Pale food, pale people

I went with my family to the Ukranian festival last weekend (prior to the "cheeburger incident"). I am traditionally not a fan of eastern European food. But, I've been thinking about the meal I had there all week, because it was freaking delicious.

I usually don't like "golumpkies". I am totally spelling that wrong- I don't know how to spell it in the first place, plus I would like to discuss the Ukranian version when I am used to eating the Polish version, and am sure they are spelled differently. Anyways, the golumpkies I know are a large pile of pale ground beef and onion wrapped in a pale sheet of cabbage, topped with tomato sauce. Totally gross. The much better columpkies I ate at the Ukie fest were smaller- pale meat of some kind with onion wrapped in a smaller sheet of white cabbage. Totally delicious. Am a bit worried that I can't identify the meat, but good none the less.

Other things on the plate were pierogi, sausage, rye with butter, and kraut. I didn't eat the kraut (no me gusta). Sausage was perfect flavor and size, and not greasy. Not one bit of hearburn or burping. Pierogi were, alas, pale, but perfect. Potato and cheese in a giant pasta shell- like a giant ravioli with a side of sour cream. I think the Polish must know that their food is unappetizingly monochrome, but after all these years they don't care- it's still delicious, and served with healthy side portions of beer, dancing, and gambling.

Yet it's not the beer, dancing, or gambling I remember- it's the pale pale food. So perfectly filling but not overstuffing. My mother has yet to pass on the recipes to me (don't know what she's waiting for...) but someday if Birch D were in my mother's kitchen eating golumkies, that would be a happy day. Or at least pierogies- perfect drunk food!!! Potato, cheese, Pasta, and sour cream!!