Jambalya Empanadas

Dammit, Friday the 8th was National Empanada Day and I missed it.  Despite some disagreement from readers, I have maintained that empanadas (and related products – Pasty, Piroshkies, and Samosas) are a form of dumpling worthy of hunting.  Empanadas have been with us for a long time, a cookbook published in 1520 in Catalan, the Libre del Coch by Ruperto de Nola, mentions empanadas filled with seafood.  It is unclear who originally created or sanctioned National Empanada Day, but the web is crowded with stories about the Best or Top empanada;  NJ.Com posted an article on the ten best Empanadas in NJ.  On of my favorites in NYC is Nuchus Empanadas.