What a fun night! I attended a hands-on cooking class last night with a friend and we learned how to make Pierogies from scratch. I have always loved to eat Pierogies but I have never attempted to make them until this class.
I would imagine most people have either tried a Pierogi or have heard of them before. But, for anyone not familiar with them, a “Pierogi” (which is pronounced pi-roh-ghee), is a filled dumpling of East European origin. The English word pierogi (plural: pierogi, pierogies or pierogis) comes from Polish pierogi, which is the plural from of pieróg, a generic term for filled dumplings.
Cooking Class-Making Pierogi’s!
The dough for a Pierogi is simple to make. It has some flour, egg, water, oil and sour cream. The Pierogies are made by creating pockets of dough around either a savory or a sweet filling. The typical fillings for a Pierogi are potato with cheddar cheese or ham & sauerkraut or cabbage. We made both of these in our class as well as a Pierogi with a pureed mushroom mixture. You could even create a Pierogi with different cheeses, fruits or even sweeter fillings to create a dessert Pierogi. The Pierogi is generally a semi-circle which can be formed by hand or by using a Pierogi mold. We tried both methods in our class and I have to say I think I am going to be buying a Pierogi mold!! It made it so easy and quick to make them. Plus they came out looking perfect when using the mold. Not only can the mold be used on Pierogies but it can make dumplings and ravioli which I also love to make so the mold would get put to good use in my kitchen.
Cooking Spotlight Kitchen
To cook a Pierogi, they are typically cooked in boiling water with salt added. You can then finish them off in a saute pan with your toppings. Toppings could be sauteed onion in some butter. You could also add some S&P and fresh herbs. The cooked Pierogies can be topped with anything you like. You can keep it simple by adding the Onions/butter that you sauteed. You could also top them off with a little sour cream or creme fraiche. The traditional method is with onion and apple sauce.
Pierogi’s w/Sauteed Onions
In our Pierogi class, we learned how to make the dough and roll it out just perfectly so they were not too thick or too thin. We were encouraged to try all methods such as a rolling pin, an attachment on a standing mixer and a hand crank pasta/dough maker. I think my favorite was the attachment on the standing mixer. It made it so simple to roll out the perfect dough. I also learned that if you start to get little dimples or holes in the dough (while rolling it out or running it through the attachment on the mixer) that it needed more flour. I also learned that if using the dough roller attachment on the standing mixer or even the hand crank that you start out with the dial on 1, then move to 3 and then finally 4 for the perfect rolled out dough.
We also learned the recipes for some traditional fillings, we assembled the Pierogi’s and the best part of all, we got to eat what we made! They were so delicious. The dough was so light and the fillings were tasty. We even got to bring home some of the fresh dough that we made in class as well as all the recipes. So, I know what I will be making at home very soon! When it came time to sit down and eat, they started us off with some Marinated Cucumber & Dill Salad (which was so light and very delicious). They ended our night with Clementines in a Scented Syrup (w/Grande Marnier and Cognac) along with a few thin almond cookies. Need I say more? YUM!!!
Our dessert- Clementines in Scented Sryup
I cannot wait for our next class. We will be attending a “Tuscan Dinner Party” where we will learn to make some spectacular meals. We will learn to cook a rustic Italian meal. Anyone who lives locally to me and if you like to cook or would like to learn, I would encourage you to check this place out. It is called “Cooking Spotlight”. They have many different types of classes such as hands-on (if you like to make the food yourself) or demonstration style (if you just want to watch the chef prepare & cook). Either way you get to enjoy eating everything that is made. Me, I prefer to get in the kitchen and make the food first. Our instructor for the night, who I believe was the owner, couldn’t be nicer. I loved that she started out by pulling out and putting on her Babushka to teach all about Pierogies! Everyone that worked there was nice, helpful and you could tell our instructor had so much fun teaching and was passionate about her work. She made time to walk around and talk to each individual in the class and to offer her assistance or encouragement for anyone that may need it. I love that the class wasn’t too large, about 18 of us. They had ample room to move around. They also had TV’s and mirrors placed so you could watch the instructor from several areas in the room. They really created a fun environment for us to enjoy a night out. I will definitely be going back for more classes.
Mangia! Enjoy!