Something New

Yesterday afternoon I decided I would do something I haven't done in a really, really, really long time...cook something out of the norm and something I haven't done before. I decided to make piroshki. Piroshki is a traditional Russian dish that is made from a yeast dough that is filled with either a mixture of meat, potato or cabbage. I had a pound or so of ground beef, some onion and rice...so why not make something yummy?

I started out fine. I sauteed the onion, made some nice minute rice and mixed in a bowl of uncooked ground beef. I had prepared dough the night before (it is a miracle I pre-preped like this but its a must with this recipe)and started patiently spooning out clumps of dough one by one, rolling it into balls and flattening the little balls into circles with my hand. I had a pretty good rhythm going after I made about 12 of these suckers, but quickly found out had too much meat and not enough dough...crap.

So back to the drawing board of wondering what to do with the meat b/c I am not letting it go to waste. Hmmm...Why not try another thing I have not done before? I went over to my computer, pulled up another Russian recipe and started making blinchiki (another Russian staple that is essentially a crepe that can be filled with just about anything). While mixing the crepe recipe, I browned the meat and set the oven to cook the piroshki. I am sure my husband listening to all the banging, mixing and scampering about was wondering what the hell was going on, but he was smart and stayed clear out of it. I made the first blinchiki wrapping meat ever so delicately like a burrito into the yummy crepe...its not folding and not staying together. Okay...I tasted it anyways and seriously had to pat myself on the back b/c I nailed it and got the thumbs up from my Russian hubby after he tasted it. I needed to make the crepe with less mix..maybe it would stay together...nope not the mix...its too thick..added milk...still too thick. Forget it...we'll just be careful and eat it daintily and not like savage beasts killing its prey.

In the end I had still too much meat. Seriously? I thought about making some kotleti...another thing I haven't made. I gave up. I was tired. The piroshki was done...not perfect but I know how to improve it next time and there was tons of blinchiki. I figured the koleti could wait for another day.

...did I mention I don't cook? Can I get a "hell yeah" for my accomplishments?