Friday, May 11, 2007

Hobo Pie - the man, the band

As this blog is a much more efficient way to post your pics, tips, recipes and such I've taken down the "Your Input" section of pieiron.com.

This post on Ray Frick, The Hobo Pie Man is from that original page. Since I first posted this a few years ago, I haven't heard from Ray, but from this link it looks like he's still playing music as Hobo Pie. Hey Ray - get in touch!

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For over 12 years, Ray and his wife have been using serving up pies made with our round cast iron design at the Appalachian Stringband Festival in Clifftop, WV. In this time, they've made over 12,000 pies!!

Here's Ray in his own words -

"I have been making 'pies' for as long as I can remember. Each year at the Appalachian String Band Festival in Clifftop, WV we make literally hundreds of pies for our fellow campers and musicians.

We've come to be known as the 'Hobo Pie People' and the name of the band I'm in is also Hobo Pie. I'm in the process of writing an illustrated children's book, 'The Legend Of The Hobo Pie People', which I will self-publish. After I'm gone... I want there to be a record of what we did at the festival. We've almost achieved folk hero status there. We could not have done it without the Rome Pie Irons and
I tell everyone that asks about your wonderful product and how to get
in touch with you. Last year we went through close to 70 loaves of bread
making pies for our friends over the 10 days we were at the festival.
Your pie irons have provided my wife and me with the opportunity to meet some of the most wonderful friends."

Traditional Philly Cheeseteak Pie
by Ray the Hobo Pie Man from Ambler, PA

A few ounces of precooked Steakum sandwich steak
A good portion of shredded cheese (we use a blend of mozzarella and provolone)
Some finely chopped fried onions and peppers
A gentle squeeze of pizza sauce in squeeze bottle
We use some Italian bread sliced fairly thin.
We always use Pam or some other nonstick spray and only spray maybe once every 15 pies or so....It's as close to a Philly CheeseSteak as you'll find out in the woods.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Mike... still alive and kicking...divorced now though and the days of the Hobo Pies for the masses are gone now too.... I miss them but I really enjoy going to Clifftop for all the things I missed all those years. I still make Hobo pies for the new lady in my life and her daughters. I'm going to have to get me one of those pannini iron though..
I still tell anyone who wants to know that Rome Pie Irons are the only thing to use....I'll email you soon..

Michael O'Russa said...

Hi Ray,

Great to hear from you and glad to know that you're still cooking although I'm sorry to hear about the divorce. Sounds like you're doing good and back on your feet.

Keep us up to date on the band and let us know when you have shows. We'll post them here.

best - Michael