Pierogi Making Lessons

The class takes place Sunday, April 22 from 12-4 PM at Our Lady of Hungary Hall at 545 N Belle Vista Avenue, Youngstown OH, 44509.
 
Cost: $25 per person. Class size is limited. Call: 330-726-9992 with questions or to register.
 
This class will be taught by our own Pierogi Princess Margaret Witmer who learned the secrets to making these tasty dumplings and fillings from her mother and grandmother. We promise this is not a sit and watch class.  Students should bring a take home container and their aprons so they can get their hands in the dough. Each participant in the class will be taking home not just a recipe, but also tips for success and at least one dozen ready to serve dumplings.

Pierogi are considered to be the Polish national dish and are served in a variety of forms and tastes (ranging from sweet to salty to spicy) in Polish cuisine. Pierogi were traditionally peasant food, but eventually spread in popularity throughout all social classes, including nobles. They are served at many festivals, playing an important role as a cultural dish. At the 2007 Pierogi Festival in Kraków, 30,000 pierogi were consumed daily.

Polish pierogi are often filled with fresh, white, Farmers cheese, potatoes and fried onions which is the most popular variety in North America. More popular in Poland are pierogi filled with ground meat, mushrooms and cabbage, or for dessert an assortment of fruits (various berries, with either strawberries or blueberries being most common). Sweet pierogi are usually served with sour cream, savory pierogi with bacon fat and bacon bits.

Poles traditionally serve two types of pierogi for Christmas Eve supper. One kind is filled with sauerkraut and dried mushrooms, another – small uszka filled only with dried wild mushrooms – is served in clear borscht. Leniwe pierogi ("lazy pierogi") are a different type of food, similar to haluski.

Pierogi is probably the only Polish dish that has its own patron saint. "Swiety Jacek z pierogami!", (St. Hyacinth and his pierogi!) is an old expression of surprise, roughly equivalent to the American "good grief" or "holy smokes!". The origin of this expression is unknown.
 
Aundrea Cika Heschmeyer
Director, PolishYoungstown
Your source for all things Polish in the Mahoning Valley
P.O.Box 684 Youngstown, OH 44501-0684
www.polishyoungstown.com
Check us out on Facebook:  PolishYoungstown
Follow me on Twitter:  @PYTown