A Russian grandma would have been handy last week - or a Greek or Jewish or Polish grandma- when it became necessary to investigate piroshki, or pirozhki or other variously spelled alternatives involving characters my keyboard doesn't make.

Ruth Watanabe wrote in search of a recipe, and lacking an appropriate grandma, I spent a lot of time with the written word.

Piroshkis are little turnovers, usually filled with meat, although potato and mushroom versions are possible, and cheese-stuffed and fruit-stuffed also show up on occasion.

As for the pastry, I went through about 20 recipes and found doughs made with shortening, butter, cream cheese and sour cream, a few made with yeast, and some shortcuts that used frozen puff pastry or refrigerated biscuit dough. I used butter because that's what I had.

The usual filling is ground beef with onions and chopped hard-boiled egg. Dill was the most common seasoning, although some called for rosemary or parsley. I used rosemary, because that's what I had.

Since the ingredients are so simple, I suggest heavily seasoning the filling or the end result will be bland. Taste it before you wrap it up. A few dashes of hot sauce, chili pepper flakes or mustard powder would add depth if you like a bit of heat.

Piroshki

» Filling
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1 hard-boiled egg, minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh dill or 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (if using dried herbs, use half as much)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 raw egg, beaten

» Pastry:
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup ice water

To make pastry: Sift together flour, baking powder and salt together. Cut in butter until crumbly. Mix in eggs. Add ice water a little at a time while lightly kneading dough; use just enough water so mixture is soft and even. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.

To make filling: Heat butter in skillet. Saute onion until soft. Add beef and brown. Let cool slightly, then add hard-boiled egg and dill. Season generously with salt and pepper. Mix in raw egg.

Roll out dough 1/8 inch thick on floured surface. Cut into 3-inch circles. Place a spoonful of filling into center of each circle. Fold in half and pinch edges closed to make a half-moon.

Place on ungreased baking sheet and brush tops with beaten egg. Bake 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Makes about 30 piroshki.

  Alternate potato filling: Combine 2 cups mashed potatoes withcup grated cheddar cheese andcup sauteed chopped onions. Season generously with salt and pepper. Mix in 1 raw egg.