Polish Grandmothers and the Pure Joy of Pierogi

I like cheese, I love pasta, and I adore mashed potatoes, so you can image the pure bliss I experience when I get to eat pierogi. They very well may be my favorite non-meat food.

Pierogi are a classic Eastern European potato and cheese stuffed dumpling traditionally made for festivals and celebrations.

There are thousands of versions using different fillings, dough, and garnishes, but this one made for an About.com assignment is fairly typical.

Above and beyond the ingredients, there are also many different ways to engineer the dish. You can make a few big ones, or lots of tiny ones (guess which is easier). You can use lots of stuffing, or just a little. You can boil and toss in melted butter, or you can fry to get a crispy crust as I did here.

My grandmother Sophie, on my father's side of the family, was from Poland, and every time we would drive to New York for a visit, the highlight of the trip was a big plate of her pierogi.

The fact that the trip was seven hours, in the back of a station wagon, in the middle of summer, with no air conditioning, with my father chain-smoking the entire trip, did nothing to diminish my joyous anticipation.

I hope you give these pierogi a try. These would make a great snowy, or rainy day project, and they can be made ahead and frozen for future use. Enjoy!

Note: This video was shot for About.com, so when you click on the video below, you'll be taken to the recipe page there.

Filling:

1 pound russet potato

1/2 diced onion

2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Dough:

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

pinch of salt

1 cup flour, plus more as needed

Butter to fry in, sour cream and chive to garnish