So, apparently being a student is synonymous with being broke half the year--thus, restaurant reviews are not flowing in as freely as I originally had hoped for. Nevertheless, I haven't forgotten about my blog and my darling fans [all 72 of you on Facebook, and maybe just a few secret lurkers if I'm lucky] !!!
Last week, I was watching Food Network and I became really grumpy, "I wish I could eat perogies" I groaned. My friend insisted that we just 'simply make them' and I was all like "that seems like a lot of work..."
I'm in the midst of finals for school and free-time is a luxury I just don't have right now, thus, any hopes for making our own perogies would just have to wait until finals are done (April 9th omgz!).
I lamented, "I won't bother making them, I figure that soon enough, a company will come out with gluten-free perogies and I will be thankful I didn't waste time and money to failing any attempt to make perogies from scratch."
It was kinda like a freaky-friday moment.
Today, by sheer coincidence, my friend and I ended up at Lifestyle's Market on Douglas St. so I could pick up some gluten-free organic sausages for dinner. As per usual, I browsed the freezer section, hoping I would find some revolutionary new gluten-free goody to make all my dreams come true, if just for a day.
Mid aisle, I look up to the top shelf....I stopped breathing for just a moment and I felt my eyes widen and stop blinking. I turn to my friend and say "No freakin' way!". I hurriedly swung open the freezer door and pulled out a bag of Conte's Spinach and Cheese Ravioli. I squealed once more, handed them to her, and I stretched up again to see what else was hiding on that top shelf of miracles....
For the third time, I squealed. Thankfully my friend doesn't get embarassed too easily, and thankfully she understands the simple pleasures of a new gluten-free find. I bet all of you share this excitement...we're a special bunch, aren't we?
I pulled out a bag of Cheese and Onion Perogies, also by Conte's Pasta Co, and I began to feel the excitement creep up over me. Perogies are definitely one of my favourite foods of all time...and it's been at least 6 years since I've had them, and during those years, I had dreamt of this exact moment. My eyes began watering...yes, I was about to cry in the freezer aisle. You must understand that this is an extraordinarily visceral reaction to potato and dough dumpling, only accomplished by a VERY burnt-out, overtired university student running on coffee and pure adrenaline. I don't expect you to have the same reaction as I did...again, I'm special.
Anyways...
I made the perogies for dinner tonight, boiled, and then fried in butter and sauteed onions, accompanied with Freybe's chicken-turkey Bratwurst and a nice Arugula salad.
The Verdict?
Umm, holy moly!! They taste exactly like regular perogies...chewy and doughy, bursting with savory potato filling. They were DELICIOUS, and I have pretty much nothing else to say about them because, well, it's such a simple food, and to eat such a simple food after craving it over over half a decade results in an experience outside of language.
I'll try the ravioli this week and attach the review to the bottom of this entry.
Sorry for the dramatics...it's been a rough week, but writing this made me feel a little better :)
~~~~****UPDATE****~~~~
Tried the raviolis last week after a few too many glasses of wine. Yes, I 'drunk-kitchen'-ed it. As far as I remember, they were delicious, but I unfortunately just slathered on some Classico sauce in a fit of desperation. Could have been much more delicious with a pesto,some friend porcuitto, sweet peas, and fresh parm.
