Ahhh the smells and wonders of ethnic foods. They arouse such a nostalgia on your tastebuds, sparking memories of cooking and baking with your mother or grandmother in the kitchen as a kid, most likely on a stepstool like myself, wanting to get my hands into everything that consumed the kitchen counter. You see, as I said before, it’s in the kitchen where I truly feel like the most memories are made. Family secrets are traded, recipes are documented on lined pieces of paper with stains accumulated throughout the years, while flour sticks to not only your granite countertop, but to your heartstrings as well. Today I share with you a memory which I hold close to my heart and so begins this tale with three sacred words… My Aunt Helen.
Okay I lied. The first three words should have been FIND FARM CHEESE! Farm cheese? What on earth is farm cheese and where exactly would I find such a novelty? If you understood my Aunt Helen, this would be a memory that would last for a lifetime. Farm cheese is the main ingredient in Polish Pierogi and if I didn’t come home with this said cheese, my toosh was in trouble!
If you’re Polish or of any Eastern European descent, I am fairly sure somewhere down the line, you’ve got yourself an Aunt Helen. She just wasn’t my Great Aunt Helen, but a master of stories and hilarity. She was of that generation where there was a sort of dispensation for saying vulgar things, with no concept of political correctness whatsoever. She told it to you like it was and if she didn’t like something, she would utter the words, “I don’t go for that!” She was also my babysitter when my parents would go away. Cue in the horror music now. Just kidding, although as a kid I think she liked to embarass me. For instance at church, during collection, she would have this smirk about her face digging into her bra for her wallet. I would just shrug my shoulders in embarassment trying to conceal myself in the pews all the while she would just be laughing. Not to mention how fast she drove…if my parents only knew. It wasn’t until I got older, somewhat more wiser that she began to intrigue me. Her tall stature boasted her silvery locks in such a graceful manner. She just looked like history to me with so many stories to tell. It was one night in the kitchen over a cold beer in which she passed the Polish pierogi torch over to me and I must tell you, it truly is a memory that I will have close to my heart forever.
So let’s get back to the farm cheese, or otherwise called farmer’s cheese. For you beginners, it’s basically cottage cheese that has been expressed of its whey giving it almost a ricotta like texture; but not ricotta at all. Once you find this golden trove of goodness, you will need a large counter space, good jazz playing in the background, topped with a cold beer and a whole lot of patience. Let the pierogi festivities commence!
This recipe not only triggers a beautiful memory of my Great Aunt, but appreciation for my heritage and how delicious Polish foods are as well. The cheese filling may also be substituted with potato, which essentially is a mashed potato version with a little bit of flour. For all you sweeties, you can make a fruit compote and use the dough recipe and basically add anything your little heart desires.
Families and our heritage spark such wonderful memories in the kitchen. I hope now more than ever, we are all taking the time to create such memories. My gift to you is this pierogi recipe which you enjoy and hold close to your heart as much as I do.
Food is love. Love creates memories. Memories are a treasure. Treasure every moment.
| Prep Time | 45 min |
| Cook Time | 8-10 min |
| Servings |
people
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Ingredients
The Dough
- 2 cups flour
- 1 egg
- 2 Tsp warm water
- 1/2 Tsp salt
- 1/2 Tsp cracked pepper
- 1 Tsp melted butter
- 1/2 Tsp sour cream
Filling Ingredients
- 1 lbs farm cheese
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 medium vidalia onion minced
Toppings
- 1 chive choped
- 1 medium vidalia onion caramelized
- sour cream
Ingredients
The Dough
Filling Ingredients
Toppings
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Instructions
Filling
- For the filling, combine all ingredients first and chill immediately in the refrigerator. Just a little tip as to why vidalia onions and not powdered sugar as you see in some recipes...When the onions, which are sweet when broken down with heat and moisture, release a natural sugar. I always thought all these years there was sugar in her recipe, but nope. It's the onion!
The Dough
- Next in a bowl, combine all the dough ingredients. Make a well and add your egg, water and sour cream then slowly knead into a pliable ball. It is crucial to let the dough rest under a warmed bowl for about 15 minutes, as to activate the proofing agents.
- With a floured surface and rolling pin, gradually take pieces of your activated dough and roll out as thin as you can, but strong enough to withstand your filling.
- With a drinking glass or round plating ring, start cutting out your shapes. Once all the dough is utilized, it's filling time!
- With a spoon, scoop out your filling into all your dough cut outs. Have a little cup of water handy to wet your hands to seal your pierogi. This will act a a glue.
- This is where you can get creative. Think ravioli, but these are the Polish kind. I like to pinch my 'Rogi with a sealed edge using a fork. They just look pretty when they're plated this way.
The Cooking
- Now it's time for a nice swim in some salted boiling water. With a slotted spoon once the pierogi rise, set off to the side on a paper towel until all your pierogi are boiled.
- In a separate pan, on medium heat with a half tsp of butter, add your roughly chopped onion and sauté slowly until translucent and carmelized. Put in a dish and warm in the oven.
- In a medium pan once again, heat heat with butter, add your pierogi not to crowd the pan. Sauté until golden brown for about four minutes on each side.
The Plating
- Arrange on a nice platter for all to see and enjoy. Be creative by topping with some carmelized onions, perhaps even some chopped chives because the addition of any fresh green herb wakes up the beauty of what you want to present on your plate. Lastly, and of course, Most importantly, a platter of pierogi is not my Auntie's Original without a generous dollop of sour cream.
