Back in the early 1900’s, my great great grandfather and grandmother immigrated from Poland to work in the coal mines of southwest Pennsylvania. The people who worked in the coal mines lived in a town where everything was owned by the coal company. Everything you bought in the stores was supplied by the coal company and the house you lived in was rented to you by the coal company as well. There were only out houses and no running water. The flour to make the dough for the pierogies as well as the potatoes and cheese we’re all bought at the company store. The pierogies were cooked on a wood burning stove. When my great great grandfather would come home from the coal mines tired and hungry, my great great grandmother would have steaming hot delicious pierogies made by rolling flour stuffed with cheese and potato mix, which was then baked and gently sautéed with breadcrumbs and onions. This tradition has been passed down for decades as my great grandmother passes down her pierogi recipe for everyone. Currently my father continues the tradition by giving us home cooked pierogies every weekend as a treat. 

– SK.

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more