Community Corner

Regional Cookbook Combines History and Childhood Favorites

Author Douglas Robinson saw a draw to local cookbooks, mixed in his expertise and ran with the idea.

Washington County native Douglas Robinson published a historical cookbook that hits home to Pittsburghers and southwestern Pennsylvanians.

I Grew Up in Southwestern Pennsylvania Cookbook” is a product of Robinson’s childhood, his book-sale travels, his book-publishing experience, and simply knowing it was “a good idea.”

The cookbook features historical facts, vintage photographs, the region’s slang word definitions and more than 200 recipes, some of Robinson’s own and others of dear friends, family and local residents.

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“I (originally) was just going to sell this on the side,” he said. “But, people have really reacted well to it.”

As an online bookseller on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, it wasn’t until a certain book sale that the cookbook idea arose for Robinson.

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He noticed a certain attraction to cookbooks, and their value.

At one sale, out of the typical 100 he visits a year in the U.S., he saw two women eyeing up the last copy of a cookbook—Robinson graciously snagged it.

He then went home and shared his original idea with his wife. 

Robinson spent 24 hours a day studying the region's history, so much so the book almost became completely centered on interesting, local facts. 

He said he has favorite recipes "scattered throughout" the book, and one in particular, sauerkraut. 

"It seems like that's a lost food," he said. 

Of mostly German (Pennsylvania Dutch) heritage, he said his other go-to—besides pierogies—is kielbasa and beer in the crockpot. 

"It comes out tasting sweet," he said. 

"I Grew Up in Southwestern Pennsylvania Cookbook" is the first of Robinson's own books that he has published. An entrepreneur of sorts and a lover of all things bound, he's written an e-Book, created audio books and has converted plenty of books to Kindle format.

The cookbook is available for purchase online, at Amazon or the website. Plans for the book to be in stores is underway, and should happen very soon, he said.

Robinson will be signing at the Coal Festival in Carmichaels, PA in August. A portion of the cookbook sale proceeds will benefit cancer research.

For more information or to purchase a copy of the cookbook, visit www.igrewupinswpa.com.

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