On The Twenty Third Day Of December

I made the first batch of Pierogi for 2017.  My grandmother made these for my father, so when he got married, my mother had to learn how to make them.  And when I got married, I missed home and I began my journey of making these for my family every Christmas Eve.

When our son first moved to California (he was 21)  we tried sending pierogi to him, but a delay in delivering the box to him resulting in a culinary disaster.  Since then he and I have had many phone calls on Christmas Eve as he has tried to master this special holiday food.  I sent him a mixer one year.  Another he got the new add-on of a pasta roller attachment.

I use an Atlas pasta roller.  In the early days of marriage I rolled the dough thin with a rolling pin.  And would go to bed with my arm muscles screaming in pain.

But we had to have those holiday pierogi. We haven't missed a Christmas yet.

My grandmother made potato and onion and also sautéed sauerkraut and onion.  G's cousins in Wisconsin make meat pierogi with pork and beef but do not eat them until Christmas Day.  G's mother made cheese pierogi with a dry Farmer's cheese and sugar.  Our fillings were always meatless-there was some reason we didn't eat meat on Christmas Eve.

So......Tonight's pierogi are for my daughter.  It's a recipe I made up all by myself.  Many, many years ago to suit her tastes.  A mix of cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg and chives.  I always make hers on the 23rd.  So she can have them to eat on Christmas Eve at her house and again for Christmas breakfast--fried till crispy in butter.

Tomorrow I'll make the ones G and I (and our son) love.  The mashed potato and chopped raw onion filling and the sautéed sauerkraut and onion filling. I always make extra so I can eat the filling while making the pierogi.  Cook's treat.

I read once in a Pennsylvania newspaper that at this time of year potato and American cheese pierogi are very popular in Pennsylvania and made and sold in American Legion Halls.  In doing genealogy research I discovered quite a few families in PA with my same maiden name.  They could be relatives.

If anyone out there reading this have eaten pierogi-- please leave a comment--with your favorite way of eating them and your favorite filling.  We like them the first night with butter and onions.  And the days after (I make a lot) fried in butter with crispy onions.  We are very sad when they are gone.