Is anyone sufficiently acquainted with Polish cooking or language to be able to tell me what dish Susie presented for the gathering at the beginning of the story?
"Get yourself a Glock and lose that nickel-plated sissy pistol."
It's a little late for me to answer, but I thought I'd offer my thoughts.
Based on something that the character said and then the idea that it did not belong next to the "award-winning stawberry scones," I jumped to the conclusion...right or wrong...that it must be Salatka Jarzynowa, a Polish vegetable salad, served especially for Christmas and Easter.
Many different versions exist and recipes can easily be found online.
I think she said "kluski ?l?skie, Polish delicacy" or something. In the brief glimpse I got they looked more like kluski k?adzione or kopytka, but she definitely said they were some type of kluski.
shareSorry -- the accents didn't come through. That should be kluski slaskie and kluski kladzione.
At the end, they're walking into mass, and Mrs McCarthy has made some kluski for Susie to apologize, and Susie tastes one. Is Susie planning on not taking communion or was she that reluctant to offend Mrs McCarthy by waiting until after mass? Why would Mrs McCarthy take a bowl of noodles with her into church?