I don’t recall when I encountered my first pierogi, but I must have been in college or thereabouts. These little dumplings, which can be filled with a variety of savory or sweet ingredients, are a staple in numerous ethnic cuisines, but mine wasn’t one of them. My initial impression was that the idea was intriguing, but it was ruined by a certain (optional but common) ingredient. Indeed, that impression has persisted all these years—I will enthusiastically eat pretty much any type of pierogi as long as it’s not adulterated with onions in the filling or topping. And since you can almost never count on that, I almost never eat pierogi. Oh well.
