For our family, all the women would get together around Christmas, or just after and make a gigantic batch. Cottage cheese and potato, kielbasa and sauerkraut, cottage cheese and raisin, potato and cheese and for the younger siblings, mozarella and spinach were some of the favored fillings. There is no "wrong" way to prepare a pierogi, and with this dish originating in Poland, there has always been a lot of influence from the surrounding countries and ethnic groups. Fried in butter and then topping with caramelized onions and some 4% sour cream work very well. This year I am working on carrying that same tradition to our family with added girlfriends as we live too far to go "home." Nanny would be proud! I'd love to see a recreation of Halupki (pigs in a blanket) someday.

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