Cornwall's contribution to the world of meat pastries is a simple hand pie filled with meat and root vegetables. Although the Cornish Pasty Association has strict rules regarding what exactly can go in an official Cornish pasty (beef, turnip, potato and onion), on this side of the pond it's safe to add a few extra ingredients other than the essentials. Traditionally, this pie is meant to eat standing on a lunch break, but add a pot of tea or some strong ale and light green salad and these humble pasties can be the cornerstone of an excellent brunch. More

Whipping up a batch of Pumpkin Pasties from Dinah Buchholz's The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook brought big smiles to one particular 11-year-old Potter fan who recognized them immediately and proceeded to tell me all about their multiple appearances throughout the series while gobbling them up. More

Taking a cue from Cornish pasties (know in West Cornish dialect as tiddy oggy (!), these are little moon-shaped handheld pastries filled with savory ingredients. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall offers up three filling variations in River Cottage Every Day—leftover stew, lentil and squash, and chicken and leek. More