PicoBlog

Sometimes I think back to when I lived in Syracuse, New York, and I just laugh. The “snowiest city in America” is where I went to college, and where I experienced my (very brutal) introduction to East Coast winters. There, I would trudge through the snow to get to classes by day, and head out to the bars dressed in a skirt with no tights by night. After I graduated, I moved to New York City where my lessons in winter continued – snowy commutes, bomb cyclones, going out but with tights this time because age/widsom, etc.

I laugh because I survived those winters – even thrived in them – and now I can barely make it through an LA winter. I’ve reverted to my natural state as an Angeleno, and cold weather just doesn’t work for me anymore. 60 and sunny in January in New York City is almost rooftop spritz weather. 60 and sunny in January in LA is almost enough to make you cry.

Listen, I know I’m being dramatic here. LA is not cold. But the point is… I’m cold. And if you live somewhere in the northern hemisphere, you’re probably feeling a bit chilly, too. And when that happens, all I want is comfort. Sometimes that takes the form of pasta, other times soup, and other times it’s tacos from our favorite taco stand with extra salsa and homemade margaritas (I call that manifesting warmth). And on the nights when I don’t have the time or energy to cook – like this past Tuesday, deep into week three of RSV in our house – I make pelmeni.

I was first introduced to pelmeni by my Russian husband’s mother. They are Russian dumplings, wrapped in a thin pasta-like dough and filled with a spiced and highly flavorful meat filling. One bite, and I was hooked. She always had a bag in the freezer and would quickly whip them up when she didn’t have the time or ingredients to cook, and now I do the same. They’re invariably in there, tucked between the ice cream and frozen fries, ready to go when I need something quick, hearty, comforting – or all three.

Every time I post photos of my pelmeni on Instagram, I receive an equal amount of knowing yums from people who have had them before, and enthusiastic questions from people who haven’t. What are those? And what’s on top? Do you make them yourself? What’s your favorite brand? Can you share a recipe? So, I thought I’d dedicate today’s newsletter to all of that, and then some.

While I’ve made my own pelmeni from scratch in the past, it’s a time-intensive project, which really takes the quick and easy out of the dish. And, I honestly don’t think the results are that discernible from the ones I buy! Store-bought pelmeni are delicious and come with a few different fillings, though my favorite are Siberian pelmeni, which are filled with a mixture of beef, pork, and veal. If you live in LA, I get mine at Jon’s – they have a few different brands to choose from, and all are good. The Grandma’s Perogies brand is one of our favorites, but I rotate through the different offerings whenever I buy them. I have never ordered frozen pelmeni online, though it looks like you can through Goldbelly.

My best advice if you’re not in LA? Head to your local Russian market. They’re likely to stock them.

If you do want to make your own, this recipe from Portland’s Kachka is the one I’ve used in the past. And, I can’t stress this enough, get yourself a pelmenitsa. They are less than 10 bucks and make it so much easier to create each little dumpling (Kachka’s recipe includes instructions for making them by hand and with a pelmenitsa).

Here’s where it gets really fun and yummy. Pelmeni are typically served one of three ways: topped with smetana (Russian sour cream), in a pool of broth or cooking liquid, or pan-fried. I serve them none of these ways.

When my mother-in-law first cooked pelmeni for me, she served it with labneh because she was out of sour cream. And, that was kind of it for me. My husband and I now serve it with “the works,” as we call it – boiled and tossed with a little vinegar and butter and topped with garlic labneh (labneh mixed with finely chopped garlic and a little salt), black pepper, dill, and Russian pickles. It might not be the most traditional, but we think it’s the most delicious (and he’s Russian, so his opinion counts doubly here).

You should feel free to dress them up however you want. Try them plain, with a topping or two, or go nuts like we do. Chili crunch, creme fraiche, pickled veggies or sauerkraut, miso broth, marinara sauce – make them your own. I feel like the possibilities are endless.

Pelmeni à la Mashkov. This makes enough for 3 hearty portions or 4 slightly smaller ones.

• 1 bag frozen pelmeni

• 2 or more cloves garlic, depending on how pungent you want it

• 3/4 cup labneh

• Salted butter

• Vinegar of choice

• Fresh dill, chopped

• Russian pickles (or sub cornichons — I find these are the most similar in terms of vinegary-ness)

• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Finely chop or microplane your garlic (or pound with a pinch of salt using a mortar and pestle) and mix with labneh. Salt to taste. Make sure all your toppings are ready — you’ll want to eat the pelmeni while they’re hot.

Add your frozen pelmeni and stir them around so they don’t stick to the bottom. Cook for 5 or so minutes, until they’re floating (I like to go 2-3 minutes past floating to make sure they’re nice and hot). Remove from water and divide between bowls. Add a splash of vinegar and about 1/2 tbsp of butter to each, and mix until butter is melted. Top with a big dollop of garlic labneh, a sprinkle of dill, and fresh cracked pepper. Serve with lots of pickles.

While I am the authority on how I like to eat my pelmeni, I’m not the authority on the history of the dish. But, I do like to read. If you do, too (and if you’ve made it this far, you probably do), I really enjoyed this article from The Kithcn, this one from Russiapedia, and this one from My Russian Kitchen.

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