MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH, KWANZAA, OR WHATEVER HOLIDAY YOU CHOOSE OR CHOOSE NOT TO GET OFF ON.
FROM THE MIGHTY GUMBISIMO, THE INVENTOR OF GASTRONOMIC BOOGIE WOOGIE, THE GUY WITH THE VERY LARGE SPOON, THE DUDE WITH THE FOOD, THE ONE, THE ONLY, THE SAUCE BOSS!
WHITE CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN PIE
Try this one for the holidays.
One can of pumpkin
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 heaping tsp fresh ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup sugar
8 0z. evaporated milk
2 eggs slightly beaten
8 oz. melted white chocolate
Mix pumpkin and spices
Mix remaining ingredients into the pumpkin
Pour into a pie shell
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes
Turn oven to 350 degrees for 30 minutes
Make it the day before to allow the flavors to mingle
PIEROGI I HAVE KNOWN AND LOVED, RIGHT OFF THE BOAT, AS SEEN ON TV, AND THICK ACCENTS RULE
(Comfort food to the Nth degree)
MILLIE’S PIEROGI
129-131 BROADWAY CHICOPEE FALLS.MA 01020
413-594-4991 800-743-7641
Y’all like pierogi? I do. I never tried em ‘till I started hanging out up North. And so I tried em and they were pretty good, but I never tried Millie’s. When I tried Millie’s it changed my mind about pierogi. I mean I tried a lot of stuff all around the world, but after I tried Millie’s, I understood what the commotion was all about. It’s all about comfort food. I mean when you stuff a dumpling with mashed potatoes and cheese, and then you try a bunch of em, it’s time for a nap.
Try em. You’ll see. So what is a pierogi anyway? It’s a thin layer of dough wrapped around a filling and pinched like a little pie. Millie has five kinds of pierogi:
Cabbage: Cabbage and sauerkraut mixed with onions and spices.
Potato and cheese: Mashed potatoes mixed with farmer’s cheese
Cheese: Mild farmer’s cheese
Prune: Whole prunes says it all
Blueberry: Wild Maine blueberries with a little cinnamon and sugar
They are all handmade. AND… they ship to anywhere in the US. Millie also has kielbasa and kapusta (which incidentally comes in a tub). A tub of kapusta, a Polish Party Pack, a few beers, and thou, beside me at a picnic table. Sounds like a good time to me. Try em.
SOKOLOWSKI’S UNIVERSITY INN 1201 UNIVERSITY ROAD
CLEVELAND, OH 44113 216-771-9236
Mostly a lunchtime restaurant, Sokolowski’s is also open Friday and Saturday evenings. For 85 years they have served their perogi and stuffed cabbages, brats, and kielbasa, cafeteria style. Just over the river from downtown Cleveland, it is truly a destination for authentic Polish food.
The place reeks of “right off the boat” transplanted eastern European culture. The swarm of hungry patrons testifies to the deliciousness of the dishes served here. The sauerkraut spooned over sautéed pierogi is out of this world.
STARLIGHT LOUNGE 364 FREEPORT RD. BLAWNOX, PA 15238 412-828-9842
While I’m at it, I might as well tell ya about the Pierogi at the Starlight Lounge in Blawnox, (Pittsburgh). Owned by my buddy, Ron Esser. AKA Moondog. Moondog’s blues club was voted, Blues Club of the Year by the Handy Awards. We will be performing at Moondogs on Jan. 15. And a few doors down from Moondog’s is the Starlight Lounge. Featured on the food network, this kitschy little place has the biggest pierogi I have ever seen. A single pierogi will feed a family of five for two weeks. Well, not quite, however they are HUGE! Order via phone before you go as the demand is great.
GAUFRE’S & GOODS INC. 9 AVILES ST. SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32084 904-829-5770
A charming little lunch/dinner/Greek/Polish café in Old Saint Augustine is the real deal. Classic Pierogi, borsch, and stuffed cabbages share an abbreviated menu with greek salads and spinach pie. The guy doin the cooking has a very thick accent. That’s a good sign when you are in an ethnic restaurant. Really good pierogi.
WELL, IT’S BEEN NINETEEN YEARS SINCE THIS GUMBO CRUSADE BEGAN
In that time, I have fed over 150,000 people for free. I have traveled all over the US, Europe, and Canada. We have been so fortunate. I have been able to play my own music, and make a living at it. Thanks to all the people who have come to hear my music and to join in the community at the Gumbo Shows. Our 20th anniversary of the Assembly of Gumbo is right around the corner. It’s gonna be a soul shouting picnic of rock and roll brotherhood. I hope you can join us. Wherever you are, I wish you the best holiday ever. And the best year in 2009.
PEACE BROTHERS AND SISTERS!
Your friend and cook,
Bill Wharton