No-one perishes at the Parish’s pyrohy supper

September 9, 2011

My son and I attended the Ukrainian cultural dinner at the St. Basil Ukrainian Catholic Church on 109 Street in Edmonton. Needless to say, dinner was delicious, and cheap. A great way to feed a hungry teen – all you can eat for $14!

Pyrohy (also known as “perogies”), fish, sausage, lazy cabbage rolls, salad, tea, coffee, and jello. There were two types of pyrohy: cheddar cheese and potato, and cottage cheese and potato. Onions in melted butter and sour cream were available for the pyrohy. And, of course, mustard for the sausage.

I eat only one type of pyrohy: cheddar cheese and potato. I have tried many different kinds. And I always regret it. So now I stick to the tried and true. To make my choices even more limiting, I don’t like cabbage rolls. It might be all just in my head. I see the cabbage all rolled up and it doesn’t entice my taste buds to take a bite. For this dinner, “lazy cabbage rolls” were served. I wavered over the bowl, debating. Do I continue down the line? What’s a Ukrainian supper without cabbage rolls? I decided to give them a try and was pleasantly surprised. They were actually very good. They are called “lazy” because they are not rolled up as in traditional cabbage rolls. Easier to make, and in my opinion, much better to eat.

I was offered a choice between the sausage and fish. I chose the sausage, not because I prefer it. Sausage is probably the worst type of meat I could feed my body. But sausage goes with pyrohy. I hesitated only for a brief moment. I wanted to ask if I could have both. But, being the typical middle-aged polite Canadian, I simply chose one.

Being the typical teenage boy, my son was offered both. And being the typical middle-aged mother, I ate part of his fish. It was delicious. A white fish that melted in my mouth and tantalized my tongue. I almost went up for seconds, this time only for the fish, but knew that I would have to cram it into my already overstuffed belly. So I passed on seconds and went for the jello instead.

As I enjoyed my jello, I watched my son eat two or three platefuls of food. It was great to be able to feed him until he was full without having to sacrifice next month’s groceries.

This cultural dinner is put on fairly regularly by the St. Basil Ukrainian Catholic Church as a fundraiser for the parish. It is held in the cultural centre just behind the church, at 7007 – 109 Street, Edmonton, Alberta. I’m not sure how much they actually raise for their parish with their prices being so cheap, and their attendees being so hungry. I’m certainly glad they offer this delicious supper for us all to enjoy!

Their next supper will be on the first weekend in November. They will also have a bazaar, with crafts and baking available for purchase. And the pyrohy supper on both the Friday and Saturday nights. I have it on my calendar. This is something I definitely plan to attend as often as I can!

For more information on the St. Basil Ukrainian Catholic Church, click on the link: http://www.stbasilschurch.com/