Holy Crêpe!

​Bonsoir! 
 
Yesterday we celebrated La Chandeleur here in France.  Traditionally, the French eat crêpes every February 2, 40 days after Christmas on La Chandeleur, which can be translated as “Candlemas.”  La Chandeleur stemmed from a few pagan traditions, before it was rebranded as a Christion holiday.  The story goes that in the 5th century, the Pope began a candle-lit procession in Rome, where they would hand out crêpes to pilgrims that day.  The French superstition says that when you toss the crêpes in the pan with your right hand, while holding gold in your left, you receive good luck. 
 
I think I love this tradition…well I love crêpes, so anything that lets me eat them is sweet (Actually not all crêpes are sweet, as some are made of hearty wheat with things like ham and cheese in them.)  I love all crêpes!  Ok, that’s not entirely true.  The other day, while I was at a Crêperie with two of my friends, I asked for ‘un crêpe au chocolat noir.’  I’m obviously not great at French yet, so when the waitress asked, “coco?” I responded, “Oui…” thinking she must mean chocolate.  Yeah, she didn’t.  By the way, ‘coco’ is the French word for coconut…as I found out.  I’ll just come out and say it: I hate coconut!  Thankfully they were understanding enough to give me a new crêpe, without coconut this time.  In summary, I love almost all crêpes. 
 
I have not made my own crêpes yet, but my host mom did and they were delicious!  Here is a recipe for you to try if you would like to enjoy your own homemade delicious
French pancakes.  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/crepes-recipe.html  My host mom put rum in the batter, something this recipe suggests for sweet crêpes. 
 
There are so many avenues you can pursue with your crêpe making.  If you want something sweet, you should spread some Nutella, a very French topping.  Add a sliced banana on the Nutella for a healthy yet delectable taste.  La confiture (French fruit preserves) is amazing on anything, especially la baguette and goes perfectly with a crêpe.  Crêpes flambées are almost as incredible to watch as they are to eat.  Experiment and try all your favorite toppings.  I really hope you cook some crêpes!  Then you can feel like you’re in Paris for La Chandeleur! 
 
Share with me the results from making your own crêpes!  (Share the crêpes too)
 
À bientôt,
 
Oliver

P.S'  I passed my first 'French quiz!