REALITY?: Fun Time

See the plastic jug? It’s filled with about $75.00′ worth of zypki–dried mushrooms–from the Black Forest and it’s a major ingredient in my traditional Easter. For baszcz, the white type as my family has always made it, as well as for the sauerkraut pierogi which I’m making here.

First you have to soften them a bit in boiling water, then chop them up along with the sauerkraut and fry in a bit of butter and seasoning. The sauerkraut ones are hard to make, as the filling doesn’t stick together neatly (that’s why I cut the sauerkraut up) as does the potato filling that I make with sharp cheddar cheese. I don’t do the potato/cottage cheese because I don’t like them as much.

Here I have the dough rolled out, cut and a teaspoonful of filling plopped onto each square that will be folded into a triangle and sealed. The biggest pain in the neck is rolling out this elastic dough that defies all attempts to stretch without adding too much flour.

The dough I make has less eggs than noodle dough; five cups flour to two large eggs. But the idea is similar, and I make a large batch of meat-filled “Polish Ravioli” or “Italian Pierogi” and the difference is really that the ravioli dough is harder, tougher than what I make.

It’s always surprised me that much traditional ethnic cooking is very similar in many ways; pierogi-ravioli-wontons-empanadas. Polish Golabki are very similar to Greek stuffed grape leaves (which I’ve picked and used!), and noodles come in all languages.

The fun part of all holiday traditions is the food. The best part is family. While I don’t see mine much anymore, I’m glad that this recipe has been handed down to my nieces to take over for their own families. I learned to make pierogi from my girlfriend Pat when we were back in high school. Up till then, I think we used to buy them (no offense against my mother–I understand completely why she only made them a couple times). Then one year I made them with my aunt. Since then I’ve made them with my friend Fran, with my sister Andrea, and with my niece Erica so that hopefully, I can reach my golden years without having to make the damn things.