Polish Pierogies

Some foods propel us back to our childhood days when things were simpler and carefree.

My maternal Polish grandmother, God rest her soul, used to make Polish pierogies that make my mouth water even today, just remembering them.

Pierogies are kind of like doughy turnovers that are boiled and then usually fried in butter and chopped onions.

Sometimes I call pierogies a cardiologist's nightmare! ha! They are definitely a very heavy food.

The favorite filling my grandma made the most consisted of chopped cabbage, sauerkraut, onions and hamburger and, of course, lots of butter.

She used to put in chopped salt pork, too, but I skip that ingredient entirely.

Making pierogies is a rather arduous process.  

First, I make the filling by frying in butter the onions, chopped  cabbage and sauerkraut, hamburger, salt and pepper.

Then, a tablespoon of filling is placed on rounds of rolled out  dough.  I wet the edges with water, fold over, push the edges together, then press them down with a fork.



Each pierogi is carefully placed in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes.

The dough is the tricky part. If it's not done right, the filled turnovers will open right up in the boiling water and all the work is for naught.

After two to three minutes in the hot pot,  the pierogies are lifted out of the boiling water and placed  in a frying pan that contains onions fried in, what else?  More butter!

We used to eat pierogies with sour  cream.  Each morsel brings me right back to my grandmother's kitchen where she turned out some mighty fabulous Polish food for  us.

Pierogies are among my most vivid gastronomical memories. Mmm mmm mm mm mmmmmmmmm

HAVE YOU EVER EATEN PIEROGIES? IF YES, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FILLING?