Pierogies and Sausage

Dr. Kim's office, Monday, 10 AM. He had the MRI on the screen. He talked us through the anatomy first — a small mass, approximately 2.3 centimeters, left temporal lobe, well-circumscribed on imaging, some enhancement with contrast. He said the imaging features were "most consistent with a primary glial tumor." He said the differential included several possibilities, some more favorable than others. He said a biopsy was needed to determine the precise histology. He said he was referring Sean to a neurosurgeon — Dr. Mehta at Brigham and Women's — and that Dr. Mehta's office would call us within twenty-four hours to schedule the consult. He said the neurosurgery consult would be within the next two weeks and that the biopsy would likely follow within two weeks after that, depending on Dr. Mehta's assessment of urgency.

He said all of this with the measured, firm kindness of a doctor who has had this conversation many times. He did not use softening phrases that did not mean anything. He looked at Sean. He looked at me. He answered questions. He answered my questions — which were more clinical than a family member's usually are because I could not fully separate my roles in that room — and he answered them without impatience. He was an excellent doctor. I will remember him in this role.

The word "glioma" was said. The word "glioblastoma" was not said. That word is the worst of the differential. The word "low-grade glioma" was also said. That is the other end of the differential. There is a range. The biopsy will narrow it. I know the range. I know what the biopsy can say. I have been in oncology for nine years and I know.

Sean and I walked out of the office and across the lobby and out onto the street and we stood on the sidewalk in the July heat and we did not say anything for a full minute. Then Sean said "Kate." I said "I know." He said "what do we do." I said "we go home. We have lunch. We wait for the surgeon's office to call. We tell no one until after the biopsy. We protect the kids. We proceed one step at a time. That is what we do." He said "okay." He took my hand. We walked to the car. We drove home. Liam was at camp. Nora was at preschool. We had the house to ourselves for two hours. We sat at the kitchen table. Sean cried for a while. I cried for a while. We held on. Then we made sandwiches. We ate them. We picked up Nora at 3. We picked up Liam at 5. We did dinner. Liam told us about a frog he had seen at camp. Nora told us about the potty and a specific sticker. We did books. We did bath. We put them to bed.

We sat on the couch at 8. Sean said "we tell my parents and your parents after the biopsy." I said "yes." He said "we tell Liam nothing right now. He does not need to know right now." I said "yes." He said "we live our lives in the meantime." I said "yes. We do that."

Dr. Mehta's office called Tuesday afternoon. The consult is Thursday of next week.

I do not remember what I cooked this week. I cooked. We ate. That is all I will say. The page can be simple this once.

I said I don’t remember what I cooked. That is mostly true. But I know pierogies and sausage happened at least once that week, because it is the meal my hands make when my brain has left the building. Frozen pierogies, sliced sausage, an onion, butter, a skillet. No recipe card. No decisions. You stand at the stove and you brown things and you put plates on the table and your kids eat and you eat and that is enough. It was enough.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) package frozen pierogies (potato and cheddar)
1 pound smoked sausage (such as kielbasa), sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste
Sour cream, for serving
Chopped fresh chives, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Cook the pierogies. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the frozen pierogies and cook according to package directions, usually 3 to 4 minutes or until they float. Drain and set aside.
Brown the sausage. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on both sides, about 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Cook the onion. Reduce the heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the same skillet. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Brown the pierogies. Push the onion to the edges of the skillet. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Place the boiled pierogies in a single layer in the center of the skillet. Cook without moving for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden and lightly crisp.
Combine and serve. Return the sausage to the skillet. Sprinkle with garlic powder and black pepper. Toss gently to combine. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Serve warm with sour cream and chives if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Pierogies and Sausage — The Week I Don’t Remember Cooking