SC - pierogis

[Jenn/Yana]

Bear wrote:
>Pagach (Russian) uses a yeast dough, which is rolled out and cut into large
>rectangles which receive a filling, usually cabbage or cheese and potatoes,
>then are folded over, edge crimped and baked.

I can't find any reference to "pagach" in any of my Russian (English _or_
Russian language) cookbooks.  Are these perhaps regional or of a different
ethnicity than Russia? (Jewish? Ukrainian?)

Aha, did a web search and found out it is more likely Ukrainian (recipe at
http://www.ebicom.net/kitchen/page/veggies/pagach.htm if anyone's
interested).  It is also called "Lenten bread", presumably because it
doesn't usually have any meat products in it (except the cheese?). 

>Pierogi (Polish) or Pelmeni (Russian) are unleavened doughs rolled out and
>cut into small rounds.  They are then usually filled with a meat, cheese,
>potato or mixed filling, folded, edge crimped and boiled.

Pel'meni originated in Siberia.  In one of the Siberian dialects (I don't
know which one) it means "bread ear" (which is what pel'meni look like).
Add sauerkraut, kasha and mushrooms to the fillings list.  I've also seen
them boiled in a broth or fried in butter.  Optional toppings are sour
cream, mustard, dillweed, butter, prob others.

>Piroshkis (Russian) use an unleavened sour cream dough.  They are prepared
>like pelmeni, but may be twice the diameter.  They are baked.

Yep, but it is "pirozhki".  They aren't limited to a sour cream dough.
I've seen yeast doughs and shortcrust pastry.  Molokhovets' refers to
boiled doughs and puff-pastry pirozhki too.  She also has one recipe (#221)
that says you can make them horn-shaped or fold them in half "like books",
which would look like pagach, only smaller.  They are usually finger-food,
so are (usually) palm-sized or so (there's some 'populace food' for you,
Anya!).  Larger varieties also called pirozhki are deep-fried.

To sum up:
Pirozhok = small filled oval pastry (pirozhki -plural)
Pirog  = large rectangular, square, or round pie, sweet or savory (pirogi
- -plural)
Pierogi = Polish word for dumpling.  Not same as Russian pirogi.

and I'll add
Kulebiaka = oblong pie, traditionally fish-filled
Rastegai = open-pie with fish-filling
Vatrushki = cheese-filled (sweet or savory) tartlets/small open-faced pies
Vareniki = Ukrainian dumplings like pierogi (just to confuse matters more)

>I suspect that the fillings were originally all leftovers.

Me too.  :)

As for period references...In the "Domostroi" (I used the definitely period
references only): 

(p 125)  "When the servants bake bread, order them to set some of the dough
aside, to be stuffed for pies.  When they bake wheat bread, have pies made
for the family from the coarse flour left in the sieve.  For meat days,
stuff them with  whichever meat is to hand.  For fast days use kasha, peas,
broth, turnips and mushrooms, cabbage or whatever God provides that will
please your family."

So we have yeast-dough and something using coarse flour (shortcrust?)

(p150) horn-shaped rolls (pirozhki?), pancakes (bliny?) and sour cream.

(p 151) turnovers, horn-shaped rolls, pies, pancakes, noodles from peas,
blintzes (!), cookies

(p 152) doughnuts  (Mmmm, doughnuts!)

(p 161) turnovers (Pouncy footnotes them as "pirozhki"), pancakes

I'm sure there's more, I just did a quick look.  I'll be looking up the
original Russian to check the translation, of course.  :)

And it looks like I just found a subject for my Independent Study in
Russian...

- --Yana
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