Lent offers culinary specialties
A thousand dozen pierogi help raise funds for the parish
Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published March 9, 2007
Photos by Kristin Lukowski
Fay Miga, Mary Litka and Dorothy Muczynski show off a tray of fresh pierogi and aprons made especially for their work in the kitchen of St. Louise. | Warren — The aroma of fresh-cooking pierogi at St. Louise de Marillac Parish in Warren is something to sniff at.
In fact, if you visit the parish on a Monday or Wednesday, you may find yourself sniffing a lot to take in the smells of the home cooking. Twice a year, a group of women — and a few men — from St. Louise roll up their sleeves to make dozens of pierogi to raise funds for the parish.
The group makes pierogi — Polish dumplings with a filling of potato, kraut, cheese or meat, depending on the chef — every year at the beginning of Lent to sell during the Lenten season, and in the fall for the parish festival. For seven weeks, the cooks assemble the dumplings in an assembly line fashion: one mixes dough, a few roll out the dough, several more add fillings and cut out the circle shape, a few more press the edges together, one boils them, another bags them.
Sophie Warzybok lays out strips of dough that will eventually be filled with kraut and pressed into pierogi. |
Ann Urso, Delores Hill and Anna Arseniuk shape balls of kraut, which will be used for pierogi filling. | The seven weeks of work can yield a thousand dozen pierogi, which, when sold for $6.50 a dozen, is a significant fundraiser for the parish. And they don't have leftovers.
The St. Louise group alternates work days with making potato and kraut pierogi; they usually don't get quite as many kraut pierogi out of a work day because they're a bit messier and take a little more time to put together. On a typical day, at least 15 and perhaps as many as 18 people will gather in the kitchen to help.
No one can remember exactly how long they've been making pierogi, but the general consensus is about 18 years. Some of parishioners already knew how to make pierogi before the fundraiser started, and those who knew taught those who didn't one job at a time until everyone knew the process.
For the cooks, making pierogi is more than contributing to the parish, although it can be a lot of work. "We'll get our rewards in heaven," says cook Lillian Grates.
They also get in a lot of socializing amid the mixing and boiling — the chefs talk and laugh, share jokes, and fill each other in about what is going on in their own families and lives.
"We enjoy each other's company," says Stella Singer.
Angelo Timonte fishes cooked pierogi out of boiling water — they're done when they float. | A few members of the pierogi-making group do a lot of the work before the actual cooking part gets started. Fay Miga, the unofficial organizer, and Angelo Timonte shop for the supplies; the Idaho potatoes are also peeled before the group gets to work.
"A lot of work goes on," says Joan Mullin.
Singer said although the cooks look forward to pierogi-making time, after a few weeks, they're looking forward to the end of it. "We're happy it's over with," she says.
To buy kraut or potato pierogi, call St. Louise de Marillac Parish at (586) 751-3340.
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