Recipe Spotlight: Polish Pierogi

One of my favorite perks of living in a big city is that I've had the opportunity to meet people from different countries, including Spain, Finland, Germany, China, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Ethiopia.  When I had the chance to have lunch with a nice Polish lady that I recently met and talk about my upcoming trip to Poland, I enthusiastically agreed!  After lunch with her, I walked away with two books on Krakow, the knowledge that I should devote my carry-on bag to bringing home the famous Polish pierniczki and E. Wedel chocolate (which, as a gingerbread and chocolate addict, I was planning to do anyway), and an authentic recipe for Polish dumplings, i.e. pierogi!  Pierogi can have a variety of fillings, such as sauerkraut and mushroom, prune, and meat; this recipe is for potato and cheese and serves 4. 

Pierogi Dough

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour

Beat egg, milk, water, and salt in a mixing bowl, and add the flour, 1 cup at a time, until fully blended. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and firm.  The dough should not be too sticky.  Allow dough to rest under the overturned mixing bowl for 20 minutes.

Using a rolling pin, roll dough as thinly as you would pasta dough; you can even use a pasta machine if you'd like.  Cut the dough into circles using a biscuit cutter or an empty can.

Potato and Cheese Filling

• 3-4 russet potatoes (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), cooked and mashed
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter
• Sour cream

Peel and cut potatoes into 3- or 4-inch cubes and place them in a saucepan.  Add water until potatoes are covered.  Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook covered for 20 minutes or until a fork can easily be poked through their center.

Meanwhile, heat a saute pan on medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan.  Once butter has melted, add finely chopped onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until the onions are tender and begin to brown.  Once browning begins, lower the heat and cook for an additional 2-5 minutes.  As the sugar in the onions caramelizes, they will begin to brown more quickly.  Transfer to a plate when they are golden brown.

Drain water from the potatoes and add the remaining butter and milk to the pot.  Using a potato masher, mash potatoes to the desired texture.  Mix in salt, pepper, and half of the caramelized onions and allow to cool before adding the grated cheese or filling the pierogi.

Stretch the dough to the desired size and place a spoon of filling on one side of the circle.  Fold the other side over the filling and pinch or crimp to seal.  The pierogi will be a crescent (half circle) shape.  If pierogi are not sealing well, paint the edges with water or beaten egg white.  You can use a fork or your fingers to make a fancy edge if you'd like.

To cook the pierogi, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and gently place pierogi in the boiling water.  Allow to cook for 8-10 minutes.  Carefully drain the pierogi and place them in a saute pan that has been heated with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.  Add the remaining caramelized onions to the pan and stir gently, cooking until the pierogi are lightly browned.  Serve with sour cream on the side for a delicious feast! 

Destination Spotlight: Toledo, Spain

Confession: I wasn't expecting to be "wowed" during my first visit to Spain in 2011; at the very least, I thought that I would finally be able to see in person all of the monuments and places that I had read about in my Spanish textbooks throughout my eleven years of studying the language, as well as eat authentic paella washed down with sublime sangria.  Needless to say, I was wrong!  I absolutely loved touring Spain due to its friendly people, culture, history, shopping scene, and muy delicioso cuisine.  Even though it's not nice to have favorites, Spain is my favorite European country to visit.  I was happy to return there with my mother in 2014 and introduce her to my favorite Spanish city: Toledo!

Toledo, surrounded by the Tagus River, was once the capital of Spain; now it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that effortlessly blends its Moorish origins with a modern vibe, all without losing its historic charm.  Toledo is located in the La Mancha region of Spain that was popularized in the book Don Quixote de la Mancha.  I enjoy walking on Toledo's original cobblestone streets and interacting with the locals while admiring views of its Alcazar, which dates back to the 3rd century, and its 13th century Cathedral.

Now that the brief Toledo history lesson is complete, we can move on to my favorite subject: its mazapan, or marzipan!  Toledo is known for crafting some of the world's best marzipan, which is a delightful dulce made from crushed almonds and sugar.  In Spain, it's very popular to purchase and give as a gift during the Christmas season, but I would happily buy marzipan every day as it exemplifies my mother's European shopping motto of "sweets before clothes!"  Before leaving the States for Spain, I researched where to buy the best marzipan in Toledo.  In addition to the typical stores, one traditional spot was mentioned: the Convent of San Antonio. 

The convent's nuns have been making fresh marzipan and other famous Spanish sweets for ages; the proceeds benefit the church and the convent, while the contents inside each beautifully packaged box will benefit your taste buds!  If you're lucky like me, you can have the experience of seeing the traditionally dressed nuns carrying the fresh sweets from the kitchen to the store!
 

After purchasing our Convent sweets, my mother and I continued our marzipan mission at Toledo's best and most famous store: Confiteria Santo Tome!  This is when knowing the Spanish language comes in handy, as I could confidently say, "I'd like to purchase the entire contents of your store!"  Santo Tome has three locations in Toledo; we bought our marzipan at the flagship store located in the lively Plaza de Zocodover.  In 2014, Toledo honored the 400th anniversary of the death of El Greco ("The Greek"), the famous painter and sculptor during the Spanish Renaissance who lived in Toledo.  As a tribute to El Greco, Santo Tome featured colorful displays of his works in their store windows.
 

Seeing an authentic painting by El Greco is possible at the El Greco Museum.  After paying a small fee of a few euros, you step inside a small room where you can get an up close and personal view of El Greco's masterpiece, "The Burial of the Count of Orgaz."  I've seen the painting twice and love El Greco's exquisite detailing in his painting; you can feel the anguish of the burial followed by the redemption of being welcomed into Heaven.

 
Another one of Toledo's important art masterpieces is damasquino, or "damascene;" this involves applying patterns in gold or silver onto steel to produce jewelry, pins, and other small trinkets.  The patterns are a reflection of Toledo's Moorish heritage combined with its Spanish Renaissance influence.  You can find damascene shops all over Toledo that sell these unique handicrafts at various price levels. 

Speaking of steel, this industry is what Toledo has most famously been known for since 500 BC....sorry marzipan, I so wanted it to be you!  Often imitated but never replicated, Toledo's steel swords have been the weapon of choice due to the quality of its steel for Roman armies in the Middle Ages to European armies and Japanese samurai.  I had the opportunity to watch a skilled Toledo tradesman produce a steel sword blade in his workshop and was able to visually see the high level of detail and precision that is the hallmark of Toledo's swords.  As with the marzipan and damascene, you will see steel and sword shops throughout Toledo. 

After years of searching, I finally found my knight in shining armor in Toledo, but alas, I could not take him back to the States with me.  I didn't mind too much, though, as I had mucho marzipan and buen memories of Toledo to comfort me!