TEAM VILLA-NS PASTOR CHEFS: Msgr. Jack Bendik, Msgr. Vincent Grimalia, and Fr. Charles Cummings, all in residence at Villa St. Joseph, the Diocese of Scranton’s residence for retired priests in Dunmore. MASTER CHEFS: Helenanne Bendik of New Jersey and Rosie Burlington of Le Raysvillle, Msgr. Bendik’s sisters; and Peggy Lyons of Wilkes-Barre, Msgr. Vincent Grimalia’s sister. THE DISH: CHICKEN A LA VILLA (A.K.A. CHICKEN a la KING) In the Bendik family, chicken a la king was the ultimate comfort food. “We often had chicken or beef for our noon meal on Sundays,” explained Helenanne Bendik, sister of Msgr. Jack Bendik, who, with his fellow “Villa-ns,” has been a Rectory, Set, Cook! top finisher for its first two years running. Since year one, Helenanne has been one of brother/Father Jack’s biggest cheerleaders, and this year she graciously accepted an invitation to become involved in an extra-special way: by making the journey to Pennsylvania to join Monsignor’s all-star kitchen brigade at St. Joseph’s Villa. Also joining the effort were Monsignor's sister Rosie (Bendik) Burlington and Msgr. Vincent Grimalia's sister Peggy Lyons. So this year’s Villa video is a true family affair. Msgr. Grimalia helped his sister, a talented baker, make her also-famous – and easy – dump cake, and Fr. Cummings, in his signature style, stacked meat and cheese on crackers and paid homage to a favorite Villa appetizer or evening snack. The chosen main dish, chicken a la king, is an incredibly tasty yet astonishingly easy dish that tastes like pure love in the Bendik family. “Mom often made chicken a la king from leftover chicken from previous meals, if I remember clearly,” Helenanne says. “And I always enjoyed it. For the last very many years I've spent my birthday weekend with Rosie & Tom - when they lived in Connecticut and now that they've been living in Le Raysville. Rosie made the a la king for one of the meals, and it became my favorite - so she makes it every year for me.” The recipe used for Rectory, Set, Cook! is a slight tweak on Mom Bendik’s chicken a la king, given it uses Campbell’s cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups and adds some special spices and cheeses – because who doesn’t like cheese? Mom’s original recipe employed a homemade cream sauce, but, in a time crunch, the soups deliver as powerful a punch, Team Villa says. Rosie also tweaked the recipe, Msgr. Bendik says, by not only adding the special spices and cheeses but “even evaporated milk, an item I haven't seen for over 65 years.” Both versions of the recipe – Mom’s original chicken a la king and Rectory, Set, Cook! Chicken a la Villa will be published in the official Rectory, Set, Cook! 2024 cookbook available online. Whatever version you choose to make on any given day, you’re sure to feel all the warm-fuzzies about homes and families, especially moms, among the best gifts in life. As far as tweaking goes, Msgr. Bendik also recalls that Mom was a master of the practice, so we’re pretty sure she’d be OK with the multiple iterations her beloved recipe now has. “As my sisters would corroborate, our Mom was a fabulous cook. She could take something simple and turn it into a feast for a king, such as the chicken a la king,” he says. “In retrospect, everything she made was tweaked a bit to make it more delicious.” A la king is among Monsignor Bendik’s Big Three meals. “When I am asked what I would like to have for a meal, I always request meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy or wimpies (sloppy Joes) for lunch and chicken al a king,” he says. “My sisters have become models in preparing our Mom's culinary delights.” Rosie can confirm that Mom Bendik fits the mold for many moms, especially those who watched over big families. She noted that Mom Bendik likely used leftover chicken for her chicken a la king or made the dish when the chicken she had needed to be stretched for a meal for eight: “seven of us plus our Aunt Mary, who often came over from next door for supper. We lived in a double-block house – Aunt Mary on one side, and we were on the other side. She was Mom’s oldest sister and a single working lady.” The recipe’s exact origin remains a bit of a mystery to this day. “I don’t know how Mom came up with the recipe because she cooked like her mom cooked, and I doubt that her mom ever made chicken a la king,” Rosie says. “As a young adult, Mom did work for a ‘well-to-do’ family, and part of her job was helping in the kitchen. They ate fancier food than she had growing up, like crepes and expensive meats. When she told me once that she liked crepes, I was surprised that she even knew what they were! So perhaps she learned to make the chicken a la king there?” The rest is history, rewritten just a touch through the years. “We all loved it so I watched her make it so I could too. And then I went ‘rogue’ and cooked the chicken with some wine and added cheeses to the sauce, etc. ,” Rosie explains. “And as Helenanne said, it’s one of the meals I make when she comes for her b’day weekend. I like things I can make ahead, and this is one of those dishes that is better the next day. “ Mom’s version had mixed vegetables in it, but often they were canned, not frozen. Sometimes it was only canned peas, if that’s what she had at home. And she always served it on toasted white bread because that’s what was always in the house.”

TEAM ST. VINCENT DE PAUL KITCHEN PASTOR CHEF: Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, cooking in support of St. Vincent de Paul Kitchen MASTER CHEF: Fr. Philbert Takyi-Nketiah, assistant pastor, St. Jude Church, and chaplain, Holy Redeemer High SOUS CHEFS: Bianca Barrager, Aaliyah Brennan, Michael Dubaskas, and Donato Strish THE DISH: CHICKEN CACCIATORE "I'm not Italian," Bishop Joseph C. Bambera explained during the opening of his Rectory, Set, Cook! 2024 video, but "I looked this up. Cacciatore means hunter." There's your lesson of the day on how a staple chicken dish that has Italian origins but that most Americans have, if not made, at least enjoyed many times, got its name. According to Once Upon A Chef, "cacciatore" is said to have originated with Italian hunters who would prepare their meat over an open fire using ingredients they had on hand - tomatoes, onions, garlic, or peppers, for example. The meat did not necessarily have to be chicken. It could have been rabbit or something else, Bishop noted. To watch Bishop work - quite efficiently, we must say - with his foursome of sous chefs from Holy Redeemer High - is to conclude chicken cacciatore is quick to make and seemingly fairly simple, but that might overlook the art of dicing peppers, onions and garlic, which, some would say, only looks easy. This crew was aces, even if Donato Strish took a little ribbing from Bishop about having an Italian name but not exactly sleight of hand around the garlic bulbs. In the end, the scents were elevating, the finished product both colorful and appealing, and those enjoying lunch at St. Vincent de Paul Kitchen on this particular day quite appreciative. Bishop Bambera and his Redeemer team humbly ask for your votes not for their efforts but for the people who rely on the Wilkes-Barre kitchen - which just celebrated its 40-year milestone - for a hot, complete daily meal, groceries to go, and clothing and shoes from the attached clothing pantry.

FR. THOMAS PETRO WITH WBRE'S CANDICE KELLY & THE KELLY GIRLS PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Thomas J. Petro, pastor, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Dupont MASTER CHEF: Candice Kelly, news anchor, WBRE Eyewitness News SOUS CHEFS: Grace Kelly and Chloe Kelly, students at Wyoming Area Catholic Elementary THE DISH: MINNESOTA HOTDISH: TATER TOT CASSEROLE Candice Kelly has been a fixture on the Northeastern Pennsylvania news scene for so long that many might actually forget she’s originally from Minnesota, land of the “hotdish,” or casserole, and a place where Tater Tots are all that. So she made the perfect partner for Pastor Chef Fr. Thomas Petro, who himself is a fan of Minnesota cuisine, particularly Minnesota wild rice, which also can go in any hotdish. Fr. Petro was happy to play both collar and scholar in this iteration of Rectory, Set, Cook!, whipping up Tater Tot Hotdish along with Candice and her two daughters, Grace, 11, and Chloe, almost 8, who are parishioners as well as students at WAC, from which Fr. Petro also graduated – back in 1988. Candice chose this dish to teach for a few reasons: It’s cheap – with all ingredients, all in, costing less than $25 – and “it’s so easy.” It’s “a meal I grew up on, and it’s becoming a favorite among some of my friends out here,” she says. Plus, Tater Tots and Collars + Scholars? Well, what young scholar doesn’t like Tater Tots? Well, in full disclosure: Grace is not the biggest fan, unless, of course, they are cooked the right way, which means crispy. We hear you, Grace. We’re in camp crispy as well. Mushy tots are no good for anyone. Oh, and did we say? You know Tater Tots are still having a moment in the culinary world, right? It’s true! They’re seemingly everywhere. Candice says she has enjoyed serving this dish to her new friends in Northeastern Pennsylvania. She and her family, which also includes husband, Tom Kelly, are campers, and this dish has been quite easy to whip up at their campground, where it has always been a hit. It’s the ultimate soul-satisfying hotdish for a cold day, Candice says, noting of Minnesotans: “We like our Tots. We like our cheese curds. Anything that’s comfort food.” A bag of Tots – and you won’t even need the whole bag – some hamburger meat, some onion (or onion powder, just for flavor if the kids are finicky about onions), a can of cream of celery soup, a can of mushroom soup, some cheese, a little salt, a little veg … and voila! Dinner can be on the table in a little more than an hour. When she made this dish at home, Candice shared, her husband declared, “It smells like Cebula’s.” If you’re not familiar, that’s the lovely scent of onions and cheese, more cheese, and still more cheese. So how can you go wrong with a dish that smells like pizza?

TEAM ST. TERESA OF CALCUTTA, FEATURING PA LIVE'S CHRIS BOHINSKI PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Mark DeCelles, assistant pastor, St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Scranton MASTER CHEF: Christopher J. Bohinski, Host, WBRE-TV’s PA Live, graduate of Holy Redeemer High School and Wheeling Jesuit University. THE DISH: PSALM 17:8 APPLE CHIPS Fr. Mark DeCelles is known in many circles as “the academic priest,” with a love for big books and top-notch education. Erudite and learned, he grew up in academia, with a professor father and a mother who loves to cook and taught her son her many techniques. So it makes sense that he would participate in Rectory, Set, Cook! Collars + Scholars. But would he be the collar or the scholar? How about both? What many may not know is that Fr. DeCelles has himself become a bit of a heralded chef, as adept in a kitchen as he is in a classroom. So he was happy to take on the role of collared chef and teach his enthusiastic scholar, Christopher Bohinski, host of the daytime local news show PA Live and a product of Diocese of Scranton Catholic education, a very simple, very healthy and quite biblical recipe that anyone can whip up any time. The recipe? Psalm 17:8 Apple Chips, so named because the psalm reads, “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.” “Less is more!” Chris jokes, noting that the main portion of the dish contains ONE ingredient: APPLES! Fr. DeCelles notes that apples are a “wonderful symbol of God’s loving care for us” and a wonderful food for the beginning of Lent. The apples, he says, will help us think over, pray over, and meditate over God’s love for us. A perfect choice for Lent indeed, both collar and scholar agreed, and tasty substitute for candy if you’re sacrificing that particular sweet. ALL YOU NEED FOR APPLE CHIPS: Northern spy apples (or any kind you prefer. Fr. DeCelles had a bumper crop of Northern spy, but says Red Delicious are also delicious, as are gala apples, green apples, etc.) Mandolin slicer for even slicing. TOPPINGS OR DIPPERS: Chocolate drizzle, jarred peanut butter sauce or caramel sauce, cinnamon, and/or cheese (Jarred cheese sauce or any type of cheese fondue.) INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 225. Core apples before slicing if you prefer. Applying even pressure, slice apples on the mandolin into large slices. They will look large but will lose a lot of water in the oven and shrink up, so have no fear here! Place sliced apples on baking sheet and cook for one hour. (The recipe is very forgiving, so if they are too soft after one hour, simply place them back in the oven and cook longer to taste.)

TEAM SEAS - FEATURING CHEF JEFF PIAZZA OF THE FORT CAFE AND WNEP'S JON MEYER PASTOR CHEF: Fr. John Chmil MASTER CHEF: Jeff Piazza, The Fort Cafe SOUS CHEF: WNEP'S Jon Meyer THE DISH: NONNA'S SAUCE "I didn't know we were poor," Chef Jeff Piazza, owner of the Fort Cafe in Forty Fort, said with a chuckle while telling the story behind his Nonna's old-world sauce, which he taught St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Pastor Fr. John Chmil and parishioner Jon Meyer to make for this year's edition of Rectory, Set, Cook! Operating his extremely popular neighborhood cafe just a hop, skip and a jump from Seton, Piazza was happy to share his Nonna's treasured recipe as well as talk about her deep connection to the church. She lived in Rome and had many priest friends, he said, so this would not be the first time a priest has appreciatively enjoyed her signature sauce, starring boneless spare ribs, ground Italian sausage, ground beef, whole plum tomatoes - specifically the Alta Cucina brand out of California - and the without-which-nothing of Italian cuisine: homemade wine. Growing up, Piazza says, "I thought it was upscale food. Turns out it was peasant food." You'd never know it. Anyone lucky enough to have tried Nonna's Sauce, now on the menu at Fort Cafe, would no doubt agree. Nonna, who died just four years ago at the age of 98, left quite a legacy. Piazza's replication of her sauce, in sturdy pots that are 85 to 100 years old, is nothing short of a labor of love. Fr. Chmil and now two-time Rectory, Set, Cook! sous chef personality Jon Meyer of WNEP-TV note, were the perfect scholars to learn the craft of this particular sauce. Fr. Chmil - true story - nearly went to culinary school before becoming a priest, and Meyer, due to his and his wife's unusual TV schedules, has become the head dinner chef in the household. The family eats together almost as soon as the kids get off the bus, allowing the super-early-riser Jon not only to cook a good meal but to get an adequate night's sleep before he has to be at the station when many roosters have not yet even awakened. So knowing how to craft a basic but elegant sauce - in relatively short time - is a helpful skill. It's also a skill Fr. Chmil might try to pick up himself, even though is culinary days are behind him. "In my family," Fr. Chmil says, "We always cooked on Sunday - a pork roast or beef. My mother was a wonderful cook, and both of my grandmothers cooked." In fact, Fr. Chmil says, he was once on his way to culinary school himself. Right before he was about to leave for his interview, however, he said he felt called to the priesthood during the consecration at Mass. "So I went to the seminary instead, and the rest is history." Rectory, Set, Cook! 2024 was a win-win-win then, because it returned Fr. Chmil to his near-roots in culinary while also teaching Jon Meyer a new recipe with which to impress his family. Says Meyer: "This is great because I can actually do this." So can you. Just heed Piazza's best advice: KEEP IT SIMPLE. Salt, pepper, and a little sugar are about the only seasonings you need. And use whole plum tomatoes, crushed by hand. The Alta Cucina brand are a fantastic, budget-priced stand-in for the far more expensive though beloved San Marzano tomatoes. And NO BASIL NECESSARY. In fact, no dried herbs at all necessary. "I've learned to let ingredients stand on their own," Piazza says. "In San Francisco (for culinary training), "They taught me NOT to cook with dried herbs." Why? "Well, because they are dried herbs!" We're good with that. Tasters are believers!

PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Alex J. Roche, pastor of St. Maria Goretti Parish, Laflin, and Diocese of Scranton Director of Vocations and Seminarians. A.K.A. “The Motorcycle Priest.” THE DISH: KANSAS CITY BARBECUE SAUCE Fr. Alex Roche, who knows his way around a kitchen, likes to try to cook and eat healthy fare. That’s not always easy, considering how often he cooks for seminarians and those who might be discerning their vocations while they discern options beyond chicken nuggets, pizza or plentiful deep-fried fare. Let’s just say he TRIES to get the seminarians to eat healthy but notes, “I don’t push it too hard. They do what they want.” So for this edition of Rectory, Set, Cook!, Fr. Roche decided he’d present a hybrid offering – something that goes as well with chicken, pork, and other meats as it does with vegetables and other vegetarian offerings. Fr. Alex whipped up his favorite tangy barbecue sauce, then slathered it over a lineup of healthy ingredients: chickpeas, cauliflower, and jackfruit, specifically. For those unfamiliar with jackfruit, vegetarians often actually use it as a substitute for pulled pork, and, unless you look closely, you can easily mistake it for pulled pork. Jackfruit , an ancient fruit grown in tropical climates, doubles as a hearty meat substitute and is rich in fiber and nutrients. It’s believed to have antimicrobial and antifungal properties and be high in antioxidants. But enough about jackfruit. The star of this show is most definitely the barbecue sauce! Here are Fr. Alex’s ingredients: 15 ounces tomato sauce ½ cup apple cider vinegar 1/3 cup honey ¼ cup molasses 3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp. liquid smoke 2 tsp. smoked paprika 1 tsp. garlic powder ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper ½ tsp. onion powder 2-3 tbsp. hot sauce A couple of pinches of cayenne pepper All you need to do is bring all of this to a simmer over high heat, then reduce to medium and let simmer again for 20 more minutes, stirring throughout. Fr. Alex made this sauce for his parish’s Fall Fest, and it was a hit, he says. It was the only one served.

TEAM TACO PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Brian J.W. Clarke, pastor, Holy Trinity Parish Cresco MASTER CHEF: Parishioner Rafaela Marroquin SOUS CHEFS: Maria Ponce, Deacon Jose Mendoza, and Hector “Habanero” Marroquin THE DISH: GUATEMALAN TACOS Fr. Brian J.W. Clarke never claimed he could cook. Lucky for him, he shepherds a vibrant, active parish with plenty of ethnic diversity and cooking chops. And that talent is not averse to sharing know-how. So Fr. Clarke was both a collar and a scholar for Rectory, Set, Cook! 2024, and he performed both roles exceptionally well, representing the gratitude of a shepherd with a talented flock and wisely taking good counsel from 2024 head chef Rafaela, whose husband, the humorous (and brave) Hector, joked that when Rafaela requests to eat out, he’s happy to move a table outside. Rafaela and Hector have been together 41 years, so we suspect that’s how he got away with that line. But, in Hector’s defense, we will note he said he only suggests the table outside because no one can cook like his wife. No. One. After the Rectory, Set, Cook! team enjoyed Rafaela’s Guatemalan tacos ourselves, we have no reason to doubt he’s correct. As you might suspect, Rafaela didn’t exactly use a recipe, so we did our best to write down the ingredients, and she was gracious enough to confirm or deny when we tried to pin down the exact techniques for what we can confidently all say are THE BEST TACOS WE HAVE EVER HAD! Fresh ingredients are a must, Hector tells us. And, not to repeat ourselves, but we trust Hector! Roma tomatoes also are your best choice when making the salsa.

TEAM BEER, FEATURING BREAKER BREWING COMPANY PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Brian Van Fossen, pastor, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Lake Silkworth, and St. Faustina Kowalska Parish, Nanticoke MASTER CHEFS: Mark Lehman and Chris Miller, co-owners, Breaker Brewing Company, Wilkes-Barre Township, the former St. Joseph’s Monastery THE "DISH:" 40 DAYS DOPPELBOCK, A COLLABORATION CRAFT BREW Fr. Brian Van Fossen likes to joke that when he made his famous homemade banana bread for the inaugural year of Rectory, Set, Cook!, “no one cared.” That’s not really true, of course. Plenty of people voted for him, and his banana bread made the cut. It’s just that no one got particularly excited about banana bread, he bemoaned. So he’s pulling out all the hops this year, in the hopes of making a much stronger showing by making … BEER! That’s right, Fr. Brian teamed up with his former Bishop Hoban High School (now Holy Redeemer High School) ’89 classmate Mark Lehman, who now co-owns Breaker Brewing Company in Wilkes-Barre Township with his business partner Chris Miller, to make a signature, proprietary blend of Rectory, Set, Cook! Lenten beer. This is our first-ever beer, and we’re pretty proud of how it turned out! Lenten beer? Well, sort of. You can watch the video in full to hear Fr. Brian explain how back in the day the Franciscan friars actually drank hearty beer – about four times per day, in fact – to fortify themselves for the Lenten fast and the hard work each day required. That’s why, when Mark and Chris gave Fr. Brian the opportunity to make any kind of beer he liked for Rectory, Set, Cook!, Fr. Brian chose a doppelbock: a hearty, winter-ready, fast-fortifying, fill-you-up beer that can take you through a long day, especially if you’re cutting back on actual food. Here's a great bonus: Also back in the day, Fr. Brian says, the friars who chose this route often lost some weight after the 40 days of Lent were over. Beer for weight loss? We’ll vote for that! Doppelbock is a German beer and one that’s probably worth further study, Fr. Brian says, but, “The Diocese wouldn’t send us to Munich to research it, probably.” “So we got Munich malt in this,” Lehman noted. Close enough, right? The beer also has multiple grains – pilsen, Munich and melanoidin – plus hops and some Irish moss. So Lent, St. Patrick’s Day … we have you covered! Cheers, friends!

PASTOR CHEF: Father Cyril Edwards MASTER CHEF: Deacon Joe Marcellus SOUS CHEFS: Emily Marhefka, Ava Yearing, and Rachel Patackas THE DISH: DEACON JOE MARCELLUS' LASAGNA Father Cyril Edwards never claimed to be a chef, or even a cook. But he WAS able to make slice-and-bake cookies for Rectory, Set, Cook! 2023, despite a stubborn oven that wouldn't seem to turn on, prompting a twist on an old joke: How many priests and parishioners does it take to activate an oven? Well, this year, some might say Father Edwards and his cooking crew from Mary, Mother of God Church in Scranton have outdone themselves. Their 2024 recipe is lasagna, a favorite of Master Chef Deacon Joe Marcellus. This is no slice-and-bake cookie and does involve at least a little nuance. And it's a classic comfort food, of course, perfect for cold winter nights. For the recipe for lasagna MMOG style, please consider purchasing the Rectory, Set, Cook! 2024 cookbook.

TEAM OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL, SS. ANTHONY & ROCCO, & ST. MARY OF MOUNT CARMEL SCHOOL: CATHOLIC COMMUNITY OF DUNMORE UNITED PASTOR CHEF: Father David Cappelloni, pastor, SS. Anthony & Rocco Parish and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Dunmore MASTER CHEFS: Assorted St. Mary of Mount Carmel School parents SOUS CHEFS: An entire pasta-making army of St. Mary of Mount Carmel School students THE DISH: HOMEMADE PASTA WITH HOMEMADE SAUCE AND HOMEMADE MEATBALLS To some members of the Rectory, Set, Cook! videography crew, watching someone make a homemade pasta dinner for four and have it on the table in under an hour would be impressive. So to say Fr. David Cappelloni is impressive would be quite the understatement. This top finisher in Rectory, Set, Cook 2022, its inaugural year, may have outdone himself after a one-year hiatus. While in 2022, Fr. Cappelloni quite impressively made homemade pasta, sauce, meatballs and more for a large contingent of family and friends, this year he managed to replicate his signature recipes AND teach the art of homemade pasta-making to easily 50 St. Mary of Mount Carmel School students, all eager to learn their way around some noodles. He got by with a little help from some assistant chef parents, but how he managed to teach ALL these kids - and ALL these parents - not only how to make homemade pasta - FROM SCRATCH - and STILL have dinner on (this year) a large number of tables in under an hour, we'll never know. Did we mention he was impressive? Picture an entire series of small stainless-steel pasta machines and hanging racks, lined up in orderly fashion, and a pasta maestro who excels at teaching overseeing them all. Somehow, it all came together, efficiently and quickly, and now the Catholic community of Dunmore may have an entire brigade of future Italian chefs in its midst. The requests for seconds and thirds were all the evidence we needed to know Fr. Cappelloni's Pasta 101 non-credit class was a smashing success. Will he repeat his triumph as a Master Pastor Chef this year? That's for voters to decide, but from the looks of things, he stands a fantastic chance. Meanwhile, we may never again be able to enjoy a box of commercial pasta without knowing, and longing for, the better way. #Spoiled.

PASTOR CHEF: Father David Cramer, St. Eulalia Church, Elmhurst SOUS CHEFS: Members of the St. Eulalia Youth Group THE DISH: ICE CREAM SUNDAES You've heard of Sunday Funday. How about Sundae Funday? That's what the youth group at St. Eulalia Church enjoyed when Fr. David Cramer invited some of its members to join him in making ice cream sundaes for Rectory, Set, Cook! 2024. Fr. Cramer is no slouch in the kitchen, as anyone who saw his previous Rectory, Set, Cook! entry will know. His slumgullion stew was not only a culinary feat but bore a theological lesson. This year, it seems, Fr. Cramer got a few lessons himself - in how to make a better sundae. Who did it best? Fr. Cramer or the kids? That's for you to decide! But your vote is a vote for all!

PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Gerald Shantillo, Vicar General, Diocese of Scranton; in residence, Cathedral of St. Peter, Scranton. Cooking with Team St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen, the beneficiary of half the team's voting dollars SOUS CHEF: Liam Williams, Holy Cross High School student, aspiring chef, and son of St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen Executive Director Rob Williams THE DISHES: SEAFOOD CHOWDER, SALMON PATTIES, SAUTEED GREENS, AND ROASTED POTATOES Fr. Gerald Shantillo, the Diocese of Scranton's vicar general, knows how to cook, as demonstrated in previous editions of Rectory, Set, Cook! Case in point: Last year he more than impressed with a colorful panzanella salad as part of Team Cathedral of St. Peter's multi-course meal. While still a tight-knit unit, the Cathedral team members this year decided to break the band up as a way to support diocesan food kitchens in the diocese's two largest counties: Luzerne and Lackawanna. That meant Bishop Bambera cooked and served lunch with Holy Redeemer students at St. Vincent De Paul Kitchen in Wilkes-Barre while Fr. Shantillo cooked and served dinner with a Holy Cross High student at St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen. That Holy Cross student, Liam Williams, just happens to be the son of St. Francis Kitchen executive director Rob Williams, who says he himself actually cannot cook. Lucky for him, Liam not only CAN cook but LIKES to cook and has decided on a culinary career path. He's also his father's son in that he is service-oriented and charitably minded, so he and Vicar General/Pastor Chef Fr. Shantillo are perhaps a culinary match made in heaven. (And Rob Williams was more than happy to help by washing dishes.) Team St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen, given recipes by kitchen head chef and Lackawanna College culinary graduate Selena Hitchens, prepared and served a healthy, hearty evening meal of salmon patties made with fresh salmon, fresh greens sauteed with olive oil, herbs and spices - Fr. Shantillo is a fan of spices - roasted potatoes, and a Lent-appropriate seafood chowder. This was a lot of high-quality food, prepared in large quantity, and this team, aided by a brigade of regular kitchen volunteers, pulled it all off effortlessly. Rob Williams said many people do not realize St. Francis Kitchen actually is able to serve such high-quality meals, which are especially appreciated on the three evenings per week that dinner is served in addition to daily lunch. The quality of offerings is truly thanks to the generosity of donors, Rob says - donors who often provide ingredients not typically seen in other food kitchens. Kitchen staff are happy to prepare what they receive, Rob stresses, and he's proud to say fresh vegetables and fresh greens are standard fare, and salmon, a Lenten favorite, can be served fairly regularly. When more volunteers are on hand, soup and other side dishes also increase. Colorful desserts are always a given. It's also thanks to the generosity of donors that St. Francis Kitchen was able to undergo a major renovation last year, so check out the video to see the upgrades made possible by the kindness of supporters. St. Francis Kitchen, which also operates a client-choice food pantry and free clothing store, has some impressive annual statistics: Last year, it served more than 86,000 meals. The client-choice food pantry served 9,472 households (16,813 individuals). And the St. Francis Free Clothing Store served 3,750 individuals. St. Francis Kitchen also provides weekly meals at parish locations in Carbondale (St. Rose Parish), Olyphant (Holy Cross Parish), Roaring Brook Township (St. Eulalia Parish), and Archbald (Christ the King Parish). It also serves several of the senior high-rise buildings in Carbondale. In October, the kitchen’s Free Mobile Clothing Trailer began visiting various sites – bringing clothing to those in need who might not be able to get to Scranton St. Francis Kitchen recently entered a “CODE BLUE” collaboration with the city of Scranton to provide hot soup and hot sandwiches to those people who will stay at Weston Field. Your votes for this Rectory, Set, Cook! team will support ALL of these efforts as well as new initiatives. The team is grateful for gifts of any size

PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Greg Reichlen, pastor, St. John Parish, East Stroudsburg MASTER CHEF: Analia Lo Dico-Kolakowski, Pastoral Associate SOUS CHEFS: Noel, Wannabe Comedian, and Lorraine, Jill of All Trades THE DISH: GERMAN TACOS The parish cookbook at the Church of St. John in East Stroudsburg represents 37 – count ‘em – countries and is packed with tried-and-true ethnic recipes both old world and new. Fr. Greg Reichlen’s recipe for German tacos is among them. German tacos? You say you never heard of such? Well, they are exactly what you might imagine – and they are quite delicious! Tortillas – warm, of course – are key, but it’s what inside the tortilla that counts: beer-flavored bratwurst and spicy brown mustard, both purchased from The Alpine in Honesdale; carrots, purple cabbage and onions; and the secret, signature ingredient – horseradish. According to master chef Analia Dico-Kolakowski, the producer of this year’s debut Rectory, Set, Cook! video for the Church of St. John, “The secret ingredient is always horseradish.” In this case, the chosen brand was Inglehoffer Cream Style Horseradish, “America’s first shelf-stable cream-style horseradish.” This team will warn you to use discretion because the stuff has bite. In fact, when doing a dry-run for Rectory, Set, Cook!, Fr. Reichlen may have gotten a bit too brave and loaded the horseradish along with some hot sauce onto his first batch of German tacos. Let’s just say A LOT of beer was chugged in that dry run, and hot sauce is no longer in the “official recipe.” Beer, however, remains – maybe not really in the recipe, but in the enjoyment instructions. Because everybody knows beer and bratwurst are like peas and carrots, ketchup and mustard, salt and pepper … you get the idea. The enjoyment instructions also call for a little singing and dancing. So mark these words: “Zicke Zacke, Zicke Zacke, Hoi, Hoi, Hoi!” Special thanks to Noel, a self-professed “wannabe comedian,” who acted as sous chef in bringing the recipe to life, and to Lorraine, a parish Jill of all trades, who served as director.

PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Gerald Gurka, pastor, All Saints Parish, Plymouth, and St. John The Baptist Church, Larksville MASTER CHEF: Parishioner Ed Koons, a cookie chef extraordinaire THE DISH: LIMENYLICIOUS KEY LIME CHEESECAKE PIE & ITALIAN RAINBOW COOKIES Fr. Jerry Gurka, now a three-time Rectory, Set, Cook! participant, might just be our most versatile pastor chef on the roster. Not only is he a priest and pastor, but he has a commercial art certificate, a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing, AND a culinary degree. And his interests do not stop there. The one-time aspiring "choo-choo operator" whose great-grandfather pioneered the trains in Europe, also fancied himself a Dr. Dolittle at one point. "I wanted to be a veterinarian, until I found out what they really had to do," he explained. So priest - and later priest-chef - it was. Thanks to his top-notch training in Luzerne County Community College's Culinary Arts program, and despite the fact that his goddaughter calls him "a master of disaster," you can trust Fr. Gurka's prowess and know he can handle himself in a kitchen. Minor mistakes and mishaps are all part of the learning experience, Fr. Gurka says. "With God's love, we always overcome." Fr. Gurka is a humble servant, though, and there were actually no disasters in the making of his 2024 video, unless you count today's heavy whipping cream not really peaking, but that's a universal problem these days - and a mystery awaiting solving. Fr. Gurka has even found a way to overcome that challenge, though: Use a small bowl, he says. He can't tell you why, but a smaller bowl actually will help you get at least some peaks out of today's whipping cream. And, as he noted last year, when he made a world-class, high-octane grasshopper pie, whisk using a sideways motion. Direction counts! Other tips: Key limes, which are much smaller than regular limes, need more love and care when zesting than traditional limes. Never zest into the white part of a key lime, he says, lest you get a bitter flavor. Rather, zest deftly leaving a thin layer of light green. And don't feel like making your own pie crust? Keebler, typically available at Wegmans or Market 32 - though the brand sells out fast - has ingredients identical to those used to make homemade crust in culinary school, he says. Now, as for the sous chef, parishioner Ed Koons, well, he's a bit of a master chef in his own right, and his specialty is cookies - beautiful cookies that easily could grace the shelves of any respectable bakery. Each Christmas season, Ed and his wife turn their own home into a cookie factory and make dozens upon dozens of varieties. They don't shy away from complicated recipes and are always willing to share. The Italian Rainbow Cookies Ed once shared for a parish event so impressed Pastor Chef Fr. Gurka that he invited Ed to join Rectory, Set, Cook! as his teammate this year. We will say this: Ed's tri-color cookies look and taste beautiful but do not necessarily appear easy to achieve. "Cooking is an art, but baking is a science," he said, as he carefully measured the length and depths of his three layers and adjusted when deciding he was even off by a hair. But what in life that's really good and worthy is actually easy? We'll leave it at that. This baking twosome is more than deserving of your vote! They worked hard, and the results speak for themselves.

PASTOR CHEF: Fr. James Paisley, pastor, St. Ann Basilica Parish, Scranton THE DISH: A VERY WORLDLY PIZZA For Rectory, Set, Cook! regular viewers, Fr. Jim Paisley needs absolutely no introduction. The former pastor of St. Therese Church in Shavertown and St. Frances X. Cabrini Parish in Carverton and the current pastor of St. Ann Basilica Parish in Scranton never claimed he could cook. But he can sing, and he can dance, and he’s always been a good sport, so for two years running he managed to do his best. He also managed to take the Rectory, Set, Cook! Top Chef crown – which is actually a hat – two years in a row, once by making hot chocolate, from a packet, and once by pairing all kinds of crazy combinations and calling it a tailgate party. Well, for year three, we’re proud to report that Fr. Paisley came about as close as he ever might to actually cooking. His 2024 presentation is a very worldly pizza, with ingredients he says have been sourced from across the world. Fr. Paisley, you see, has been quite well-traveled since Rectory, Set, Cook! launched in 2022 and Swiss Miss named him an international spokesman, flying him all over the world to promote product. So enamored was Fr. Paisley of all the globetrotting that he continued the tradition this year, flying to at least four countries to source the toppings he needed for his Rectory, Set, Cook! 2024 entry. This VERY PAISLEY PIZZA starts with a basic pizza shell, to which has been added: Red sauce from Italy French fries from France Little pierogies from Poland Bratwurst from Germany Baked beans from the good old U S of A. Unsure? Sometimes life calls us to take a few risks, right? Fr. Paisley also never claimed to follow the beat of an ordinary drummer when it comes to building a pizza. In fact, no drums were used in the making of this video, but a small accordion was. Tune into the video, and you might just find yourself actually making this pizza at home, because the truth is it really looks like it might have some promise. (We said *might*. Don’t come after us if it’s not for you.) But remember this: Who needs cheese when french fries get the job done just as well? Did you ever notice french fries, when sliced correctly, can resemble cheese? Neither had we - until now. So Rectory, Set, Cook! with Fr. Paisley is, if nothing else, an eye-opening learning experience.

PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Joseph Pisaneschi, pastor of St. Therese Parish, Shavertown, and St. Frances X. Cabrini Parish, Carverton MASTER CHEFS: Chris Somers, director of the Office for Mission, Ministry and Service at Misericordia University; Karla Carrasco, Misericordia student, Campus Ministry member, and parishioner at St. Matthew in East Stroudsburg; and Jiselle Rodriguez, Misericordia student, Campus Ministry member, and parishioner at St. John Neumann in Scranton. THE DISH: BBQ HAMBURGERS “I think the oven works,” Fr. Joe Pisaneschi joked when he greeted the Rectory, Set, Crew in the kitchen of St. Frances Cabrini church in Carverton. Suffice to say he’s never used it. Why? Because BBQ hamburgers are the only thing he cooks, so a stovetop will suffice, thank you very much. This may come as a surprise to anyone who saw Fr. Pisaneschi making homemade ravioli from scratch in a well-stocked Italian kitchen for last year’s Rectory, Set, Cook! But he was clearly in the role of student then, doing only as he was told by the family head chef – his sister Donna. This year, Donna is letting Fr. Pisaneschi fly solo, so that means BBQ hamburgers. He gets to play the teacher this year, instructing two students at Misericordia University, where he serves as chaplain, on how to make his signature dish. Present for moral support was Chris Somers, director of the University’s Office for Mission, Ministry and Service. All three gave two thumbs up. That’s six thumbs, if you’re counting. “When it snows and I'm stuck in the rectory, this is what I do,” Fr. Pisaneschi explained while teaching. Now this is a complicated recipe with a host of ingredients and perhaps not for the faint of heart, but if you’re up for it, grab some 85 percent lean ground beef – 85% is Fr. P’s preference – a bag of barbecue flavored potato chips, a package of hamburger buns, some cheese and a jar of pickles. You’ll have all you need to survive winter if you just keep replenishing these basics. The technique? Fry the burgers in a pan with some oil. Remove when cooked to taste. Crush the barbecue chips and place on the base section of the bun. Top with burger and your choice of condiments. Serve with pickles as garnish. Got that all? “Some people say use barbecue sauce, but that’s not as fun,” Fr. Pisaneschi insists. And who can argue with that? Any recipe is fun when it asks you to crush potato chips, right? More top tips from our pastor chef: You can use any brand of chips. Fr. Pisaneschi finds Wise the tastiest. Just make sure you use barbecue. (Or your burgers will fall short.) You don’t need salt. That’s why you have the chips. Any kind of bun will do – a potato bun, a seeded bun, etc. “But I get Pepperidge Farm buns.” Finally, be sure to let your cheese melt. “You ever get a burger, like at Wendy’s or McDonald’s, and the cheese is not melted? I hate that.” We do, too, Fr. Pisaneschi. We do, too!

PASTOR CHEF: Fr. John Terry, pastor, Our Lady of Hope Parish, Wilkes-Barre MASTER CHEF: John Prater SOUS CHEF: Jordan Harris THE DISH: LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN, MASHED POTATOES, AND ASPARAGUS Among Fr. John Terry’s current claims to fame are that he is the second-oldest active priest in the Diocese of Scranton. And that he has spent almost his entire priesthood near the city of Wilkes-Barre. having served at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception downtown, Holy Saviour Church in the East End section and St. Charles in Sugar Notch, where he had his first pastorate. Wilkes-Barre also happens to be the longtime home of the Catholic Youth Center, where Fr. Terry has served for almost 45 years. Today, he’s still a frequent visitor and serves in the chaplaincy role. That’s how he met “Chef” John Prater. Today’s CYC, a home away from home for hundreds upon hundreds of children, boasts a Chef Club, and that’s thanks to the chef aspirations of the young Mr. Prater, a high-schooler who is an active participant in the CYC’s youth drop-in program. Rose Daniels, who leads that program, said Chef Club actually was started because of John, who has become a de facto CYC master chef and a teacher. “We build on our kids’ interests,” Daniels said. John would like to become a professional chef and told us he is in the process of applying to colleges and is looking at places such as Wilkes University and the Culinary Institute of America. He often hones his craft in one of the CYC’s kitchens – either the cafeteria kitchen or at the concession stand or outdoor grills. But he can do far more than burgers and dogs. For Rectory, Set, Cook! he made his signature lemon pepper chicken and mashed potatoes from scratch, and he plated it with bright, fresh asparagus. Fr. Terry himself is a bit of a chef – and once became legendary for his stuffed shells – but he deliberately took on the role of student here to give the younger John his chance to shine. Your voting dollars will help the CYC continue to nurture the dreams and aspirations of all who thrive because of its programming while also supporting the hungry and homeless.

TEAM BRADFORD PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Jose Kuriappilly, pastor, SS. Peter & Paul Parish, Towanda, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Wyalusing MASTER CHEFS: Fr. Shinu Vazhakkoottathil, assistant pastor, Epiphany Parish, Sayre, and Fr. Tony Mathew, visiting from the Diocese of Syracuse. SOUS CHEFS: Fr. Daniel Toomey, pastor, Epiphany Parish, Sayre, and Fr. Binesh Kanjirakattu, assistant pastor, Good Shepherd Parish, Drums, and Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Freeland. THE DISH: KERALA SHRIMP ROAST AND KERALA-STYLE CHICKEN BIRYANI Strength in numbers – and in exotic, fragrant spices. That’s the continuing story of Team Bradford, which last year was a set of three first-timer Rectory, Set, Cook! rockstars, whose aromatic cooking summoned parade after parade of hungry, grateful students and faculty from St. Agnes School, which is on the grounds of SS. Peter & Paul Church, Towanda. They eagerly lined up for seconds and maybe even thirds when a lunchtime tasting was offered. This year, the crowd from St. Agnes, especially the spice-loving male students, went equally wild when the same team of three plus two new additions – four priests from India and one, as he himself put it “token American” – teamed up to make another knockout Indian meal. This year’s recipe was a Kerala shrimp roast – Fr. Jose hails from Kerala, India – and a Kerala-style chicken Biryani contributed by guest pastor chef Fr. Tony Mathew of St. Paul Catholic Church in Norwich, N.Y., in the Diocese of Syracuse. The shrimp roast contained – of course – fresh shrimp accented with an array of Indian spices that combined to make the kitchen smell as much like the beach – thank you, coconut oil – as the best Indian home or restaurant in which you’ve ever dined. And we do hope you’ve dined in an Indian home or restaurant because otherwise, you’ve missed out on some of the finest, and healthiest, cuisine around. The health factor comes from spices renowned for their life-affirming properties, especially the glowing yellow turmeric, which when combined with fresh garden tomatoes, chili peppers, the coconut oil and a generous portion of the quite biblical mustard seed, simply make magic when paired with also-healthy shrimp. And the chicken Biryani? Well, that’s an all-time favorite dish, originally Iranian, that drew its name from the Iranian word “birian,” meaning “fried before cooking.” While biryani comes in many styles, it’s a rich and flavor-packed dish with rice, meat, and vegetables, and will leave no one wanting. It’s now a common Indian household recipe, and Fr. Tony’s made the grade and much more. The lines for seconds and thirds were once again evidence. Pairing the two dishes to make a single meal was perfection, as enjoyable as watching Fr. Jose and Fr. Shinu work together in the kitchen, or dining on their specialties on separate occasions, says Fr. Toomey. “It’s a different experience,” says the fellow pastor, who regularly enjoys several Indian dishes in addition to the American fare his Indian comrades are happy to prepare for him. “Fr. Jose cooks very aggressively, and Fr. Shinu is very smooth.” Don’t ask him to choose because he can’t and won’t. Just trust that it’s all good. If you need any extra endorsements on either of these dishes, ask any of the St. Agnes students or faculty who were lucky enough to get a “rectory pass” to taste and vouch that Team Bradford’s dishes were all that and a bowl of mustard seed.

TEAM ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST, PITTSTON PASTOR CHEF: Father Joseph Elston SOUS CHEFS: The children of the family-centered catechesis program THE DISH: APPLE CRISP When you need to make apple crisp for a crowd, make sure you have an army of sous chefs on hand, preferably wearing little chefs hats and eager to follow instructions with the goal of achieving an after-class delicious dessert. That's exactly what Father Joseph Elston did to come up with a large quantity of tangy, tasty apple crisp to serve dessert to an army of religious education students (who had already eaten dinner together) after they returned from a lesson looking forward to the sweet finale. To see how it was done, watch the delightful video. To learn how to make apple crisp, find the recipe in the official Rectory, Set, Cook! 2024 cookbook!

TEAM ST. JOSEPH MARELLO, PITTSTON PASTOR CHEF: Father Joseph Elston SOUS CHEFS: The children of the family-centered catechesis program THE DISHES: PASTA WITH SAUCE, BROWNIES AND SPORTY WHIPPED CREAM Father Joseph Elston has mastered the art of feeding a crowd. His technique? Put the crowd to work! For his Rectory, Set, Cook! 2024 entry on behalf of St. Joseph Marello Parish in Pittston - a place that love its pasta! - Fr. Elston hit upon a brilliant concept: Prepare his dishes as part of the family-centered catechesis program, which involves eating together once per month. Table fellowship, after all, is part of the Catholic tradition. And what better way to feed a crowd than by whipping up huge pots of homemade sauce, to be served over pasta, and pairing it with brownies and whipped cream for dessert? And what easier way to get all these jobs done than to involve scores of young sous chefs? Watch the video to see how it all came together. And remember - a little color never hurt some homemade whipped cream! So go with your favorite team's hues - or let the spirit of a season guide you.

TEAM FR. KEVIN MILLER + GOOD SHEPHERD ACADEMY PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Kevin Miller, Pastor, Annunciation Parish, Hazleton MASTER CHEFS: Hannah Pius and Joey Korus, GSA students THE DISH: MAUREEN MILER’S FAMOUS CRANBERRY WALNUT CAKE Maureen Miller, who died in 2023, had a signature recipe: cranberry walnut cake. This easy cake was not only legend in the family because she made it so often and because it is so delicious, but because Maureen, mother of Father Kevin Miller, once made the cake for Bishop Joseph Bambera. He liked it so much he sent her a note telling her it was the best cranberry cake he ever had. To hear Fr. Kevin tell the story, Mom Miller, who had that note framed and referenced it often, might have been prouder of that note than anything he had ever done. He jests. Mom Miller was proud of everything Fr. Kevin has ever done, and perhaps her proudest moment was when he became a priest. In memory of his mom, who went home to heaven in 2023, Fr. Kevin said, he simply HAD to make cranberry walnut cake. He teamed up with two sous chefs – Hannah Pius and Joey Korus from Good Shepherd Academy, where he often celebrates Mass – to pull off the cake for the very first time without his mother’s assistance. Fortunately, he was in skilled hands. Hannah says her mom is a good baker and taught her a lot, and Joey has some kitchen skills as well, including the ability to crack an egg with one hand. (Sometimes.) The cake contains butter, of course, and those who know Fr. Kevin know this: “Butter is my staple. One of the first lessons I taught our newest pastor in the Diocese, Fr, Michael Boris, was, “Mike, always remember this: Everything is better with butter!” A few tips from Father Kevin if you try to pull off this buttery delicious cake, which also showcases fragrant almond extract, at home: “Mom always used to say, ‘Kevin, make sure you have enough cranberries. Don’t skimp!” Don’t cut up the cranberries. Use them as they are, and they will add so much texture and flavor. Whole cranberries hold up well in this recipe. Crusted walnuts add the salty pizzazz you’ll want in this sweet cake.

TEAM CLARKS SUMMIT/CLARKS GREEN CATHOLICS PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Michael J. Boris, a.k.a. “Chef Watt,” assistant pastor, Our Lady of the Snows Parish, Clarks Summit, and assistant pastor, St. Gregory Parish, Clarks Green. MASTER CHEFS: Aunt Jane Cirko and Sue Boris, Fr. Michael’s Mom SOUS CHEFS: Fr. Michael’s nephews, Gavin and Trey Kravulski, students at Good Shepherd Academy THE PEANUT GALLERY: Fr. Michael’s father, Joe, Uncle Bob Cirko, and brother, Joe THE MENU: HOMEMADE GUACAMOLE AND BAKED TACO DIP “I like Mexican food,” Fr. Michael Boris says with conviction. “Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!” In fact, Fr. Boris likes Mexican food so much that when his family visited Epcot Center, his father, Joe Boris, says, “We had to go to the Mexican pavilion about five times!” This episode of Rectory, Set, Cook! Collars + Scholars was a real family affair, with Mom, Dad, an aunt, an uncle, and two nephews gathered with Fr. Michael in the homey kitchen of St. Gregory Church to whip up a colorful Mexican snack feast, complete with lime-zested chips. Mom and Aunt Jane played key cooking roles, as did Gavin and Trey. Dad Joe, Uncle Bob and brother Joe populated the peanut gallery. “It takes a village to raise a priest,” Uncle Bob noted. The peanut gallery was vocally present for moral support – and maybe a little heckling. Fr. Michael kicked off his kitchen segment with a show of good sportsmanship, paying homage to his and his nephews’ school (Good Shepherd) and to his parish school (Our Lady of Peace). He noted he was a member of the first sixth-grade class at Good Shepherd, where he played basketball. “We played OLP when we thought were really good. But we got crushed. We got humbled that day.” Fortunately, Fr. Michael likes to learn from his experiences – and from his mother and his aunt – and he doesn’t mind telling it like it is. Serve him a dry hamburger, and he might let you know. Ask Uncle Bob. Fr. Michael was a diligent student here, noting (for the sake of another heckler, Fr. Alex Roche) that, while he doesn’t have a wide kitchen repertoire, he CAN boil water – and do a few other things. We witnessed him score an onion, then chop it perfectly and effortlessly AND roll the seed from an avocado just as effortlessly. There’s an art to that, you know. Great Mexican snacks might not always come speedily or easily, but this path was fragrant and entertaining. Nephew Gavin, who might have gotten his honesty from his uncle, explained: “Something to say: This is NOT like the guacamole at La Tolteca, where they make it in two seconds.” Ah, but Gavin, is La Tolteca’s as good as Fr. Michael’s? We guarantee not. The bright green guac paired perfectly with the aromatic baked taco dip, which is excellent for a crowd. Way to go, Chef Michael! Wait … we mean “Chef Watt.” Watt? You might ask. Well, Fr. Michael shared with us that before he discerned his vocation he considered several other options, one of which was – yep! – chef. While declaring one day that he’d probably become a chef – legend has it – he looked toward a ceiling light and saw the word “watt” written upon it. And just like that, Chef Watt walked among us!

PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Michael Bryant, pastor, Nativity of Our Lord Parish, Duryea MASTER CHEF: Melissa Skutack, principal, Holy Rosary School, Duryea SOUS CHEFS/SCHOLARS: Holy Rosary eighth-graders Emma DeSanto, Cassidi Quinn, Jonathan Fitzmaurice and Dominic Limongelli THE DISH: TORTELLINI SOUP If you love soup, you’re probably among the camp that says a little soup makes everything better. If you’re not a big fan, you might be among those who say they need to eat their lunch or dinner, not drink it. Either way, Fr. Michael Bryant’s tortellini soup will give you the best of both worlds: It’ll make a bone-chilling day much better – and warmer. But it also can easily serve as a hearty full meal, especially when served with buttered bread and homemade brownies for dessert. The ingredients are simple and the soup itself quite crowd-friendly. All you need is tortellini – your choice of which brand and style – and some tomato, onion, garlic and spinach. Everything fresh and hand-chopped is best, but we won’t tell anyone if you cheat. When this Rectory, Set, Cook! segment was filmed, we witnessed a heartwarming and soul-satisfying multi-generational affair. Fr. Bryant led a skilled crew of five eighth-graders from his parish school, Holy Rosary, and their principal, Melissa Skutack, in a prep session that was seemingly effortless and involved a lot of banter. This was clearly a skilled crew, accustomed to many parish meal-making sessions. One chopped tomatoes and another spinach while another chopped onions and yet another minced garlic. This was an assembly line that made it all look easy – a little too easy maybe. Meanwhile, Fr. Bryant tended the huge pot, inserting all the ingredients and watching over everything as it came to fruition. The best part was the final stage. The finished soup – plus the bread and several pans of brownies, home-baked by generous parishioners – went on the road. Actually up the road just a few minutes, to the Crossin Towers senior citizen residence, where Fr. Bryant is a familiar and welcome face. He celebrates Mass at the towers at least once a month, so he was happy, on this special occasion, to offer a free fellowship lunch to his senior faithful before they attended Mass together. The verdict was unanimous, with praise words such as “delicious,” “so tasty,” and “perfect for this cold day” offered abundantly. “So many of the residents here are very devout,” a staffer told us. “They love when Fr. Bryant comes for Mass, but this is an extra-special treat.” Amen to that!

TEAM WYOMING AREA CATHOLIC PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Michael Drevitch, assistant pastor of Corpus Christi Parish, West Pittston, and St. Barbara Parish, Exeter. MASTER CHEF: Msgr. John Sempa, pastor of Corpus Christi and St. Barbara. SOUS CHEFS: Grace Kelly, 11, Chloe Kelly, 8, Hannah Beekman, 10, and Allie Beekman, 8, all students at Wyoming Area Catholic School. POST-LAUNCH UPDATE: Team Wyoming Area Catholic has decided to make a Lenten sacrifice this year and donate its half of voting proceeds to this year's causes - anti-hunger and anti-homelessness - in order that more will be raised to support food kitchens, food pantries, and shelters. Donors are encouraged to support the team in its effort to support those who are hurting the most this Lent. THE DISH: CLASSIC CRISPY RICE TREATS PAIRED WITH POT-SIMMERED HOT CHOCOLATE If there’s one thing the Collars and Scholars team representing Corpus Christi Parish in West Pittston, St. Barbara Parish in Exeter, and Wyoming Area Catholic want to make sure you know about what you might think is a simple and easy dessert – crispy rice treats – it’s TAKE IT SLOW! The cardinal rule when it comes to this classic kid-favorite snack? If you melt the butter and the marshmallows too fast, the Rice Krispies will get rock hard! And nobody wants that! Our head chef, Fr. Michael Drevitch, who along with Pastor Msgr. John Sempa, is a familiar face around WAC, can handle more complicated recipes for sure, but he chose to stick with a recipe written by the experts in the Food Network Kitchen to produce what many present around the school on filming day called “the best Rice Krispies treats they’ve ever had.” And that’s despite the fact that Fr. Drevitch *might* have forgotten to add the vanilla extract the recipe calls for. No harm, no foul, all agreed. The touch of salt still added what the recipe calls “a palatable punch.” Perhaps wanting to show reigning Rectory, Set, Cook! two-time champion Fr. Jim Paisley a better way to do hot cocoa, Fr. Drevitch paired his popular treats with hot chocolate sourced from REAL chocolate, two types, in fact: bittersweet and milk chocolate, also melted slowly. Reading the package description on the chocolate to his team, Fr. Drevitch said, “This actually describes Msgr. Sempa. What does it say?” A chorus of laughter from the sous chefs followed, but they responded quickly, “Organic bittersweet!” Quiz time: “What does organic mean?” Fr. Drevitch asked the sous chefs. Grace Kelly was quickest to answer: “Healthy!” Sums it up well and might also describe Msgr. Sempa – who escaped the kitchen halfway through the effort to shoot some hoops with some non-chef students in the adjacent gym. We can’t complain. Msgr. Sempa had only agreed to a guest appearance on this video, but we will say he went above and beyond, even agreeing to chop up all that healthy chocolate during prep while cracking a few jokes. “Why was six afraid of seven? Because seven ate nine.” You can tell that at your next party. You're welcome.

PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Mike Kloton, pastor, Good Shepherd Parish, Drums, and Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Freeland; administrator, St. Patrick Parish, White Haven. THE DISH: CHICKEN PAPRIKASH Fr. Mike Kloton says he cooks seven days a week, one meal each day, for the three guys sharing rectory living space with him. He likes to mix up his proteins, so he does chicken two days per week, pork two days per week, and beef two days per week. On the seventh day, he does not rest; he just tries to be creative and “mix things up from the fridge.” So Sundays are always a tasty surprise. With all the cooking he does, Fr. Kloton also says he has learned to make a lot of things using the Crock-Pot. He likes simple yet slow recipes and is not a fan of Instant Pots. Chicken Paprikash is one of his favorite simple slow-cooker recipes because he calls it a classic family comfort food that reminds him of childhood and Mom. This is an Americanized Hungarian dish, he says, noting, “Mom used to make it all the time because it was cheap and fed a lot of people.” Mom actually made her paprikash with rabbit and called it rabbit paprikash, but, no matter the meat used, the dish was always a family favorite. In fact, Fr. Kloton says, he has a grandniece who says she will eat paprikash “seven days, seven ways.” The full recipe appears in the Rectory, Set, Cook! 2024 cookbook available for purchase, but we’ll share a few of Fr. Kloton’s top tips here: Wondra flour is a true time saver because it comes in a handy can and is easy to mix with no lumps. However, he is quick to note, “Mom always said lumps assured you something was homemade.” Bone-in chicken thighs are key here. You need about six. Cook the chicken in the crockpot with the bones, then, when finished, debone the chicken, which should pull easily off the bones. Cooking with the bones is critical for delicious gravy flavor. Sour cream is a key ingredient in the gravy and a chicken paprikash signature flavor. The final product is delicious served over rice, and Fr. Kloton is a fan of basic, boil-in-bag white rice, which he finds both tasty and simple to make. Use a green garnish for nice presentation. Fresh curly parsley is like the cherry on top.

TEAM ST. MAXIMILIAN KOLBE, POCONO PINES PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Paschal Mbagwu MASTER CHEF: Thomas Schulz THE DISHES: HONEY BUTTER GARLIC SALMON, NIGERIAN JOLLOF, & FRIED PLANTAINS Where Fr. Paschal Mbagwu comes from, which is Nigeria, he says, there is always a competition: Who makes the best jollof? Is it chefs from Ghana or chefs from Nigeria? Fr. Mbagwu, of course, knows the answer is most definitely "chefs from Nigeria," and he'll challenge anyone to a "jollof-off." If you're unfamiliar, jollof, which is pretty much the national dish of West Africa, is a spiced rice and tomato-based dish. In Nigeria, according to The Food Network, jollof is cooked in a tomato broth often with curry spices and meat. (The Food Network also acknowledges the fierce debate over who makes it best, calling the competitive battle "The Jollof Wars.") Fr. Mbagwu's recipe follows The Food Network script, but he has his own special touches and techniques. First off, he makes his own tomato paste and says everyone should consider that. It takes a few steps, but the results are worth it. Simply cut up six or seven tomatoes - he used Roma on this day - puree in a blender, then pour into an empty, unseasoned, ungreased pot. Let the tomato puree cook until the water dries off and it turns into a paste. In a new pot, heat some olive oil and add onions and the tomato paste. Fry all of this together and add spices and a bit of chicken broth. Not so hard, right? What kind of spices? Fr. Mbagwu uses crushed red pepper straight from Nigeria. You can use what you'd like. Fun fact: While in Nigeria, Fr. Mbagwu never cooked this - or any - dish. In Nigeria, the men simply do not cook, and even setting foot in the kitchen is frowned upon. So when he got to the States and began cooking, he said, he called his sister and asked her how to make jollof. The rest is history. As a side dish, Fr. Mbagwu chose fried plantains, which he says are a favorite of Bishop Joseph Bambera and Msgr. Dale Rupert, to whom he often gifts them. There are as many ways to make plantains, Fr. Mbagwu says, as there are to make jollof. You can roast them and let the skins burn off, and they are healthier. "But fried plantains are tastier," Fr. Mbagwu says. There is but one cardinal rule: Do not call plantains bananas. They may be in the banana family, and they may even look somewhat similar, but they are NOT bananas, and they taste completely different. Jollof easily can serve as a main course, with a side of plantains, but this Rectory, Set, Cook! meal included another main course: a beautiful honey butter garlic salmon (which actually contains no butter) expertly prepared by Fr. Mbagwu's friend and parishioner Thomas Schulz, a.k.a. Tom Tom, a man with plenty of culinary chops. Tom says he spent 10 years as "a fisherman, fish cutter, you name it" working on longboats in Florida. He came to the Poconos because his wife, Desiree, wanted to be near her youngest daughter. "Happy wife, happy life," he explained, noting that Desiree is also a chef in her own right. The couple once traveled around the country and operated a food truck, becoming famous for hot dogs topped with mashed potatoes, among other delicacies. Desiree once entered a chocolate chili with coconut sour cream into a chili cookoff, and the tasters never looked at chili the same again. Oh, and did we mention they also make their own ketchup? Blueberry ketchup is a specialty. The Schulzes noted that ketchup used to be made from other fruits besides tomatoes, and its sole purpose was to mask bad or green meat. The things you learn ... But back to the salmon. Honey and soy sauce are the most magical partners here. The gist of this recipe involves whisking together honey, the juice of half a lemon, an ounce of water and some soy sauce, then pouring it over salmon frying in a hot pan. If you really want to give the dish some pow, Tom says, throw in a couple of crushed red pepper flakes with the oil. When the salmon is mostly cooked, add about four cloves of chopped garlic - more like cubed garlic - over top, then knock the garlic off, pushing it down into the pan to release the flavor and brown. Knock the garlic off before serving because plenty of flavor will remain. This main course comes together quickly and pairs perfectly with the jollof for a colorful, filling, and exquisite meal. Who was the collar and who was the scholar here? Hard to tell! Fr. Mbagwu wears the collar, obviously, but both he and Tom are students as well as teachers of food. "He's a teaching priest," Tom said of Fr. Mbagwu, noting he learns as much about theology as about food from his pastor. "We learn from one another," Fr. Mbagwu was humbly quick to add.

PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Ryan Glenn, pastor, Christ The King, Archbald, and pastor, Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Jermyn; associate director of continuing formation of priests, Diocese of Scranton. SOUS CHEFS: Rockne O’Connor and Megan Hassaj of Holy Cross High School, Dunmore, and Sophia Fernandez, Juliana Bonacci, and Alexa Connolly, of LaSalle Academy THE DISHES: SLOW-COOKER MAC-AND-CHEESE, HOMEMADE CHICKEN NUGGETS, AND PANWICH When Fr. Ryan Glenn was young – he still is young, but you know what we mean – chicken “nugs” were his favorite. Dino-shaped, of course. So it was only fitting that when asked to participate in the Collars + Scholars year three iteration of Rectory, Set, Cook! Fr. Glenn, now a three-year participant, chose homemade chicken nuggets as one of the three stars of his cooking show. Fittingly, Fr. Glenn selected nuggets, slow-cooker mac and cheese and something called panwich, which is basically peanut butter and jelly/jam in a pancake sandwich. He called his menu “School Lunch Favorites” and invited students from both Holy Cross High School and LaSalle Academy to join him in the kitchen to whip up the winning formulas. Will these all be winners? You’ll have the final say in that, but we will say this. All the schoolkids present in the making of this video testified that the mac and cheese tasted exactly like school mac and cheese – and that’s a good thing! – and they said the chicken nuggets were probably even better than what comes out of the cafeteria. For that, we’ll credit Holy Cross’s Rockne O’Connor (who, for all you Notre Dame fans out there, has a brother Leahy and a dog Holtz) and Megan Hassaj, who displayed extreme slicing and dicing skills in shaping fresh chicken into the perfect homemade nuggets. While they prepared and placed the chicken, Sophia Fernandez, Juliana Bonacci, and Alexa Connolly learned a thing or two (or five) in the kitchen about slow-cookers and how they actually CAN boil macaroni and about how pancakes can stand in for bread just about any time. They also learned that ovens don’t always work the way we want them to, alas. Fr. Glenn inherited the tricky oven that gave one of last year’s Rectory, Set, Cook! rockstars a hard time, but somehow he soldiered on, and chicken nuggets were on the table in no time. OK, maybe a little bit of time. Maybe a LOT of time. The point is they made it to the table. And they were absolutely delicious! That’s because Fr. Glenn DOES know how to cook! His mother, Maria, taught him well, and he’s an overcomer. No misbehaving, hundred-year-old oven can defeat this master pastor chef!

PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Shawn M. Simchock, Administrator Pro Tem, St. Ann Parish, Williamsport THE DISH: HOMEMADE MEATBALLS / MEATBALL PARMIGIANA SUBS “There is a distinct taste to a frozen meatball,” says Fr. Shawn Simchock. That’s why you’ll never find this former 10-year manager of a Perkins Restaurant and Bakery serving anything of the sort. Fr. Simchock is team all-homemade all the time when it comes to meatballs and says it’s his tradition to fry his meatballs rather than bake them in the oven. And his secret to frying success? Pure lard. “Despite the lack of healthiness,” he says, “lard just gives you such good results.” Out in Billport, however – and many may not know this – lard can be like the holy grail and hard to come by. Fr. Simchock says he can pick up lard anywhere in Northeastern Pennsylvania, but he finally found his prize ingredient only after heading to South Williamsport. Fortunately for our cookoff, the southern end of the land of baseball came through, and the garlicky delicious meatballs sizzled, then shined. Serving tips? On fresh bakery rolls, with sauce and melted cheese. Meatball hoagies are life! Fun facts about Fr. Shawn: He has a degree in political science from Bloomsburg University. Never used it, he says. He worked in a restaurant, then in insurance, and never would have seen himself becoming a priest. But the Spirit works in mysterious ways, and he found himself a COVID-era ordinand in 2020. He’s no fan of his side-by-side refrigerator. Is anyone really? Why do such appliances even exist? We often ask the same question.

PASTOR CHEF: Fr. Thomas Augustine, administrator, pro tem, St. Brigid Parish, Friendsville PREPARING: CHICKEN CURRY Good and good for you - that's chicken curry. Fr. Thomas Augustine, who came to the Diocese of Scranton from the Diocese of Nellore, India, has brought with him - and shared with Rectory, Set, Cook! 2024 - one of his favorite dishes from his homeland. Starring onion, fresh garlic, ginger root, tomatoes and BUTTER, what's not to love? A word about butter: Fr. Augustine, whose predecessor at St. Brigid Parish was the butter-loving Fr. Kevin Miller, is happy to carry the torch for the ingredient both priests heartily agree makes everything better!