One-quarter Polish
Sunday, February 10th, 2008With the whole family being sick all week, we haven’t had a chance to replenish the refrigerator. Joe remembered that we had pierogies that we bought last month at the Syrenka Cafe. I was never a fan of pierogies, which is quite odd, since I love both potatoes and dough, but I remember my sister and mom frying up Mrs. T’s with onions. I suggested this to Joe, and he said that we’d just boil them. That sounded kind of bland, so I searched online, and found that people suggest boiling them a little, and then frying. I fried up some onion and mushrooms, and added the boiled pierogies, and they were YUMMY. I DO like pierogies, Sam I am, I do! I added Frank’s hot sauce to mine. Does that make me less Polish?
Laura mentioned that she was going to make Paczkis for Fat Tuesday– a Polish tradition she picked up in Chicago. I meant to look it up, but didn’t get around to it– and this morning, I saw a cute piece on this Polish treat on CBS Sunday Morning. Mo Rocca (who I only know from Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me… what is he famous for?) went around Hamtramck on Fat Tuesday and interviewed the sweetest paczki makers– he even went to a bakery we stopped at the time I visited Hamtramck (Martha Washington Bakery– there is a photo of me in the bakery somewhere, but it was pre-digital camera). Anyway, I just assumed that they were like Fastnachts, but really, they are filled with yummy goodness. They look delicious– and it was fun to see people carrying box upon box of paczkis down the street.
I was so excited a few years ago to see a Philadelphia bakery advertising Fastnachts, that I pre-ordered a dozen and brought them in to work… only to find that 3 of my co-workers were out of the office, and another wouldn’t touch anything sweet. Plus, these Fastnachts were not like the Berks County Fastnachts- they were shaped like a croissant, and were sprinkled with granulated sugar. I can’t remember, but I’m sure I managed to eat them all anyway.
Well, since we have been sick sick sick, I haven’t taken any February photos. But here’s one from last February– my little one-eighth Polish babe:
