The Roanoker - January/February 2021 - 64

dining

Pierogis Poland

Pierogis are boiled (and sometimes also panfried) dumplings that are a staple of Central
and Eastern European cuisine. Though
Jason Martin, Sidecar's chief operating
officer, doesn't have any Polish roots,
he's always been a fan of pierogis. Martin
rediscovered his affinity for them during
a trip to Cleveland, where he sampled a
classic version at an old school Polish joint
as well as an elevated take with short rib at
Lola Bistro. The latter provided inspiration
for the version that landed on Sidecar's
own upscale small plates bistro menu. The
dough is crafted with potato puree (which
is typical of Polish pierogis) and a duo of
sharp cheddar and Parmesan, then wrapped
around a filling of braised lamb shank, wild
mushrooms and caramelized onions and
served with dill crème fraîche.

Empanadas Venezuela

If you're not familiar with empanadas, the
team at Leonore Restaurant likens them to
hot pockets. These baked or fried turnovers
are common in Latin American cuisine;
the name empanada is derived from the
Spanish verb empanar, which means " to
bread. " Owner Miguel Liendo honors his
Venezuelan roots by offering empanadas
as an appetizer. They come three to an
order, each containing a different filling-
cheese, chicken and shredded beef-and are
accompanied by salsa mojo, a zippy cilantrogarlic based sauce.

Fatayer Lebanon

Fatayer are Lebanon's answer to turnovers.
The baked triangular dumplings are often
eaten as part of a light meal or served as
part of a mezze spread alongside dishes such
as hummus, grape leaves and tabbouleh.
Typical fatayer fillings include spinach,
ground beef or zucchini. At Cedar's
Lebanese Restaurant, spinach fatayer are
stuffed with a mixture of spinach, onions
and pine nuts bound together by olive oil
and spruced up with lemon juice, then baked
until golden.

64 JAN/FEB 2021

Sidecar's Pierogis

Ravioli Italy

Ravioli hail from Italy; the word ravioli
comes from riavvolgere, an old Italian word
which means " to wrap. " They're made up of
two layers of dough sealed around a filling-
cheese, meat or vegetable-to create pillowy
dumplings. They are often square or circular
in shape, but mezzelune are shaped like halfmoons (which is the English translation, too)
and agnolotti, which are made by using one
piece of rolled out dough to wrap around the
filling, are rectangular in shape. The pillowy
dumplings lend themselves to pairing with
a variety of sauces. At Billy's, spinach-andportobello ravioli are plated with a brown
butter sauce alongside roasted pine nuts and
basil, and at Remini's, jumbo five-cheese
ravioli are topped with marinara sauce and
a dollop of ricotta.

Jamaican Beef
Patties Caribbean

These baked dumplings are fashioned in a
similar way to American hand pies, though
instead of a fruit filling intended for dessert,
these patties are savory. Flaky pastry is wrapped
around a savory filling such as ground beef,
other meats or vegetables, then baked until
lightly golden. Their trademark yellow hue
comes from the addition of egg yolk or
turmeric. Though they're commonly referred
to as Jamaican beef patties, they are a staple
throughout the Caribbean. At Carrabica Soul,
you can choose from beef, chicken or veggie
patties. They make a fine portable snack and
pair nicely with a Jamaican soda.

Pupusas El Salvador & Honduras

Pupusas are thick cornmeal griddle cakes
that are stuffed with meat, cheese or beans.
(Pupusas also share culinary DNA with
arepas, which hail from Venezuela and
Colombia.) In their native El Salvador and
Honduras, pupuserias, restaurants dedicated
to serving pupusas, traditionally serve them
with curtido, a cabbage relish similar to
vinegar coleslaw, and salsa roja, a zippy
tomato sauce. Honduran restaurant Rincon
Catracho offers a variety of pupusas (plus the
requisite accompaniments), including pupusa
revuelta, which are stuffed with cheese, pork
and beans, as well as versions filled with
beans and cheese, chicken or chicharron.

Pappas Rellenas Cuba

Pappas rellenas eschew a wheat-based dough
in favor of mashed potatoes wrapped around
a filling of ground beef (called picadillo),
rolled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. They're
a type of croquette that is popular in many
Latin American countries, including the
Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Cuba.
At Cuban Island Restaurant, pappas rellenas
are stuffed with a mixture of seasoned ground
beef, diced bell peppers, cilantro and onion.
Make it a dumpling duo and pair with an
order of beef empanadas. I

TheRoanoker.com

LEONORE'S: COURTESY OF LEONORE'S / SIDECAR: COURTESY OF SIDECAR

Leonore Restaurant's Empanadas
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The Roanoker - January/February 2021

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