I read an interesting article in the December 17th issue of the New York Times. Food Network’s ratings have dropped a staggering 15% for their "In The Kitchen" weekend block of instructional cooking programs.

That’s quite a hit for Bob Tuschman, Senior Vice President for programming and production, also one of the judges of the Next Food Network Star Season 1 which I appeared in. The cost of electricity may be causing more and more people to nix the food television and find more inexpensive ways to get creative "in the kitchen".

I’ve gotta give Food Network credit though. They have found interesting ways to make up for their losses. I recently emailed them to finally get a dvd copy of my show after waiting three patient years. Unbelievably, I was told by Lauren Castro in Programming via email to visit their online store to buy it. Can you imagine?

I lost an appendage during that show, yet that same fingertipless, middle class hand has to fork over money for my appearance! Warning to all future finalists…save your pennies because the show just may cost you and your appetite.

So why are ratings dropping at the network I once strived to work for? I for one have not watched their programming, or very much television at all for that matter. Electricity is a killer and I recently found great ways to get free instructional cooking without having to spend a dime. I looked on my book shelf and searched out old church cookbooks, my great grandmother’s handwritten recipes, and on occasion I take a visit to the local library to check out other cookbooks for free.

We often forget the library as such a valuable resource. I recently came across my great grandmother’s recipe for Pierogies, which are essentially a Polish ravioli. I made them for everyone for Christmas, they were inexpensive to make and they brought back so many fond memories of my Babci. You can enjoy the recipe below.

The network must also now compete with cyberspace, which I can also get at the local library for free. Online instructional videos are everywhere, in addition to online cooking shows on popular sites such as You Tube, My Space or personal websites of anonymous chefs throughout the world.

Online instruction is also far more diverse than Food Network’s carefully managed programming. I am not forced to watch Rachel all day, or endless reruns of shows that have been canceled. Online, you can watch what you want, when you want and for free. Given the ailing economy, I want to take a bite out of that!

I honestly think the average middle class consumer cannot afford to cook as the network would like us to cook. We are all on budgets and those budgets don’t include specialty items we can’t even find.

My theory is to keep it simple with accessible ingredients and easy processes. I go for the basics when I am in a penny pinch and the basics are great. Make easy quiches with eggs, milk and leftover vegetables and cheese, purchase inexpensive cuts of tougher meats and cook them in the crock-pot with seasonal vegetables until the meat just melts in your mouth.

I don’t need to watch Food Network to do that! Grow your herbs instead of buying them, and come Spring and Summer, grow some vegetables and you’ll save a fortune on your grocery bill. I ate roasted tomatoes with fresh herbs all last summer and it cost me seeds.

I benefited from the project with great exercise tending to my garden and the greatest sense of satisfaction knowing I grew them and saved my family money. The economy is not good.

I think Food Network needs a pinch of compassion, a splash of realistic programming, and a heaping of a middle class mom’s great ideas. However, I don’t think you’ll ever find that recipe now or in their near future.

Combine all ingredients until a pliable soft dough forms. Feel free to add a tad more sour cream if you feel the dough is not workable. I loved it but my mom reported troubles.

Divide the dough into quarters. Working one quarter at a time, roll out to 1/8-1/4" thickness. Using a 3" biscuit cutter, cut the dough into as many circles as you can. You may reuse the scraps to re-roll into a circle.

Be sure to flour your rolling pin and surface continuously. Place a scant tablespoon of the filling into the center of each circle and pinch the edges together to seal the pierogi and form a half moon shape. Using the tines of a fork, crimp the pierogies at the seams on both sides. Place flat on a cookie sheet and continue the process until you are out of dough and filling. As you fill a flat cookie sheet, freeze the piergoies flat until solid and then place in freezer bags for gifts or later use. The pierogies will stick together if you skip this flat freezing step.

To cook pierogies, place several in boiling salted water for 5-7 minutes and strain. Add the piegoies to a large skillet with butter and thinly sliced onions. Brown pierogies on both sides and serve with more sour cream. These are delicious, easy to make, the kids can join in on the laborious process and you will love the end result.