Last year, my husband and I sent our DNA to one of those sites that unlocks your lineage. I was in a dreamy state of mind when I sent the packages and hopeful that my bloodline would reveal an ancestral royal cousin or a connection to an adventurer who discovered North America, something over-the-top. The results came in ten weeks later, and my origins are in eastern Europe and Ukraine. It confirmed what I already knew and I am not disappointed, but secretly, I would have loved a DNA surprise!
I am a second-generation Canadian but have embraced my Ukrainian ethnicity over the years. I remember when I was growing up; we drove 9 hours at least three to four times a year to visit my grandparents living in Saskatchewan. My baba and dido were always welcoming no matter what time we arrived. That welcome always came with a sloppy kiss and big hugs. After the welcome, there was often a “snack”, and when I say “snack” I mean a full meal waiting at the table for the travelers.
The remembrances of my baba and dido, who passed away in the early 2000s, apart from their hospitality and love of their grandkids, included my dido’s stories of the old homestead and farming the land. He would talk so fast and passionately that his English would blend into his Ukrainian. Deciphering what he said was like playing a game. My baba was a talented cook. Not to many were referred to as a chef in those days, but she should have been. Her cabbage rolls, homemade kolbassa sausage, jellied “head-cheese”, which as a kid I never touched, and her baking was outstanding. What I most vividly remember, though, was her “pedaheh” or perogies.
In Ukrainian, the correct name is varenyky, which comes from the Ukrainian word varyty meaning “to boil.” They generally cook these in boiling water. However, in my grandparents’ home, they were not referred to by this term, always pedaheh. I use both words, pedaheh and perogy, in my home.
In a world where perogies have become a staple across cultures, filled with a variety of flavours, my baba made her pedaheh quite simple. The pasta-like dough is rolled thin, cut into circles, and filled with a mixture of mashed potatoes, cheddar and cottage cheeses, and fried onion. They were boiled in lightly salted water until they bobbed to the top of the pot. The puffy potato packages would be drained and tossed with onions sauteed in copious amounts of butter and deliciously fried bacon bits. Sour cream would be sitting on the table where we could scoop an embarrassing amount on top of our perogy mound.
I was privileged to get my baba’s handwritten collection of recipes and she was auspicious enough to record her perogy recipe and tips. My daughters and I try to schedule a perogy-making day at least once a year. It is a time of connection between us and the past. DNA may reveal blood connection, but we build relationships on memories, connection, and sharing experiences. Perogy-making day is a place where my girls reminisce stories about their great-grands, the old homestead, and farming the land.
Oh, and by the way, my husband’s DNA revealed he has Viking blood, and he received the surprise of a half-sibling no one knew about. Go figure!
Baba’s Pedaheh (Perogy) Recipe
The dough
1 cup hot potato water (water used to boil your potatoes.)
Tap water could also be used
1 cup milk
¼ cup oil (tradition was to use corn oil)
4 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Step 1
Combine the water, milk and oil in a large bowl
Whisk to combine
Step 2
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt
Add a cup at a time to the liquid. Mixing after each addition
Knead dough until soft and elastic
Allow to rest 30 minutes
Step 3
Divide the dough into fourths
Roll out a portion to about 1/8th thick.
Using a 3 inch round cookie cutter or the opening of a drinking glass, cut as many circles in the dough as you can.
You can gather up the left-over dough and reroll it several times.
Step 4
Add a heaping tablespoon or so of the filling to the centre of each circle.
Fold one end of the circle over and carefully pinch the edges closed.
The dough should easily stretch over the filling.
Step 5
Place the perogy on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Leaving a little space between each little bundle
Repeat
Perogies can be frozen at this point
Step 6
Fill a large pot with water. Add a generous amount of salt. Taste
Bring to a boil
Drop in a few perogies at a time, gently stirring so they don’t stick together
Cook until they rise to the surface (approx..5-6 minutes)
Remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl
Toss with melted butter, fried onions, and bacon bits as desired.
The Filling (can be made the day before to build flavour)
1 ½ lbs peeled potatoes, cut into cubes
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sour cream
½ cup cheddar cheese, grated (or ¼ cup Cheeze Whiz)
1 small onion, finely chopped
Bring the potatoes to a boil until cooked (12-15 minutes)
Drain but save the water for the dough
In a fry pan, melt the butter
Add the onion and fry until translucent
Mash the potatoes and add the onions and butter, sour cream and cheese
Mix well and set aside to cool. Refrigerate if you make this the day before.
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