Mark Sanko is a professor and assistant chairman in the history department at PennWest-Clarion University. His wife, Amanda, is employed by several trade schools.
In their off-hours, they make pretzels — which included 1,200 this past summer and is continuing this fall at Autumn Leaf Festival.
Just call him “Professor Pretzel.”
But they needed a place to make the pretzels. Modern Markets in Clarion had a kitchen, Sanko said, so he and his wife were off and running with Penns Woods Pretzel Co.
“It takes a couple of hours to come in, make the dough and twist the dough into pretzels,” he said. “It is basically a two-person operation.”
One of the many variety’s of pretzels, the Bavarian-style, is dipped in lye. Sanko said when people make them at home, they tend to dip them in baking powder or brown sugar or beer “and it browns but doesn’t give them that pretzel texture on the outside.”
“Well, a line formed down the street. I was throwing them into the lye and getting burns up and down my arms. We adjusted and prepare better now.”
The couple plan to “scale back” once winter arrives but will still cater.
Meanwhile, the Autumn Leaf Festival is heading closer to its big events this weekend, and a few activities are on tap today.
Downtown Deal Days continue from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, and a teen dance is planned from 6 to 9 p.m. in the former Winds of Trade building.
And the PennWest-Clarion/community cultural night events will continue tonight in front of the courthouse. Entertainment by John Rush will be featured starting at 7 p.m.