One-quarter Polish
With 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:
February 11th, 2008 at 12:12 am
Well all this talk of pierogies has me hankering to try one of them.
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February 12th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
I hope you are all feeling better! Mads is back at school but now G is wiped. She said yesterday “Mommy, I think that penny I swallowed went down the wrong tube and is making me sick”, she’s had an AWFUL hacking bronchial cough. I’m like G, you swallowed that penny ages ago – I think it’s pretty safe to say it’s gone by now. I told her she’d have been setting off alarms when we left stores if not. So then she tells me she wants to get a metal detector to check all of us and make sure. Can you imagine? Like one of those things from the beach? I am thinking not. PS: I want pierogies now too.
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February 12th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Christy– did you guys get the flu shot? We didn’t this year- I wanted to get it last year, but it had latex in it (I’m allergic), and Lil didn’t have a check-up during Flu season, so it slipped my mind. I hear it’s running rampant in Philadelphia.
Would a penny just come out the other end?
There’s a place in Roxborough that’s supposed to have good Pierogies– I’ll have to try them, now that I know I like them!
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February 13th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
When I lived in Michigan, around this time on the radio all they would talk about are Paczkis. Seeing the word “Hamtramck” brought back those memories…
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February 14th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
I always fry my pierogies with onions and add cheese at the end. Victor loves them. I can’t stand those boiled ones. Hope your ears are better!
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February 14th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
I forgot to tell you that I am also Polish. My maternal great grand parents were 100% off the boat. They had a farm in Bensalem with pigs. My mom & I go to the Polish festival at Czestochowa every year. We should all go this year! It’s in September.
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February 16th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Bonnie– me too– my grammom’s parents were 100% off the boat. My great-grandmother ventured over ALONE at age 16! Can you imagine???
What kind of pierogies do you get? Do you make them from scratch??
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