42258 Thu Dec 22 23:43:44 -0800 2005 22 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 204916 Where in San Francisco can I buy farmer's cheese to use as filling in pierogi? I've been out of luck at Safeway, Whole Foods, and Mollie Stone's. Thu Dec 22 23:43:44 -0800 2005 0 pani 1 204917 Ferry Building and the cheese store on Divisadero around Golden Gate (one block north of Cookin'). Thu Dec 22 23:48:13 -0800 2005 204916 0 SteveT 1 204920 Yeah, I know what you mean. Farmer's cheese in SF is not what is usually used in pierogi. I know places in the East and South Bay, but these places in the San Francisco would be the most likely suspects: Seakor Polish Deli - Geary New World Market - Geary The Russian place on Clement. I hope someone will chime in on the name. Don't like this place, so I can't say for sure. Quality Market on Irving If nothing else, troll the Eastern European delis on Geary after 19hh Street Fri Dec 23 00:14:18 -0800 2005 204916 0 rworange 2 204923 European Food 3038 Clement St. (near 30th Avenue) San Francisco . has a big selection of Farmer's Cheeses. I love this place (it has two walls of sausage). Fri Dec 23 00:35:25 -0800 2005 204920 0 Joel Teller 1 204939 Haig's on the north side of Clement around 9th.(?). I have a friend who taught me how to make spanakopita using farmer's cheese. She says this is the best and that the relative quality of the farmer's cheese makes a big difference to recipes calling for it. Haig's also has kashkaval cheese which is hard to find and works really well in Eastern European recipes. Fri Dec 23 08:45:58 -0800 2005 204916 0 Niki Rothman 2 204946 Thanks, everyone. Haig's looks like just the place. Safeway had something that was labeled farmer's cheese, but it was in a vacuum packed brick like cheddar. Not the soft ricotta-like stuff needed for pierogi filling. Fri Dec 23 11:39:11 -0800 2005 204939 0 pani 3 204947 Yeah, that's it. For years we were reduced to using cottage cheese because that vacuum-packed stuff is not farmers cheese for my purposes. If Haig's doesn't work out, Seakor Polish Deli is probably going to be your best bet in the city. I noticed the correct type in the East Bay recently and stored it away for future reference because it was so unusual for the Bay Area. Fri Dec 23 11:51:38 -0800 2005 204946 0 rworange 4 204951 My friend who is the authority says the best substitute for farmer's cheese is a good quality ricotta. I like TJ's ricotta. Fri Dec 23 12:17:08 -0800 2005 204947 0 Niki Rothman 4 204965 Where in the East Bay? Indus Foods? Delikateski in Concord would have it, of course. Fri Dec 23 12:59:29 -0800 2005 204947 0 Robert Lauriston 5 204974 Yeah, that's the place and the Russian disco place in Walnut Creek. I'd use ricotta in a bread that calls for farmers cheese, but drained cottage cheese just works better in pierogi if farmers cheese isn't available. Ricotta just has a little tang to it that is wrong to my taste. Fri Dec 23 14:39:43 -0800 2005 204965 0 rworange 6 204976 I've never made pierogi, so you're the authority there. But I used drained cottage cheese that I ground up in the Cuisinart for the spanakopita last time and it came out fine. Fri Dec 23 14:50:00 -0800 2005 204974 0 Niki Rothman 3 204950 Haig's has the best feta too - Belgian (they have several kinds. Fri Dec 23 12:15:19 -0800 2005 204946 0 Niki Rothman 1 205083 Tower Market sells Friendship Farmers Cheese. It's in the artisan cheese section. Sat Dec 24 01:52:54 -0800 2005 204916 0 Nancy Berry 2 205085 I'll have to check this out. I never saw that before at Tower. You would think Mollie Stone would carry it then. Anyway, here's the link to the site. It sounds right, but when it says it can be sliced, I wonder. They even have a pierogi recipe on the site which was looking good until they said to use wonton wrappers. Link: http://www.friendshipdairies.com/products/farmerhoop_story.shtml Sat Dec 24 02:08:45 -0800 2005 205083 0 rworange 3 205156 I was at Tower Market this morning and checked -- they had Friendship farmers cheese in the refrigerated cheese area along the wall to the left of the entrance. Sun Dec 25 02:04:24 -0800 2005 205085 0 Nancy Berry 4 205158 And, by the way, this is the cheese that I always use in my blintzes -- I'll be making those this week. Sun Dec 25 02:05:14 -0800 2005 205156 0 Nancy Berry 1 205289 Thanks to everyone who made suggestions about pierogi filling options. I found Friendship farmer's cheese at Seakor Deli on Geary. I looked also at Haig's. Though they had a couple of interesting fetas and an astounding assortment of licorice, no farmer's cheese was available. In addition to the cheese I bought for pierogi filling, I bought a dozen store-made pierogi, a link of kielbasi, and Polish mustard at Seakor, all for about $15. It was like being in New Britain again. Tue Dec 27 12:37:44 -0800 2005 204916 0 pani 2 205298 New Britain! I have relatives there and Terryville. If you want some real Polish fixes, go to Polish Deli in Palo Alto. The kielbasa is from some of the best in Chicago. Great ham and cold cuts too. Chopin Cafe in Walnut Creek is worth the drive. They do some things better than my babci. Tue Dec 27 13:25:11 -0800 2005 205289 0 rworange 2 205329 >I bought a dozen store-made pierogi, a link of kielbasi, and Polish mustard at Seakor, all for about $15< I assume that was at Seakor Deli and not Haig's. Are pierogi the same as piroshki? How were the pierogi? Tue Dec 27 15:13:39 -0800 2005 205289 0 Mick Ruthven 3 205354 Pierogi are similar to pelmeni. Tue Dec 27 18:02:41 -0800 2005 205329 0 Robert Lauriston 3 205442 The pierogi were attractive and tasty, but I thought my thinner homemade version was a bit better. Seakor's store-made pierogis come frozen, which I think is standard--it helps them to not stick together when boiled. They had a number of varieties--farmer's cheese and onion, mushroom, etc. Wed Dec 28 11:24:18 -0800 2005 205329 0 pani 2 205365 Since I have their business card right here . . . Seakor [Euro deli and sausage factory] is at 5957 Geary Blvd. 415-387-8660. They also do catering. I've only been once and just indulged in the candies. Alas, sometimes I really do heed my doctor's orders to keep my sodium intake down, so no meats. Tue Dec 27 19:12:56 -0800 2005 205289 0 semmel 1 206248 I recommend leaving your pierogi filled with potato and filling your nalesniki with farmer's cheese instead! smacznego! Mateusz Tue Jan 03 16:03:14 -0800 2006 204916 0 Mateusz