Happy Holidays!!!

Recently, I met up with Gossip Girl’s Zuzanna Szadkowski who plays ‘Dorota’ and found out what she plans on doing during the Holiday Season!

SV: What are you doing this year for the Holidays?

Zuzanna: I’m going to go spend a little time with my parents in North Carolina for the Christmas Holiday. We do a very traditional Polish Christmas. Like twelve courses!

SV: You are from Poland originally, but moved here when you were three?

Zuzanna: Yes

SV: Have you been back since?

Zuzanna: Yeah, I go a lot. I mean I have my immediate family that lives there.This summer I was there. My mom, dad and myself are the only people from my whole family who live in America. Everyone else is in Warsaw…so I’ve been going back as often as possible, kinda my whole life. Also, I have a couple of super close friends who live in Poland that I count among my best friends, so it’s nice to go there and hang out with them. I really grew up with my girlfriend, Paulina who’s there. She’s like my childhood companion from when we were kids. When we were 16, we back-packed around Europe so it was really funny because I would go to Poland and then travel. She’s one of my best friends so I try to get there as much as I can.

SV: What’s your favorite Polish food?

Zuzanna: Oh, that’s definitely easy for me – Pierogi are my favorite! I like – what actually in Poland is called ‘Russian Pierogi’. It’s just potato and cheese. My parents make it for you know, during the holidays. We’ll always make a batch together. I’ve never really mastered it on my own (laughs). So, that’s my favorite and beyond that, I kinda like…um…well, there are a lot of things I’ve had in Poland that I really like. Things like pickles…and poached donuts.

SV: Poached donuts???!!!

Zuzanna: (laughing) Um, it’s a totally different taste than an American donut, it has rose petal jam inside.

SV: What? (laughing)

Zuzanna: Yeah, it’s crazy good! But those are kinda like the most obvious things. My parents are really into Polish food so like they eat a lot of things that gross me out.

SV: Like what?

Zuzanna: My dad will eat, like, Pig knuckles (laughs) and tripe. So there’s a lot of stuff that I, you know, find ‘too much’ for me but I kinda like the more ‘obvious’ things (laughing). Yeah, it can be really challenging…the Polish cuisine.

SV: So you’re close to your parents then?

Zuzanna: Yeah, I’m an only child.

SV: Any plans for New Years?

Zuzanna: Not really, I always just kinda play it by ear. I’ve never really done anything ‘big’. I always end up with a small group of people somewhere random. Um, I don’t know, I’ve just never found a way to really – you know, like get that Holiday up and it’s like I feel like it’s where you are too – you can kinda go just anywhere and there’s a lot of weird things going on (laughs). “I like it when places are cool and atmospheric in their own way”.

You can watch “Chasing Dorota” webisodes at GossipGirlInsider.com

***Writer’s Note***

I recorded the interview on my handheld voice recorder. Then, while traveling from Vegas to California a few weeks ago, I copied everything off of the recorder into my notebook for easy reference. Took this random snapshot whilst doing so*

***Check back for more questions and answers from my interview with Zuzanna, coming soon***