Due to an epic shopping trip on Tuesday, keeping us out of the house until 9pm, we volunteers took a half day today. That meant that in addition to eating lunch with Byrd, who works three minutes down the road from me, I got to 1) get home EARLY; 2) take a nap; 3) go running; and 4) make pierogi!
Pierogi are Polish dumplings, and pretty much every Polish family with access to the internet has posted their own recipe online. Luckily, I know mine own family's well enough that I follow it from memory. It contains measurements such as "one pressure-cooker-ful" and lots of "to taste," but as long as you know what you're tasting, it works wonders. By the time we got to the stuffing part, I had two housemates home and eager to help in the kitchen. I warned them of my mother's "Polish blood" theory (you need Polish blood to make them) and taught them how to stuff and seal the dumplings. I think the theory mostly applies to the making of the dough -- though my grandmother says the trick is to mix it with your hands.
My housemates made the prettiest pierogi of anyone I've ever taught. And, with the exception of one I made, they held together in the water! Meemaw told me that she had practice with Asian dumplings.
We also cooked up some kielbasa, because this house believes in meat. I suggested condiment pairings: sour cream and applesauce for the pierogi, and horseradish or mustard for the kielbasa. No one took me up on the horseradish, but Em told me that the best combination was kielbasa + mustard + pierogi + sour cream + applesauce all in one bite. If it weren't a Friday, I would have tried -- it looked delicious!
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