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Make a well from the flour.
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Add eggs and about 1/2 cup of water.
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The amount of water will vary according to the weather.
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You want to make a stiff dough.
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Divide it into 3 equal portions and knead until silky smooth.
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Fillings: We usually make cheese and kapusta (sauerkraut), but you can use meat, potatoes, or even fruit.
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Saute onion in butter until just soft.
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Add kapusta and brown.
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Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Allow time for the filling to cool before assembling pierogi, otherwise they will fall apart when cooked.
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If making more than one filling, this one can cool while you prepare the others.
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Mix well.
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To assemble and cook pierogi: Roll out a portion (or half portion, if space is limited) of the dough on a floured surface as thinly as possible -- somewhere between a wonton and a thin pizza.
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Put about a tablespoon of filling on the dough and use a large plastic cup (a big gulp-type cup works really well) to cut a circle around the filling.
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Dampen half of the circumference of the circle with a bit of water on your finger and fold into a dumpling.
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Boil the dumplings a dozen at a time in a big pot of salted water until they float -- no more than 3 minutes.
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At this point you can freeze them in bags for later use.
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To prepare for serving, brown the pierogi in a skillet using a bit of butter.
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If you want to be really traditional you can use bacon grease.
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Alternately, you can bake them in a casserole, spraying both the casserole and the pierogi with a butter flavored spray, and putting a few pats of butter on top of the dumplings.
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The recipes for this program, which were provided by contributors and guests who may not be professional chefs, have not been tested in the Food Network's kitchens.
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Therefore, the Food Network cannot attest to the accuracy of any of the recipes.
