Midday Entree: Nebraska Runzas

The Music:

Symphony No. 3 by Howard Hanson
Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz, conductor
Naxos 8.559702

The Recipe:

Howard Hanson was born in Wahoo, Nebraska, where this local delicacy is so popular it's inspired chains of restaurants across the state.

Runzas bear a striking resemblance to that Yooper delight, pasties, which, like Howard Hanson's parents, emigrated to the U.S. from Scandinavia. This recipe comes from the Sweet & Saucy blog, "The culinary diary of a modern Mrs."

The signature ingredients of a runza are ground meat, onions and shredded cabbage, though variations abound. And using frozen pre-packaed bread dough can significantly simplify the process.

You can get a batch started by clicking here.