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At Delightful Pastries in Jefferson Park, they fill paczki with more than plum or rose jam.

Whether you call it Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday or Carnival, it usually conjures up images of flying beads, masqueraded party-goers on floats, and general all-out debauchery. But you don’t need to attend a parade this week to join in the decadent festivities.

Paczki from Oak Mill Bakery (photo: Joseph Storch)Last year, I happened to be in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and recall it was just a week after the Saints had won the Super Bowl; it was mid-February.

While Fat Tuesday is typically a day of debauchery for many Americans, it's also a time for some Cajun-inspired gluttony for many foodies.

the $4.95 lunch special at the Pita Inn (photo by Steve Dolinsky)There really isn't much to find these days on the lunch front for less than five bucks. I mean, you can get a burrito or a burger, but that never really satisfies - both from a taste and a nutritional standpoint.

a plethor of paczki from Old Mill Bakery (photo by Steve Dolinsky)While everyone concentrates on Fat Tuesday parties next week, Chicagoans know that today is also a big day for the million or so residents in our area of Polish descent.