Back in October I trotted into the Eastport Market in search of seasonal treats. My head was thinking “chocolate” but my nose was sniffing . . . onions? Simmering in butter? Pierogis??? Shades of my beloved Detroit, where Polish delicacies are turned out by grandmothers in Hamtramck restaurants and church ladies at St. Florian’s and served up at dinner with friends. I skidded to a stop and beheld the dream. Free samples of excellent treats at the Eastport Market!
Free samples of excellent treats at the Eastport Market
I wasn’t blogging in October, but old habits die hard. I took pictures while Marcie Newton filled a plate for me. Now right here I need to confess that I can’t spell pierogis/perogies/pirozhki, and I’m usually a pretty good speller. Ah well. A lovely dumpling by any spelling will taste as delectable. Look at these dear little morsels. Come to think of it, they look like miniature pasties, don’t they? And I know how to spell pasties. (Thanks to Cora Stoppert I even know how to make them—and so do you.)
I am a traditionalist when it comes to comfort food so I sampled the potato, cheese and onion version. Marcie makes other varieties, too: elk, buffalo, venison, whitefish. I know, I know – I haven’t been so surprised since I discovered the Polish dinner at Vasquez Hacienda. But the concept seems to be taking off. The tender little beauties are popular across the north country. Grandma’s Perogies (which is how Marcie spells it) are available at independent markets from Petoskey to Traverse City. It’s nice to see a local entrepreneur succeed.
Epilogue
The phone rang. It was Neighbor Nannette.
- I’m making dinner. If you haven’t eaten yet do you want to join me?
- — Yes.
- Don’t you want to know what I’m making?
- — Doesn’t matter. It will be something I’m not making.
I promptly presented myself with sparkly clean hands and face, carrying a monkey, but that’s another post entirely, and . . . TA-DAH! Grandma’s Perogies from the Eastport Market, sauteed to mouthwatering perfection with some of the Market’s own smoked bacon. Great minds, great minds.
Torch Lake Views 
uphilldowndale
January 14, 2014
Now they look like comfort food of the highest order, my waist is expanding just looking at them.
‘ Doesn’t matter. It will be something I’m not making.’ LOL, I can so identify with that sentiment!
Gerry
January 14, 2014
Besides, Neighbor Nannette is a good cook. I will cheerfully present myself for any experiments she cares to conduct.
Martha
January 14, 2014
You would be an awesome neighbor. In the South you would be more than awesome.
So- Cornish v Polish pastie. Comment?
And I love those “Brownie” type snaps of “ladies in the hall”. The stuff of real life.
Gerry
January 14, 2014
In the South people are given to saying to me “Why bless your heart!” – which I have come to understand does not necessarily imply approval . . .
But in the North I am, indeed, an awesome neighbor. All of us Around Here are awesome neighbors, else we would all be in a lot of trouble.
I was, um, joking about the name “Polish Pasties.” They just look alike. Nothing else is similar – not texture, not taste. Pierogi/perogi/pirozhki are closer to wontons or ravioli than they are to pasties. But of course all of them are so delicious that it probably doesn’t matter.
Brownie snaps seem to be my speed these days.
Martha
January 14, 2014
Just wondered because I know some Cornish folk who have strong opinions about these things…Pastie Wars :^ O
There are a lot of things they say in the South that sound sweet and respectful but ain’t. As long as you are hip to it, it’s not so bad.
Craig
January 14, 2014
You answered the door while carrying a monkey? Sounds perfectly normal to me.
Gerry
January 14, 2014
Oh dear, no, I see I have been unclear. (I should really send drafts to you for editing.) I arrived at Nannette’s door with the monkey. (Mom always told me that it was bad manners to arrive for dinner empty handed.)
Nannette answered the door. She was not carrying a monkey. She was carrying Bear.
Georgene
January 14, 2014
OMG! Pierogis at Eastport? Fab! No longer will I have to make my own OR bring them with me when I head to my place in Bellaire! Yesss!!!
Gerry
January 15, 2014
With elk, buffalo or venison no less. (Although we had the farmer’s cheese with chives. And bacon.)
sybil
January 14, 2014
Perogies ! Yum !
Oh they look delicious. I envy you your cooking skills.
Gerry
January 15, 2014
My best cooking skills seem to be having neighbors like Cora and Nannette.
tootlepedal
January 14, 2014
Did the monkey like the food too?
Gerry
January 15, 2014
The monkey was inanimate.
Nannette
January 14, 2014
Martha, everyone should have a neighbor like Gerry, no matter where they live. Someone who will not only look in on your cats and feed them while you are away, but also talk to them and pet them, and reassure them that Mom will be home soon. Someone who will help you out by eating some of the food you made because it’s really hard cooking for one person and you just can’t get the hang of it. It’s reassuring to know she is in the neighborhood.
Gerry
January 15, 2014
See, this is the kind of neighbors a person needs. Neighbors who think you’re doing them a favor by petting their cats and eating their suppers. Excellent.
Dawn
January 15, 2014
They do look good. I’d have to pick up a few to try if I was up that way. So nice to have a neighborhood community that shares special things like cat sitting and perogies!
Gerry
January 16, 2014
As I took the Duo for their evening constitutional in the snowy dark last night, I pondered the great value of neighbors who are here during the winter. We walked a mile and I counted up eight eccentric households of us in all. (There are more, but I would have had to walk the other way.)
chris
January 15, 2014
Sonny’s mom taught me how to make perogies.
i make the farmer’s cheese variety with onion. after boiling them, frying them in
butter i was taught to sprinkle sugar on them.
the bacon bits look wonderful tho.
as always, we are enjoying you online again.
thanks for the smiles and so sorry for your loss.
Our loved ones are with us forever in our smiles
Gerry
January 16, 2014
I think the appeal of all these variations is that a good cook can make a delicious supper out of a bit of dough handled gently with a few morsels of this or that tucked inside. Heartwarming, all of them.
You remind me of one of my favorite stories. When I was awaiting the birth of Rob the Firefighter, my mother-in-law was coming to visit. What, she asked, would I like her to do for me while she was there? Make blintzes! I said without any hesitation at all. She got off the plane carrying her special well-seasoned blintz pan and made dozens and dozens of the lovely little things. We ate them and ate them and froze them in batches for later . . .
WOL
January 16, 2014
Those look like little fried pies. There’s a company here in town that makes them with fruit filling. Yum. Bet one of these would come in handy for do-it-yourself perogies http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Pocket-Pie-Crimper/dp/B005EW5Z1I/ref=pd_sbs_k_3
I take it that perogie filling is whatever’s handy. Seems like many countries have equivalents — Cornish pasties, Polish Perogies, Italian calzone. . .
Gerry
January 16, 2014
They are indeed like little fried pies, except that they’re sauteed and remain soft and tender rather than turning crispy. But you’re right – the crimping is just the same.
The filling is whatever’s handy – except that everyone has a fixed idea of what is properly handy. Suffice it to say that in all my years of frequenting Polish restaurants and church bazaars and households in Detroit, not once did I ever hear of elk or buffalo or venison pierogis/perogies/pirozhki. Up North really is different. Vive la difference.
Kathy
January 17, 2014
Gerry, I see you’re back blogging. And writing about delicious subjects! I would love to sample some of these. You are lucky to have a neighbor Nannette. You are also lucky to be so open about what’s being offered for supper.
Gerry
January 17, 2014
Hello Kathy! I take my cue from the Cowboy and Miss Sadie, whose enthusiasm for supper is boundless. Besides, the company’s good. Hope you’re keeping warm. I can’t tell you how much I envy you the wood room.
Kathy
January 18, 2014
It can be so much work, let me tell you! We spent another couple of nights filling it this week. And, worse to tell, Barry was plowing the driveway with his tractor last night and it suddenly stopped. Turned off. Died. Hope it can be repaired easily–but, oops, he needs to shovel the roof, too. Winter in the north country!
Gerry
January 18, 2014
Oh my. These are the kinds of things that can make a person ask herself Why do I keep doing this??? – but then we get moving and remember why. I’m glad you reminded me about the roof . . .
shoreacres
January 17, 2014
Oh, my. I used to sit at the table of a from-Chicago-Polish friend who would turn these things out with the ease of me filling a glass at the water tap. There’s nothing in the world better, even though there are some perfectly fine empanadas down here. Actually, the beef/onion/green olive empanadas are terrific, especially if I buy them at the farmers’ market from the woman who came from Argentina. But I digress.
The other Polish custom I met at her table was at Christmas, when we’d share the wafers called Oplatek. Not nearly as tasty as the pierogi, but lots of fun.
Gerry
January 17, 2014
Empanadas are a wonderful thing. (One of these days I have to investigate Texas. So far my visits there have been limited to airports.)
Don’t know about Oplatek. Another excellent treat to add to the list.
shoreacres
January 19, 2014
Enter this in the category called “Context is everything, but I am an out-of-touch idiot”. I was driving down the street yesterday, and saw a sign that said, “Polish opi”. Well, I didn’t have a clue, but I thought, “Hmmmm… I know pierogi and I know Oplateck, so maybe Opi is worth investigating.”
I just did. It’s nail polish. Polish Opi is a kind of polish (not Polish) and the shop that was advertising was a nail salon.
I’m so disappointed. 😦
Gerry
January 20, 2014
I understand. Do not drink the nail polish.