Easter is traditionally associated with the return of rich foods to Christian diets. In the Middle Ages, Europeans followed a very strict diet during the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter. They had only one meal a day and could eat no dairy, meat or eggs. Fish was allowed.

I often wonder if this dietary practice was a function of the calendar. Lent usually begins in February or early March. (Easter is a lunar holiday so it can vary.)

At that time of year centuries ago, before refrigeration and the food systems we have in place today, people in a largely agrarian society would likely have run through many of their winter stores of crops and animals.

If they had to starve, they might as well do so in the pursuit of a holier life, they figured. At least that’s my theory.

However much or little people cut out food for Lent, Easter was, as I noted above, a time to bring a little party into one’s mouth. It still is.

Last month, I noted that Wells Provisions on Route 2 in Charlemont was having one of its pop-up Saturdays. Formerly a full-time café, Wells is now only open once or twice a month. (More on that later.)

On the menu for that day, according to the email I received, were beignets, long a symbol of ”lesbons temps” in Louisiana. It occurred to me that making these delectable blobs of fried dough would be a perfect way to embrace the excess of Easter.

I asked my closest friends from Louisiana, Alice and Marie Gagnard, if they had a beignet recipe to share. Unfortunately, although they make terrific savory dishes (the gumbo! the po’ boys! the jambalaya!), the Gagnard sisters are not pastry makers. They told me they had made beignets only once … from a mix.

Your Daily Puzzles

Cross|Word

Flipart

Typeshift

SpellTower

Really Bad Chess

I was not looking for a mix. I turned to Wesley Janssen, who with her husband Levi owns and runs Wells Provisions. Wesley said she would be happy to share her recipe.

I stopped in at the February pop-up at the café, hoping to snag a beignet to photograph. Unfortunately, by the time I got to the front of the very long line, the beignets were gone. Fortunately, Wesley invited me to come watch her make beignets at a quieter time.

So … one quiet weekday I dropped by to learn about beignets. Wesley made her initial preparations the night before; as you can see from the recipe below, the dough needs to rest overnight in the refrigerator.

While her husband Levi stirred a giant pot of gumbo nearby, she kneaded the dough to release the power of the yeast inside, rolled out the dough, and then used a dough cutter to slice it into squares. The squares went into the fryer and emerged soon thereafter, little pillows of golden goodness.

Wesley let them drain for a minute or two and then sprinkled confectioner’s sugar all over them. They were meltingly delicious.

As we ate our beignets (yes! I had two!), we talked about the recent changes at Wells Provisions. More than a year ago the formerly busy café and market closed.

Wesley explained that although the Janssens had always enjoyed a strong and loyal clientele, the place was difficult to run on a regular basis.

“Staffing a restaurant or café, especially in our rural location, proved to be a significant hurdle,” she sighed.

After a period of reflection, Wells Provisions shifted to its current model. The Janssens do a lot of catering, and once or twice a month they open the business for a pop-up. They serve their signature New Orleans food. They also sell frozen favorites for take-home use.

“We just cook, cook, cook, cook, cook, freeze, freeze, freeze, freeze, freeze,” Wesley said wryly.

They bring in a little help on the pop-up days, including their three children, who seem to relish helping in the kitchen and waiting tables.

“They’re learning so many skills and a work ethic,” Wesley noted proudly. In fact, she told me, the new format has provided the whole family with more time together, at work and also at home.

The pop-ups are a mob scene … but a fun mob scene. I struck up a conversation with the people in front of me in line and saw several people I know there.

“Doing the pop-ups lets us open up this space to the community,” Wesley enthused. “It’s this great local party. I love seeing this space come alive.”

In the months to come, the Janssens have plans for a crawfish boil in North Adams at Tourists, an inn and restaurant.

In addition to the regular pop-ups and their catering gigs, they hope to partner with a costume designer and a vintage storekeeper to present a pop-up called “Wares and Wears.” It will offer clothing, home goods, and furniture, along with the Janssens’ own coffee and baked goods.

To learn about upcoming events at Wells Provisions, visit its website, www.wellsprovisions.com. Meanwhile, enjoy the beignets!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup warm water (between 105 and 115 degrees)

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 egg

1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup evaporated milk

3-1/2 cups flour, divided in 2

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2-1/2 tablespoons sweet butter, at room temperature

oil as needed for deep frying (vegetable, peanut, or canola)

confectioner’s sugar for garnishing

Instructions:

In a medium-size bowl mix together the warm water, the sugar, and the yeast. Set aside for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mixture becomes foamy and the yeast is dissolved.

In a separate large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the egg, the vanilla, and the evaporated milk. Beat half the flour (1-3/4 cups) and the salt into the mixture. Next, add the yeast/sugar mixture. Beat.

Add the butter, and continue whisking with the hand mixer, finally adding in the remaining 1-3/4 cups of flour. The hand mixer may not work as well as your clean hands at this point; feel free to use your hands to finish combining the dough. It may be a bit sticky, but that is normal.

Transfer the dough to a large enough container for it to expand by at least 50%. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or preferably 24 hours. Time allows the dough to develop more flavor.

When you’re ready to make the beignets, prepare a work surface with flour. Knead your dough to “wake up” the yeast, and roll it out until it’s approximately 1/4 inch thick. Cut the dough into squares that are approximately 2 inches wide.

Ideally the beignets should rest a little while at room temperature to continue rising, but Wesley rushed this process with me, and they still puffed up nicely in the oil.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees in a thick-bottom pan that can be used for frying. You’ll want to have at least 3 inches of fry oil.

Fry the beignets in small batches so they don’t touch. After they float to the top of the oil, cooking takes approximately one minute on each side (flip with a slotted spoon).

Once the beignets are cooked, remove them from the oil. Let them rest; then drain them. Wesley has a fryer so she just lifts the basket out and lets it drain into the oil, but you may need to blot your beignets on paper towels.

Top the beignets with a generous amount of powdered sugar, “or since we’re in New England,” says Wesley, “a little less powdered sugar and a generous spoonful of maple cream, which will melt over the warm beignets!”

Makes about 16 beignets.

Tinky Weisblat is an award-winning cookbook author and singer known as the Diva of Deliciousness. Visit her website, TinkyCooks.com.