'Prayer and Perfect Pairings' combines holiday food traditions, fundraising for Greensburg diocese
Dec. 31—Priests in the Greensburg Catholic diocese are on point when it comes to both homilies and homecooking if the annual "Prayer and Perfect Pairings" event is any indication.
"It's a fun adventure and also a great way to help fund our mission here," said Bishop Larry Kulick, a Leechburg native who created a cranberry mango chutney topping for a smoked ham as his contest entry.
Nearly 300 people attended the event earlier this month, where members of the diocese cooked a five-course meal paired with wines.
After the dinner, parishioners, friends and family were asked to vote for their favorite recipe.
Each vote cost $10 and the proceeds benefited the diocese's outreach, communication and evangelization efforts as part of its Eucharistic Revival program.
For Kulick, hitting the kitchen during the holidays is a longtime tradition.
As part of a large Slovak family, Kulick prepares a traditional meatless Christmas Eve meal for family.
"I make the mushroom soup, usually with sauerkraut, and we have bobalki, which are sweet bread balls," he said. "The chutney was suggested by one of our employees. It's great on ham, but it also goes really well with turkey and pork. You could use it for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day meals."
Kulick's entry tied for third place in the voting contest, which wrapped up Dec. 11.
The Rev. Daniel Ulishney of St. Agnes Parish in North Huntingdon claimed the top spot with his grandmother's pierogi recipe.
"She was part of the 'pierogi ladies' group at St. Stanislaus Church in (Unity's Calumet neighborhood)," Ulishney said.
"I grew up eating those pierogies. It's a staple for Slavic families at Christmas and comfort food for everyone."
Ulishney admitted the "perfect" pierogi recipe is a subject of heated debate.
"Some people will say this recipe has too many onions or too much or this or not enough of that," he said.
"My advice to everyone is: Whatever your grandmother did for her pierogies, go with that."
This is the first year the dinner has included a voting component, with a choice between Kulick's cranberry mango chutney, Ulishney's pierogies, romaine salad with Brussels sprouts cooked by Mother of Sorrows Msgr. Michael Begolly, roasted red pepper bruschetta made by the diocese's vicar general, Msgr. Raymond Riffle, and a Basque burnt cheesecake created by seminarian Mario Porreca and the Rev. Tyler Bandura of St. James Parish.
"It's been a wonderful event that brings people together for fellowship, and it's been a great fundraiser that goes to a different diocesan program each year," Kulick said.
Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick by email at pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter .
