For hundreds of years in my beloved Catholic Poland, my countrymen have been celebrating the arrival of Lent by making pa,czki jelly-filled donuts covered in sugary glaze. Absolutely delicious, (and fattening!) For Ostatki, the day before Ash Wednesday, homemakers and bakers make these dough balls filled with strawberry, raspberry, prune, blueberry, apple, lemon, and custard jellies, to savor with a cup of tea or coffee before fasting for the traditional 40 days.

I thank my friend Richard Duslack in Chicago, who worked with my dear mother in the US Peace Corps in Poland, for reminding me of the correct pronunciation about the “a with a tail,” at this wonderful time of the year.

Alinka Zyrmont
www.alinkazyrmont.com