Crispy fried sweets for Mardi Gras

Merveilles — "miracles" in French — are puffy, crunchy, sugar-dusted and my favorite for the holiday

Bonjour! Bonjour!

With apologies to my friends in NOLA, I didn’t realize that Mardi Gras was almost here. While it’s not a holiday I celebrate, it’s one that holds a special place in my heart because the first flight I ever took was to visit my aunt in New Orleans and to go to the Mardi Gras parades. My mother said she was picking sequins and confetti out of my clothes for days after I got back to Brooklyn. Since I wasn’t in charge of laundry, I love the thought that my wonderful time at the parades sparkled on.

The realization that Mardi Gras was just days away came to me, as so many things do when I’m in Paris, at a patisserie. I went out for croissants and came home with beignets — not at all the same things. Not even close. But there they were, set out in anticipation of Carnaval. The next thing I knew, I was dunking them into my cappuccino. A nice way to get into the holiday spirit.

Carnaval in France is Mardi Gras in America and indulgent everywhere. In New Orleans (I think of that…