One of the most popular dishes in Eastern European cuisine is Filled Dumplings, known as: Varenyky or Pyrohy in Ukrainian, and Pierogi in Polish. They are made from homemade pasta dough and filled with varieties of fillings, but potato and cheese filling being the most popular.
It is definitely “labor of love” for those who make them from scratch, as it requires several hours of preparation time, but it is so well worth it.
I have been searching the internet for a recipe resembling specific rolls dating back to the early ’70s, as per my memory of summer camps in Ellenville, NY. Mrs. Kormeluk was the cook at that time, baking these rolls daily, and serving them with a cup of cold milk as an afternoon snack for all the campers.
I have tried several recipes and my children were my judges for the texture and flavor of these rolls, as they also remembered them from their camp in the ’90s. However, this time they were baked by Mrs. Tinio.
The original recipe for this carrot salad was found on this site.
I have been searching for a recipe for this dish for a while, as many of my Ukrainian friends are very fond of it, yet I have never tasted it myself.
I decreased the amount of cayenne pepper in the original recipe to mellow the taste, as suggested by one of my friends who was familiar with this dish.
These dumplings are almost a complete meal in themselves, as they include potatoes and meat, plus you can add your favorite gravy or a savory tomato sauce, making dinner ready.
Leftover dumplings are great reheated in the microwave or a frying pan.