving of uneven swallowing. Cream of mushroom soup, egg noodles, canned tuna, peas, crushed potato chips on top. Karen ate two helpings. She said, "It tastes like you made it." I said, "I did." She said, "Yes, but it tastes like me too. That's the part I like." It did. It does.

Karen has always gravitated toward food that asks nothing complicated of her — food that is warm, forgiving, and built to last. After that Sunday on her bed, going through every photo, after everything she said about Jisoo and the wedding and relief and gratitude, I wanted to give her something in return that was just as solid and unhurried as she is. These Hometown Pasty Pies are exactly that: a crust that holds everything together, a filling that is hearty and simple, a meal you can hold in both hands. That felt right for a day like this one.

Hometown Pasty Pies

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 55 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 6–8 tablespoons ice water
• 3/4 lb beef sirloin or chuck, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 cup russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 3/4 cup rutabaga or turnip, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Instructions

1. Make the pastry. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, stirring just until the dough comes together. Divide into 6 equal portions, shape into discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
2. Prepare the filling. In a bowl, combine the diced beef, potato, rutabaga, and onion. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and dried thyme. Toss to combine evenly.
3. Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Assemble the pasties. On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough disc into a circle roughly 8 inches in diameter. Spoon about 1/2 cup of filling onto one half of each circle, leaving a 3/4-inch border. Dot the filling with a few small pieces of butter. Fold the dough over to form a half-moon shape and crimp the edges firmly with a fork or by folding and pinching. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Apply egg wash and vent. Brush the top of each pasty with beaten egg. Cut two small slits in the top of each one to allow steam to escape.
6. Bake. Bake for 50–55 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is cooked through. If the edges brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 540 | Protein: 22g | Fat: 31g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 420mg