When you look up the word "dumpling" on wikipedia, it becomes quickly obvious that humans across the globe love food that's stuffed inside of dough. The Italians have ravioli, the Chinese have wontons, the Indians have samosa, Latin America has empanadas, and Poland has pierogi.
The common denominator, no matter country of origin, is DOUGH.
Generally for a celiac, that means OFF LIMITS.
But thanks to Alicia Bemiss and Old World Gluten Free, you can indulge in dumplings, and more specifically PIEROGI once again! (And there was much rejoicing!)
I keep my eyes peeled and ears perked for all new things gluten free, especially as I am the co-chair for the Lansing Gluten Free Fair. Old World Gluten Free came to my attention after I heard about their attendance at the "Making It In Michigan" Conference. This is a program put on by Michigan State University through their Product Center to encourage and help local Michigan entrepreneurs with products "related to agriculture, food, bio-economy or natural resource industries."
Not only did Old World Gluten Free attend this conference, they won a Product Placement Award at that conference. Not a "gluten-free" award, but a general award, because they don't taste like their gluten free! The hold their own with the rest of the competition. An added plus- the first dough ingredient is garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour. Not only does one get to indulge in pierogi, they're full of fiber and protein!
But enough background, let's get to the food!
Pierogi are versatile in the dumpling world. While other countries usually only focus on savory filled-dough delicacies, pierogi can be made savory OR sweet. And true to form, Old World Gluten Free offers both!
I had a friend purchase a bag of them for me while they were at the Tri-County Celiac Support Group's food fair. I received pierogi stuffed with Farmer's Cheese and Green Onions. (For a list of their other flavors, click here.) The first thing I noticed is that they are not some itsy-bitsy two bite dumplings. These are HUGE!
I have never cooked pierogi before, and was glad that there are directions on the bag. I also have a childhood friend who is Polish, and I picked her brain a bit as well. I followed the directions on the package, thawed them a bit in the microwave, and then browned them in butter on the stove.
There were DELICIOUS! Seriously, what's there not to like about hot cheesy goodness?
What's that you say? You're vegan and don't eat cheese?
But wait, there's more! Old World Gluten Free makes VEGAN pierogi as well!
Can life get much better? I submit that it cannot!
So where does one find these delightful tidbits, these morsels of awesomeness?
As they are made in St. Clair Shores, they are sold in the greater Detroit area in stores such as Westborn Market and Randazzo's. But they are adding new locations everyday, so I suggest checking their Facebook page for updates.
Labels: Michigan made, product review
