Hot Cross Bun Season

Recipe here

https://youtube.com/shorts/um9YAMgJ2A8?si=A2C1u_lULigy2fOc Short video on YouTube

I did not split, toast and butter as recommended. Maybe tomorrow morning

It’s a short season. They remind me of childhood. These were purchased at FreshMarket this morning.

Wordless Wednesday

Bloomfield Groceria 7th Anniversary

It all started when I went to photograph a little glass jar of anchovies at Bloomfield Groceria. It happened to be Wednesday. The special is Famous Meat Ball on Italian Roll.

After the tinned fish tasting post I was seeking jarred fish examples
Meet Rick. He’s been the owner of the business for 7 years and is celebrating.
His wife baked all of these delicious cookies.
I bought the Famous Meat Ball Hoagies today
My friend Tookie set her luncheon table beautifully, highlighting Rick’s Famous Meat Ball Hoagie. The cookies were from Groceria.
There’s a wide array of frozen ravioli and other Italian specialities, too
I chose a Lemon Ginger cookie! so good ❤️

A Tinned Fish Tasting

Guest blog.

My granddaughter Anna was invited to a Tinned Fish Tasting.

Do you have a favorite tinned fish?

“We had tuna, sardines and smoked salmon”

Tried sardines today! Pretty good.”

And earlier on Sunday my friend Jen brought me a tin of fish by the same brand

Here’s a tin of anchovies I found on my pantry shelf

Gray Skies? No Problem

Short video

https://youtube.com/shorts/jj9O59GD-F0?si=PFJLmXvonr1Qfmv8

Spring bouquets.

And an almond Danish Kringle in the cart

Sweet Guilty Pleasure

Do you have one?

A little sweet treat at the finish

I’ve posted lots of apples

Highlights from old posts when searching for the tag “apples”

How many seeds does a teacher plant?
A Christmas gift

One bad apple

PĄCZKI is PRONOUNCED POONCH-KEY or PUNCH-KEY

A Reblog from the archives.

Fat Tuesday posts

PĄCZKI SALES ARE HOT FOR FAT TUESDAY

Tuesday March 5th is Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras.

Pączki  is pronounced Poonchkey. The Pączki sign was in the bakery window as my friend Donna and I were headed to her home after eating breakfast in Dormont.  I had never heard of them.We parked and I went into the bakery and Lynn was wonderful to tell me all about the Pączki.  I bought six, three for Donna and three for Steve and me.  Lynn put each order in white bakery bags.    When we got back to Donna’s we cut one in half and shared it along with a cup of tea.

If you live in Pittsburgh they are available through Fat Tuesday at the Party Cake Shop on Brookline Boulevard.

Here is what the Party Cake Shop says   “Pączki is a pre-Lenten Mardi Gras tradition deriving from the Polish word meaning little package.

These little packages are large pastries enriched with egg yolks and deep fried like a doughnut. Each Paczki is available plain or filled with various fillings that include: vanilla custard, lemon, apricot, buttercream, chocolate buttercream, raspberry jelly, or prune and finished off with a toss in granulated sugar. “

The taste reminded me of a fresh doughnut from childhood.  Much tastier than any doughnut I have eaten in years.  I see there are recipes online to make your own but a trip to Party Cake Shop would be well worth the effort.  Last summer visiting friends took the ‘Burgh Bits and Bites Food Tour in Pittsburgh’s neighborhood of Brookline.

 

Happy Fat Tuesday.  

Today some friends brought over this fancy box of Pączki from the Oakmont Bakery, decorated with a Mardi Gras mask. What a nice surprise to find on the porch.  Steve and I cut one in half and shared it.

Later we cut another one in half and shared it.  So a total of one apiece but two different fillings on Monday.

Looking forward to Tuesday’s sampling. The idea is to eat the last of rich fatty treats prior to Ash Wednesday that marks the beginning of Lent.

Two years ago I posted how my friend Donna introduced me to Pączki in the Brookline neighborhood Party Cake Shop bakery. (pronounced Poonch-Key or Punch-Key)
Pączki  means “little package” in Polish.  It is a traditional filled baked good fried in deep fat and filled with different fruit or cream fillings. They can be glazed or sugared on the outside.

on Bakery Case in the Party Cake Shop in BrooklineHere is a fruit filled one. Some have custard or cream. Pączki is from 2019 post at Party Cake Shop BakeryA sign in the Party Cake Shop window

PACZKI SEASON

Filled doughnuts called Paczki and a great cup of coffee in a the Strip District Pittsburgh. 

Paczki from the Polish Deli in the strip District 
Sign in front of S & D Polish Deli
In Konzum Market Zagreb Croatia 

Essentially Marmalade Filled Doughnuts 

Giant Eagle in Freeport Road

Sourdough Banana Bread

My granddaughter Maura baked Sourdough Banana Bread last week and sent a picture. I’d given her some sourdough starter a couple of weeks ago.

I felt inspired to try and bake it myself. Needed just 3 ripe bananas.

These little glass muffin cups held the leftover batter from the larger loaf.

Here’s the recipe I used. It was really good

Sharon W gsve me the little wooden slice of bread cutting board.

Mine didn’t get that deep golden color

Applesauce Cake and Hot Tea

A knitting friend, book club colleague and neighbor invited me for soup and this was dessert. A hearty winter lunch. I walked around the block in the snow. Most people had shoveled. It took twice as long to get there, though

Beef Barley with sweet Potato Biscuits