If you haven't had a chance to visit the French Quarter in New Orleans, you've missed out on gourmet French pastries called beignets (pronouced ben-yaze), a signature of the crescent city.

But relief is coming in the mail. Order your own beignet mix, fry them up at home, put on your own Powderface t-shirt, and turn up the zydeco music to experience a little bit of Mardi Gras on your tastebuds.