Polish Delights

I really miss the variety of international foods available in the St. Petersburg area.  I was determined that this year we would try some Polish pierogi, having spotted two Polish deli's last year.  There were a couple customers in the first deli we went to and they spoke mostly Polish to the cashier/clerk who was speaking ALL Polish.  I was a little bit nervous about ordering as I really didn't know what to cook or how to cook it, much less how or what to order!  With a little patience from the clerk we came home with some fresh kielbasa (AWESOME!!!), some meat pierogi and some sauerkraut pierogi (our favorite).  

We first boiled the kielbasa in beer and onions. Then we grilled it over charcoal.  I sauteed the pierogi (yes, that's plural) in butter and onions.  We enjoyed it so much, we decided to invite our other Canadian neighbors over for a meal of kielbasa and pierogi.

The day they were going to come over for supper is the day we went back to the deli for supplies.  We got there, went up to the door and discovered they were closed! We looked at each other with that stunned look and Rudy said to me, "Now what are you going to do?"  "

Me?", I exclaimed!  As we were sorting through that, the previous clerk came through the darkness and unlocked the front door.  She said she was closed but she was back counting money.  She recognized us and invited us in.  (I must learn some Polish.)  Anyway, we got what we needed for supper that night and even bought some Polish treats which were as good as they looked.

Here's Jeanine looking over the pierogi.  Can you believe she's 74!!!  

The Kielbasa

For dessert we had Chrusciki, a Polish cookie.  (I love all the natural ingredients with no preservatives added, no matter what nationality.)  These fragile pastries are a Polish pre-Lenten treat, otherwise known as Angel Wings.

Our local Publix store in St. Petersburg also had some Paczki.  Paczki are Polish doughnuts, sort of like bismarks.  They are eaten on Fat Thursday in Poland and Fat Tuesday in the United States but don't ask me why.  I said that I'd be fat by Tuesday if I ate too many of them!