A Culinary History of Pittsburg County: Little Italy, Choctaw Beer and Lamb Fries

by David Cathey

Overview

Long before the era of the foodie, the little coal-mining town of Krebs set the standard for celebrating food in Oklahoma. Its reputation as the Sooner State's Little Italy began in the mid-1870s when Italian immigrants chased the coal boom to Pittsburg County, deep in the heart of the Choctaw Nation. After 150 years, Italians and Choctaw neighbors are now bound by pasta, homemade cheeses and sausages and native beer once brewed illegally in basement bathtubs and delivered by children from door to door. Stop by for a steak at GiaComo's, a Choc at Pete's Place, lamb fries at the Isle of Capri, gnocchi at Roseanna's or a gourd of caciocavallo at Lovera's--venues that have proven impervious to time and hardship. Join Food Dude Dave Cathey on a tour through this colorful and delicious history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781625846174
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	07/23/2013
Series:	American Palate
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Dave Cathey is food editor for The Oklahoman and NewsOK.com in Oklahoma City. He writes The Food Dude column for The Oklahoman and films restaurant spotlights and cooking demonstrations on NewsOK. He holds a degree in journalism from Oklahoma Christian and a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Central Oklahoma.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 7

Introduction 9

1 Frontier Survival 13

2 Old World Italian Food on the New Western Frontier 23

3 Choctaw Beer: Scourge of the Indian Territory 33

4 "Seeking Bread, They Found the Grave" 39

5 Lessons Learned 45

6 Out of the Mines, Into the Food Industry 57

7 Little Dixie Playground 61

8 Isle Style 68

9 The End of an Era 80

10 Choc Goes Legal 86

11 Good Things Come to Those Who Wait 90

12 Krebs Unbound 107

Appendix I Choctaw Cuisine 113

Appendix II Contemporary Recipes 119

Index 125

About tire Author 128