Pierogies

The History:
Pierogi are popular in a variety of Slavic countries, and their name, apparently, comes from the "proto-slavic" root "pir" which means festivity. I like festive foods! Controversy abounds on popular recipe sites like Epicurious and Allrecipes.com, with commenters heatedly discussing whether the recipe has been "too Americanized" or whose Polish grandmother's pierogi recipe is more delicious, or whether cheddar cheese is an acceptable stuffing. I entered the fray...

The Process:
Slightly less work, but more mess than mole sauce, I spent much of Friday afternoon preparing pierogi over at my friend Walker's house. Not only does she have 2 dogs and a cute baby, but her kitchen is about 10 times bigger than mine, so it was a perfect location- and she was kind enough to host me and my 6 cups of flour and 10 lbs of potatoes. The dough recipes seemed straightforward enough, the challenge was in picking the filling. This dish is perfect for an improvisational chef like myself- any combination of mashed potatoes, cheeses, mushrooms and/or vegetables (or bacon, if you're so inclined!) would probably be delicious in pierogi dough. It's also a great dish to make in advance in bulk: together, Walker and I made about 10-12 servings of pierogi, froze them on baking sheets, then put them in a ziplock in the freezer- perfect for last-minute meals!
It's a bit messy, though, so clear off your counters (and make room in the freezer if you're freezing them) before you start.

The Recipe:
There are three parts to pierogi: The dough wrappers, the filling, and whatever sauce you cook them in.
The filling: Note: This recipe is perfect for improvising. What do YOU like in pierogi? Let the creative juices flow! I made three fillings composed of combinations of the following ingredients.
-mashed potatoes (however you like them, but thick in texture) with parsley
-sauteed mushrooms with onion and garlic and parsley
-extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated or cubed
-feta cheese, diced finely

I recommend combining the potatoes with one or two flavors (mushroom and feta, or feta and bacon). You'll want about 4 cups of filling for the dough- that might even be too much, but as Walker suggested, you can make the extra potato filling into latke-like patties the next morning!

The dough: I actually followed the recipe this time. (Though we doubled it to make more pierogi.)
3 cups flour
1 egg
1 cups milk or water
1 T. olive oil
pinch salt
Mix the wet ingredients, then mix wet + dry. Knead the dough for about 5-8 minutes (or until you're tired- it's thick dough!), cover in plastic wrap, and set in the fridge for 30 minutes or so.

The sauce: Again, get creative. I made a sauce of sauteed mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, garlic and butter, with lots and lots of fresh parsley. The tomato was great because it lent a lot of brightness to the dish, both in terms of color and flavor!

How to make pierogies: Once the dough is chilled, divide it in half, and roll out half on a floured surface until it's about 1/16th inch thich- or until it's almost see through but not flimsy. Take a drinking glass that is about 3-4 inches in diameter, and cut circles from the dough, placing the circles on a floured surface. Then, spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of each circle. It may be easiest to hold the circle in your hand- dab egg white around the edge of half the circle, and fold in half to create a half-moon shape. Press the edges together, then use fork tines to smush them down in a pretty, professional manner. Set aside on a floured surface.

Once you've made your pierogies (we doubled the dough recipe and created about 90 or so pierogies), you can either place them on a lightly floured baking sheet and freeze them for later use (once they're frozen, put them in a freezer bag, and they won't stick together) or place them in boiling water for about 5 minutes. (They should float about a minute after you place them in water.) Then, saute them with a bit of butter or oil and whatever sauce you've created.

The Results:
I was dubious about making pierogies- I've only had the store-bought kind and the mystery of boiling dough seemed impenetrable to me. However, all in all, these were simple to make, if time-consuming and messy. If you're looking for a fun afternoon of cooking (preferably with a friend and a glass of wine and/or a cute gurgling baby) this is a great dish.
The pierogi turned out great- chewy (in a good way) and fresh tasting dough, fillings with way more flavor than the store-bought kind, and plenty of fresh parsley. It was fun to create something that was previously so mysterious, and I imagine this recipe will become a part of my repertoire. I think home-made pierogi would also make a great gift to bring to someone's house (if you're as into gifting food as I am)!

Let me know if you try it out!

*You'll note that I've added Haitian food to my list, which is deliberately vague as I'm not sure which dish to attempt, but Nathan and I are taking Creole and our professor keeps talking about Haitian recipes, so I think I'll try something out next week.