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Foodie French Friday: Crêpes

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Hope you're hungry, 'cuz it is time again for another Foodie French Friday.

This week were are talking crêpes.

Acoording to The Short Guide to Foodie French, Crêpe pronounced [krep] is " a very thin pancake, briefly fried on both sides on a very hot and large griddle. Crêpes are often sprinkled with sugar or stuffed with a variety of sweet pastes or jams."

The French do have a favorite topping : Nutella, a popluar hazelnut spread (maple syrup has not seemed to reach France in any great quantity).

A specialty of the Brittany region, the salty version of the crêpe made using buckwheat flour bears the name galette.

In France, national crêpe-day is February 2, a celebration called Chandeleur.

Seriously, you gotta love a country that not only invented the crêpe, but dedicates an entire day to celebrating them! Add to that the fact that the French love to add Nutella as a fiiiling and I dare any one of you to fault me for being a staunch Francophile. Actually, I double dare ya!

I have made both sweet and savory crêpes. My favorite sweet fillings are, Nutella and strawberry, Nutella and banana (are you begining to see a pattern here?) butter 'n sugar and even Crêpe Suzette, which are filled with two of my all time favorites-oranges and booze. Yep. Grand Marnier.

Oh. My. God.

And my savory favs? Well, those include cheese, any and every kind, but I am especially fond of Gruyère. The gooier, the better. And to the oozing cheese, I like to add ham, onions, spinach and/or mushrooms in any combination.

I have a standard go-to crêpe recipe that I use to make them at home. But while in France, and Paris specifically, I love to grab both sweet and savory from street vendors and stroll the cobbeled streets near the Seine, eating my French street-food. Sure as hell beats the view from my kitchen window!

And though I do enjoy making crêpes at home, I simply adore stumbling onto them when eating out. I have found really great crêpes in my neck of the woods in both Newburgh and Hudson, but also in Montreal. (No huge surprise, since Montreal is French-Canadian!)

But without a doubt, the most authentic and delicious crêpes are best enjoyed in the country that both invented and honors them with a national holiday.

Crêpes. France just wouldn't be France without 'em.

How 'bout you? Do you like crêpes? Where have you had them? What's your favorite filling?

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somepinkflowers
June 19th, 2009
welll…
my favorite crepes of all
are the ones eaten
on the side*walks of paris…
near the pont d’lena
{{ i know, i know,
cheap and touristy
but still warm
with a view }}

Dana
June 19th, 2009
We fell so hard for crepes in Normandy that we bought a prosumer crepe griddle for our kitchen! Some of my favorites are tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil; caramelized pear and blue cheese; and pumpkin butter and brie.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/t.....717436176/

My Melange
June 19th, 2009
Sounds like we think alot alikecherie

My Melange
June 19th, 2009
Oh my. Thanks for the food porn Dana!! I’ll take a carmelized pear and blue cheese…to-go

Scintilla
June 19th, 2009
J’adore les Crepes. Have them in Luxembourg too but they’re not as nice as those savoury ones in Paris.
My daughter studying in the UK said what she missed most about Luxembourg was being able to order a crepe with her coffee in the cafes.

Isabelle
June 19th, 2009
I just made crêpes today for my kids’ “goûter”!!
My recipe is the lightest you can find: flour, eggs and milk.
Then, of course what you add to the crêpe makes it a bit less light!!
My favourite kind is with dark chocolate and coconut powder filling. The chocolate melts with the coconut and makes the crêpe absolutely delicious

Pramod Kumar
June 19th, 2009
Yummmm! Loved the crepes when we had visited Paris, my daughter loved the nutella so much we had to start getting it when we got back

My Melange
June 19th, 2009
I can totaly relate!! And I agree- they are best in Paris

My Melange
June 19th, 2009
Sounds delish. I have never had one with coconut powder, should give it a try!

My Melange
June 19th, 2009
Ah, your daughter sounds like one smart cookie Always good to have Nutella in the house. It goes great on a spoon!!

Merisi's Vienna
June 20th, 2009
I love the way Austrians serve their Crêpes:
The classic Viennese Crêpe – the “Palatschinke” as it is called in Vienna, where it is said to have arrived from France by way of Romania’s plăcintă and via Hungary – is filled with apricot jam from the intensely flavored Wachau apricots, growing along the Danube west of Vienna.
Palatschinken taste best filled right out of the pan and served immediately with only a light dusting of powdered sugar. Some of the best fast foods around! Most kids in Austria have consumed hundreds of them before growing into adulthood, forever addicted!
The ingredients list of the batter here is short:
mix flour and milk with a dash of salt to the consistency of heavy cream.
Let the mixture rest for about half an hour (or longer, in the fridge),
then add 2 eggs (for each cup of flour you used),
being careful not to overmix the batter!
Bon appetit!

My Melange
June 20th, 2009
Oh Merisi, those sound divine. Never had them with apricots before. Thanks for sharing

Kim - Easy French Food
June 21st, 2009
Well my favorite is salted butter and brown sugar and the crepe has to be fresh out of the pan so the butter melts but not all the way. Sweetened chestnut puree is another popular filling not to be missed.

madonnadelpiatto
June 21st, 2009
It is always with great satisfaction that I see a French dish (crepe) improved by an Italian ingredient (Nutella)!

anne
June 22nd, 2009
We had amazing crepes from a great place in Rue du Montparnasse..we each had a savoury one, made with buckwheat..not normally my type of food at all, but it was delicious..
http://www.qype.co.uk/place/18.....tos/375293

My Melange
June 23rd, 2009
Oh yum! I have heard thatarea is the crepe capitol of Paris for a sit down meal with cider, but have yet to make it over there Thanks for sharingAnne

Amy @ The Q Family
June 23rd, 2009
I love crepe!!! But I didn’t have the chance to try it anywhere but only in the US. So I’m sure that I can’t give any review till I can try it elsewhere especially in Europe.