Saturday, November 29, 2008

Pittsburgh Foodie Diaspora

Journalist Andrea Weigl shares her Pittsburgh-cultivated tastes with North Carolina readers:

But Weigl has a passion for food. She says she's from "a family of eaters." Her parents, who are visiting her in Raleigh this weekend, are good cooks. As a teen, Weigl made chocolate souffle because it was difficult to make.

So a year and half ago, Weigl became our food writer. She is quickly becoming one of the best in the country. Reporting about food all week hasn't sated her interest in it. Not a bit. She's taking cooking classes and still reads every food magazine she can find.

She often feels an emotional connection to food. She grew up eating German food in Pittsburgh and recently bit into a Polish sausage at a Triangle restaurant.

"I'm not joking," Weigl said. "It brought tears of joy to my eyes."

Now and again, I come across an article that indicates how Rust Belt refugees are transforming the cultural landscape of important Sun Belt destinations such as North Carolina. I remember geographer Pierce Lewis describing the influence of Pennsylvania throughout the United States resulting from robust out-migration. You would see it in the barns of Wisconsin and even the houses in Northern California. There is a long history of exodus, evidence of prosperity and ambition.

Updating the foodie angle: Via Brewed Fresh Daily, read about Home Grown Indiana. Can Home Grown Pittsburgh be far behind?

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