Food can help ease homesickness: The Philly cheesesteak edition

I made this bad boy at home from scratch 

When you're outside of the Philadelphia-metro area it can be difficult to find a decent cheesesteak. So what's a Pennsylvania girl living in Atlanta to do when she is craving a home state favorite? Luckily my mama taught me how to cook. 

You can learn about the history of the cheesesteak and how to make your own here. I made the the delicious sandwich to the right a couple weeks ago using rib-eye steak, sautéed onions and melted Provolone cheese. I personally like to top it with plain old ketchup.

Historic marker sign outside of Pat's in South Philly

If you're in Philadelphia, I highly recommend Pat's King of Steaks on Passyunk Ave. It's the original so it is historic and delicious. If I lived in the Philly area I'd venture to try the main competitor, Geno's, which is across the street from Pat's (wearing dark sunglasses and a hat) or Tony Luke's, which I've heard good things about. But since I rarely get to Philly, I know I'll get what I want at Pat's. 

Pat's cheesesteak wit onions
and Cheese Whiz, yum!

Pat's and other classic cheesesteak restaurants keep their menus simple. Pat's suggests ordering in a Philly accent to specify, "wit" or "witout" onions and the choice of Provolone, American cheese or Cheese Whiz. American cheese is my personal favorite, but I believe Cheese Whiz is the biggest seller. They have a few other menu items and I'd be curious to know how much of the other stuff they actually sell.

Philly cheesesteaks to go
at a Philly suburb wedding

My mom prefers her cheesesteak to have a tomato sauce, which is called a pizza steak. She also likes to put a lot of pickles on it. It sounds weird, but it's actually pretty good. It's a variation of the original sandwich I like. However, I don't like chicken cheesesteaks, if you're going to do it, do it right. I also hate bell peppers on a cheesesteak, to me, it isn't authentic and makes it an entirely different dish. A lot of menus outside the Philly area will automatically put peppers on a cheesesteak and it just ruins it for me. Also, one last rant, in D.C. people call it a "steak and cheese," which drives me bonkers. 

I went to a wedding last weekend in a Philadelphia suburb that had cheesesteaks to go-- how awesome is that?! Sadly, I was  too full from all the rest of the food at the wedding to partake, but at least I know I can make them at home whenever I'm either homesick or just have a craving.