The weather outside makes us all wish we were in the south of France right now. Though last-minute plane tickets are a little hard to come by, you don’t have to be Julia Child to whip up a little consolatory French dish. Welcome to the ridiculously easy world of Parisian street food: the crepe.
Crepes originated in the northwestern Brittany region of France, but now you can find creperies worldwide. On the streets of Paris, they’re made on giant hot plates, the size of large pizzas, by spreading a thin batter across the entire plate. For Candlemas, known as La Chandeleur in France, people celebrate both the Christian holiday and the coming spring by eating crepes and drinking cider. Candlemas and Groundhog Day (which is next week) are on the same day in the U.S., which I think should add an extra layer to the holiday. Maybe you only get to celebrate with crepes if the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow.
I first learned how to make crepes when I was studying abroad in England. My French flatmate showed me how to use a frying pan instead of a hot plate, more or less according to this method . She said you can use any online recipe, and that the main trick is to avoid lumpy batter — that leaves little bits of flour in the finished product. I had to use a blender to achieve this, but she managed it with a whisk. I’m guessing experience helps.
Crepes can be either sweet or savory — buckwheat is often used for savory crepes, but the simple recipe also works. I’ve mostly made them as a breakfast-for-dinner meal. They’re great with fresh fruit, whipped cream, and — my favorite — in England, lemon curd. My friends from France suggested Nutella, melted chocolate or lemon and sugar. Lucie, who taught me her method, swears by classic sugar and salted butter.
Another interesting variation is crepes Suzette, which is doused in liqueur and served flambé. I’m probably obligated to tell you not to try this in university housing. But if you live off campus … please experiment and get back to me.
