Veni, Vidi, Ut Perii.

(Photo Credit: Brooklyn Brewery)

Some people who have been following the blog know that I was competing in the Food Experiments Tour, sponsored by the Brooklyn Brewery. My confidence was high after a really nice Happy Hour with the competitors, followed by a quick shopping trip to Market District to pick up supplies (with the gift card the competition supplied!) It turns out to make 300 pierogies, it takes a bit of shopping. For my recipe, I went with a traditional pierogie, only filled with a mixture of potato, cheese, sauerkraut, and kielbasa. In order to have enough pierogies, it took a total of 15 pounds of flour, 10 pounds of potatoes, 3 dozen eggs, 4 pounds of onions, 2 pounds each of butter, cheese, and sauerkraut, and a pound and a half of kielbasa.

The pierogies were formed by 11:30 Saturday night, and after waking up at 7 am the day of the competition to boil the pasta, and saute the onions, I was ready to compete, alongside mi mama. And compete we did. Now, I could drag out the suspense, but those of you who are versed in Latin already know the answer. I was thoroughly trounced. I was very happy with the pierogies, for making a large amount of a brand new recipe, I was extremely happy. I was even happier whenever I was asked a few (OK, my ego counted, 6) times what restaurant I was with. I at least know the pierogies were edible, as at the end of the day, all of 267 of them were consumed.

At the end of the day, so what if I lost? It was a lot of fun to compete, and I met some great people, and had really great food and beer. And there is some rumor the competition is returning next year. That means I have a year to plan, and my vengeance will be sweet...(insert maniacal laughter here.) Just kidding...or am I?

Until Next Time,

Andrew

The Dumpling Experiment: Day 2

It is now 5 days until the Pittsburgh Dumpling Experiment, and this led to the next round of training. After yesterday's serviceable trial (good, but somewhat disappointing) I tweaked the recipe. The specific issue with yesterday was the pierogie was 1) flat tasting, and 2) too heavy/ chewy. In order to counteract this, I upped the sodium chloride, and made the dumpling thinner. This seemed to work. And so, I present the results:

Title: Pierogies-Mark II

Positives: These are pierogies, and they are pretty good. I could eat a lot of these.

Negatives: The dough is a little difficult to work with, and as a result, the pierogies need some help in the cosmetics department.

Possible Improvements: I need to reshape them in order to present a better appearance. I think I have the dough down, and now it is time to perfect the filling.

Final Result: Good.

The Dumpling Experiment: Day 1

It is now less than a week away from the Pittsburgh Dumpling Experiment, and I have decided to enter. Now, I can't reveal the full details until the day of the competition, but I have chosen the truly Pittsburgh dumpling to represent in the upcoming culinary battle. However, before I rush too far ahead in excitement, let me take a moment to explain what is going on.

On Sunday the 20th, there will be a competition of amateur chefs in Pittsburgh, with everyone vying for the title of "Best Dumpling." This is part of a larger national tour, where each city has a theme. (http://thefoodexperiments.com/2012/05/14/pittsburgh-dumpling-experiment-what-to-do-with-all-these-prizes/)

Now, if you have been reading this before, you know I am a fan of pierogies (see here: http://notourist.blogspot.com/2011/02/food-for-thought.html), so naturally I was excited about this theme. I could finally put those recipes I learned to the test.

In keeping with the theme of training, yesterday was the first of a few test batches, to make sure everything is ready for the competition. I mixed up a batch of dough, and got to folding.

Not bad for a test, and at least they look right. After boiling them, and then adding the butter, I have come to the conclusions.

 

Title: Pierogies-Mark I

Positives: They look right, and they smell right. They are definitely pierogies, and are edible.

Negatives: The dough is flat and chewy, and they are truly "gut-bombs." These things will sit like a rock in your stomach.

Possible Improvements: I need to up the salt in the dough, and it also needs to be rolled out to be even thinner.

Final Result: Fair.