It's Fat Tuesday, the last day for Catholics to indulge before fasting for lent.
One way to celebrate is to eat a paczki. It isn't your ordinary doughnut.
It's a polish dessert that bakers fry, fill with sweet goodness and roll in powdered sugar. traditionally they are filled with prune. But the paczkis they're cooking up at Roma Bakery in Lansing have an Italian twist.
"Number one, we don't put any lard and it's all vegetable...We're Italian. I love ricotta. And that's why we're known for that too," said Mena Castriciano, Roma Bakery Co-Owner.
At Roma Bakery there are 10 kinds of paczkis to choose from, including strawberry, raspberry, cherry and many others. Customers say it's hard to pick their favorite one. @@
"As you can see there are several varieties. Can't come without a list. If I don't have a list, I'll get everything in here," said Dave Peake, repeat customer.
The paczki, which doesn't sound anything like it's spelled, is packed with more than just jelly or cream.
"It's close to about 850 in calories, and when we fill it with ricotta cheese, it knocks it up to about 1200 calories," said John Dann, co-owner's nephew.
Customers don't seem to mind. @
"Well for a day, you kind of forget about that. This is the last day you can do these things you're supposed to give up for lent. This is very unhealthy, but people eat it anyway, you know. Kind of live," said Dwaye Yuambra.
