It is almost
that time again. It’s the high point of
winter. It’s better than Valentine’s Day,
almost as good as Christmas, and it motivates even the faint of heart to brave
the snow-covered roads. And you don’t
have to be Catholic to enjoy it.
It’s Pierogi
Season.
Every year
at lent, the Catholic churches in Western Pennsylvania offer Friday night fish fries. Locals study their church bulletin to see
which Church offers the best fare, and this is based almost wholly on one
solitary item. French fries are fine, mac-n-cheese
is even better, but no fish fry worth its salt would be complete without good,
old fashioned Church Lady Pierogies.
Making them
is a dying art, and it’s a tradition worth saving. Those women, now in their seventies and
eighties, have served their communities long and faithfully. But in another ten years – perhaps if we’re lucky,
twenty – our luck will run out. Unless we press these women for their
secrets, we may soon be stuck with Mrs. T’s.
Don’t get me
wrong. Mrs. T’s makes a tasty
product. But there’s that certain
something, whether it’s the freshly made pasta, the savory potatoes or those
lovely buttery onions, that the Church Ladies have mastered and the factory
cannot.
I implore
you if you’re reading this to take swift action. Seek out one of these Master chefs and get
yourself trained in the fine art of Pierogi-making. Bring your daughters and sons with you. Hell, get your whole town in on the
project. But don’t let the Church Lady
Pierogies disappear forever!
