For Polish bakeries, few holidays are bigger than Fat Tuesday the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. The consumption of Pączkis (pronounced punch" and "key"), or traditional deep-fried doughnuts with sweet fillings like fruit jam, is believed to bring good luck. A properly made Pączki is a yellow ball of heavy cream, pasteurized egg yolks, yeast, salt, flour, and a splash of rum. Then, the balls are flung onto a tray in neat rows and dunked in oil heated to 375 degrees. After each Pączki cools, it is sprinkled with powdered sugar or slathered in glaze, leaving a smooth, rounded exterior and a tiny pocket of air between the fruit and dough. Today being my partner's birthday, he was in the mood for these sweets. Unfortunately, our local Polish bakery was closed for vacation. Our friend has informed us that he shops at this establishment located off River Drive in Garfield. Upon arriving, there were shoppers lined up by the deli next to the bakery, and the sighting of these donuts made me smile. These came in 2 flavors: raspberry jelly, and rose hips, or thick prune-and-apple lekvar jam. We decided on three each at $1.50. These were freshly made and hit the spot. read more