Preparing for Fat Tuesday Zydeco style

The run up to Lent is for many a time of drinking, overeating, partying, and some low-level mayhem. For me, it had until recently consisted of eating pączki and lamenting that none of them had prune filling. But last week I went to The Bur Oak to see Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas. I didn't recall ever hearing them before the concert but it's Zydeco - what more do you need?

It turned out to be the loudest show I've ever heard at The Bur Oak and it was great! As expected, there was lots of accordion-led booty-shakin' goodness with an occasional slower bluesy number.

I sat in front of the guitarist and he was a hoot, hoppin' around, making faces, and simply putting on a good show as he played some mean rhythms and soloed his heart out. 

Nathan, who reminded us that he was from the land where the crawfish have soul and the gators have the blues, came down into the audience a couple times.

Not only did he play a mean squeeze box but the guy put on a show.

His band seemed to be having fun with smiles all around and they played their hearts out. The guy on washboard was rockin'! 

While I snagged a ticket for C.J. Chenier's show at the Atwood Music Hall earlier this week, I was unable to keep the Zydeco ball rolling as I had another engagement that I had to attend. At least I was able to find someone to take my ticket. It was depressing because Chenier was here a couple years back to play at La Fete de Marquette but he got rained out so I was excited to finally see him play.

Here's some video I shot that night at The Bur Oak:

Quest for Pączki '25

I was reminded that Fat Tuesday approaches as I was grocery shopping last weekend at Woodman's when I saw pączki for sale.

They were from Clyde's Donuts which is in Addison, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago.

Believe you me, I was sorely tempted to buy a box but didn't. I am unfamiliar with Clyde's and, though they may have been made by a Polish baker, I wasn't impressed by the flavor selection. Bavarian Cream? Really? And why do you need to add artificial flavor to a raspberry paczek? Besides, I am fan of the more traditional flavors: prune and rose hip.

The odds of me finding these flavors here in Madison are slim. Maybe prune.

I have heard various people from Poland lament the pączki in these parts as being "Americanized" and little more than a jelly doughnut instead of a proper paczek. Although some of these people have turned their noses up at some less than traditional fillings, I think these folks are referring to the dough. It's just not authentic. But I am unable to figure out what about the dough they're referring to.

Somebody at the Polish Heritage Club here in Madison must be able to explain this to me. Otherwise I'll just have to take a pre-Lent trip to Poland.

So, if you're not going to Poland for Fat Thursday, where can a Madisonian get something almost, but not quite entirely unlike pączki?

Bloom Bake Shop is offering strawberry and Bavarian cream for pickup on Fat Tuesday.

Festival Foods has carried them in the past, including prune, if I recall correctly, but a search at their website came up empty.

I've read that Greenbush Bakery has made them in the past but their website and Facebook page don't mention them.

Ditto for Rolling Pink Bake Shop.

Ditto for Metcalfe's.

The Ugly Apple Cafe makes them as well but they're not open on weekends. However, you can order a batch to pick up at Pasture and Plenty. Unfortunately, they mostly come in fancy flavors: Dark Chocolate Custard, Bourbon Vanilla Bean Custard, Raspberry Rosehip and Brandied Plum. Well, at least there's rose hip and plum, even if the latter is brandied.

Beyond Woodman's, I haven't actively sought any pączki out this year but perhaps I will stop by a bakery or two this weekend to seek out the elusive prune paczek.