Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Perogies

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With the departure of the Stony Plain delegation last month (which as I am writing this seems like just yesterday) I was left in possession of a good recipe for perogies. I am in constant need of recipes - not for my own narrow cravings - but because I like to repay the kindness I have received with originality. Pasta has been a good stand-by in the past, but ingredients of which can be hard to find; good flavorful tomatoes, decent noodles, pesto, mushrooms. I have also tried the route of casseroles; the ingredients for which are easier to find. However, there is a complete lack of large ovens in Japan (like we have in Canada) that makes cooking a casserole all but impossible. Now I have turned to preogies. The main ingredients of which - potatoes and flour - are widely available. Sour cream is a bit scarce in Shikaoi but is carried in all the large supermarkets in Obihiro. Now it seems the only scarcity I am facing is one of counter-space. I spent the better of two hours last night making just the handful you seen in the image. The dough will need improvement before my perogies make their Shikaoi debut but I nailed the stuffing if I do say so.

2 comments:

Monsta said...

you can cook too? Awesome :) this is the first time i hear about perogies actually... they look rather cute...

why is it that large ovens are scarce?

bb said...

"Why is it that large ovens are scarce?"

The short answer is that Japan has an amazingly high population density. This manifests itself many ways: in the home it means that my kitchen is basically only a wall. Thus, on the whole, no large ovens exist in homes. There is the microwave/convection oven. I don't even have mine plugged in. I don't use the microwave and to cooks something in the small oven would take twice as long (or more). You should see what needs to takes place when foreignors try to bake turkeys!!