National Pierogi Day

I watched a cook-along from Polish Your Kitchen to see if I could improve on my pierogi making skills. In under two hours the host made an apple cake and two kinds of pierogi; I managed one variety and I'm exhausted. I did pick up some tips about making the dough, but after all that work, I didn't care for the filling. I grew up with cabbage pierogi; these are sauerkraut and it just doesn't taste right to me. Next time I'll make my own filling. It was fun watching Anna, the cook, because she never got rattled about anything. At one point she discovered she had forgotten to buy powdered sugar, which, according to her cookbook, is essential to the cake. Hey, I guess I'll use regular sugar! That little glitch would have sent me to the store, or at least out of the kitchen, so it was a big deal to watch her tap dance. You never see that on regular cooking shows; everything is always perfect. She often says: Im a cook, not a chef. I guess that's part of the difference. 

If you're interested in Polish food or in seeing the country, check out her site. She and her husband have a cooking blog, and also produce little travelogues about their drives around Poland. Food is always featured.