Thinking about making Mother's Day special with a homemade breakfast? Sure you are! So why not combine it with a personal "are you a (wo)man, or are a (wo)mouse?" sort of challenge, just for kicks! Test your abilities and push the threshold of your skill set by trying to make her some of those oh! so elegant, ever so European morning emblems of simplicity and grace- the delicate crêpe! Crêpes are the epitome of elegant breakfast foods. They are delicate, lacey, uncomplicated and...dare I say, feminine? Voila! Your kitchen becomes an expansive (but, not necessarily expensive!) coquette's wardrobe, for you can dress up a crêpe with virtually anything! This is a dish of extreme versatility. You can start with the standby classic and my favorite- fresh lemon juice and sugar followed by a half fold and then a quarter fold to get that little triangle and from there, look into all of your other options with vegetables or fruits and don't forget the herbs!
While crêpes can be summed up as thin pancakes, and we all know how easy it is to make pancakes, crêpes are not as easy to pull off. In the most sexist terms possible- its the difference between seducing a man or a woman, into bed. Like an American pancake, your everyday man is ready to flip over on a moment's notice. While a woman, who is more like the finicky crêpe, requires all the trimmings first and then a little extra style and forethought to get her going. For starters, having the right exquipment on hand will help. Bad idea to show up empty handed and unprepared for the ritual of making it with a crêpe.
First, you need a crêpe pan, a regular old sauté pan just won't do. A crêpe pan is a very shallow frying pan only about an inch or two high and they come in a variety of sizes. Large or small, always remember to use lubrication so brush it with melted butter and a lot of love but, not too much! You can try spreading the melted butter with a folded square of papertowel if you don't have a pastry brush. Mix your batter; flour, eggs, cream, whole milk, and sugar if you want sweet crêpes and then strain though a fine sieve to remove all lumps. This is an important step. Don't skip it! Use cheesecloth if you don't have a very fine mesh strainer or sifter.
Then set the bowl of batter in the fridge for an hour of time out. Make sure you give your batter d'amore time to chill. Crêpes don't like to move too fast. They prefer to take it slow for maximum enjoyment, don't try to rush it, you both win big in the end! When the time is up, gently stir and then begin with a small ladle full of the batter in the heated pan. Swiftly swirl to the edges. Send the crêpe love and show it some finesse! Who's the hot cook in the kitchen, baby? You are! You are!
When you see the bubbles and a bit of color on the edges, flip it over! Make sure she is good and done but, not too done! You want her to be nice and soft for your tastebuds to enjoy and nothing can be delicate if its chewy! Sugar, cinnamon, fruit, whipped cream.... you'll be glad to have them on hand, when the time is right. Don't be afraid to experiment with fruit! And if its lunch time or brunch time, use those vegetables!
Have a Happy Mother's Day and feel good about yourself for having conquered the crêpe! Remember, if you want to go the extra mile- think about getting inventive with flowers, too!
How would your mom like a fresh strawberry filled crêpe with rose scented whipped cream and fragrant tea rose petals sprinkled all over? Just add a touch of essential rose oil to a bowl full of chilled heavy whipping cream a bit of sugar and mix away! Order the tea roses in advance at your local specialty flower shop! Color Magic and Moonstone are two very fragrant and beautiful, hybrid tea roses. The roses that you can buy in the grocery store, just won't do so don't even think about it. Tea roses offer a variety of exquisite, sumtuous fragrances and are well worth obtaining, especially for the purpose of sprinkling them on your breakfast masterpiece!
Or how about a lemon and sugar crêpe with a touch of flowering basil? Divine! Simple, invigorating, and garnished the herb of love! Or try a nice light crème fraîche filling with a dash of lavendar flowers and blueberries! Deeeelicious! Now that you've gone all the way with crêpes, don't be afraid to lavish them with garden delights! They will love it and so will you!
"Cooking is like love, it should be entered into with abandon, or not at all."
-Harriet van Horne
