Getting ready for Grandma’s pierogi

Whenever I travel to cities with Polish restaurants or neighborhoods – New York City, Los Angeles, Portland, Hamtramck, the city nearly surrounded by Detroit – I make a point to try the pierogi.

They’re always good.

But they’re never as good as Grandma’s.

Traditionally a peasant dish, pierogi are a staple of Polish cuisine. Mashed potatoes are the most common filling. They’re also made with potatoes and farmer’s cheese, mushrooms, sauerkraut and chicken. They’re often topped with caramelized onions and served with sour cream.

Grandma made them one way and one way only.

The full story about Grandma’s pierogi is slated to run Sunday in The Spokesman-Review’s Today section.

Meantime, here’s a pierogi filling recipe from a recent pierogi-making party to whet your appetite.

Mushroom-Shallot Pierogi Filling

From Kat Smith of Spokane

1 tablespoon butter

4 shallots, minced

1 pound brown mushrooms, diced

Salt, to taste

½ teaspoon dried thyme

3 tablespoons dry sherry

Pepper, to taste

Melt butter in a cast iron skillet. Add shallots and sauté until soft. Add mushrooms, season with salt, and sauté until mushrooms give off their liquid and begin to dry out again. Add thyme and dry sherry and cook until most of the sherry is cooked off, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.