Crepes are also something that I've had in many different cultures. Walking through the crowded, brightly colored shops in Japanese malls, you will almost always find a crepe shop with options as delicious as bananas, whipped cream, and chocolate, to crepes as unimaginable as hot dog with ketchup and lettuce. In Japan, they serve you the crepe in a paper cone which holds in all of the goodies wrapped in the wonderful golden crepe. I've also had crepes in Amsterdam which were served in huge portions, crepes as big as serving platters, grilled flat with thinly sliced apples and cinnamon or spinach and melted brie.
Part of the magic of crepes is that no matter what you put in them, they almost always taste amazing, whether as simple as butter or a pile of fresh veggies and decadent cheese. Growing up, we'd always pile the inside of the crepe high with fresh sliced strawberries and whipped cream, and my Dad taught me that the simple combination of lemon and powdered sugar was unbeatable.
Tonight, I used what I had in my fridge which included pre-shredded "Mexican mix" cheese from Trader Joes, sliced ham, and fresh chopped parsley. I made enough for about 4 medium crepes that were a little thicker than normal, but had to make more batter to make enough for dessert crepes. Yum! I used the Joy of Cooking's "Sweet Crepe" recipe for this concoction that, despite the name, works just as well for savory crepes.
Joy of Cooking's "Sweet Crepes"
Recipe makes 4-6 medium crepes depending on thickness (with my toppings, it made 4)You will need:
-1/2 cup flour
-1/2 cup milk
-1/4 cup lukewarm water
-2 Tablespoons melted butter
-2 eggs
-1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
-pinch of salt
-various fillings/toppings including shredded cheese, ham, herbs, parsley, etc (for savory) or thinly sliced apples, sugar, butter, cinnamon, etc. (for sweet)
1. Mix all crepe ingredients together (obviously not including the toppings) in one bowl with a whisk, combining well (it can be a little clumpy, but smooth as possible)
2. Spray a small/medium sized pan with non-stick spray or spread a small amount of butter, just to cover the pan. Heat for about a minute on medium low heat.
3. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into the pan while holding the pan in the air and simultaneously tipping the pan side to side and around to spread the batter, evenly as possible, in a thin layer around the pan. (This is the hardest part! Don't get discouraged if you get it wrong the first couple times. My Dad is the master at this and taught me well, but I used to get frustrated when the crepe would cook too fast for me to spread it around or I created holes in the layer. If this happens, just add a little more batter and swirl around over the missing parts.)
4. Depending on the type of crepe you're making, you can add toppings into the wet batter on the top side of the crepe. Tonight I added cheese, ham, and parsley into the batter. This would be the time to add any items you want coked into the crepe rather than sitting on top.
5. Check the bottom of the crepe carefully with a spatula (try not to break it). Some people like their crepes dark, but I like my crepes on the light-brown side. So when they're looking like this, I slip the spatula under the crepe and in one fluid motion, flip it over! Let it cook until the color is to your liking.
6. Slip the crepe carefully from the pan onto a plate. You can add any other toppings you want at this point. For example, if you made a dessert crepe, you may choose to cover your crepe with a dollop of whip cream or a sprinkle of powdered sugar. As a fun option for a group of people, you can serve a pile of plain crepes in a big stack with bowls of various ingredients for people to help themselves. SERVE and enjoy!
I hope you try making crepes and remember: be creative! These are quick and simple and perfect for making a memorable Sunday morning (or night!)
Happy cooking!
-Kristin
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