La Fête de la Chandeleur

[Abra]

This Saturday, Feb. 1, is the day for making and eating crepes galore. I bumped up the crepe thread here but I'd love to know what crepes folks over here are planning to make. I'm thinking of a 5-6 course crepe birthday lunch for a friend, so some savory and some sweet, some with sarrasin (I know someone will remind me that these are properly called galettes) and some not.

What are your favorites?

[John Talbott]

This Saturday, Feb. 1, is the day for making and eating crepes galore.  I bumped up the crepe thread here but I'd love to know what crepes folks over here are planning to make.  I'm thinking of a 5-6 course crepe birthday lunch for a friend, so some savory and some sweet, some with sarrasin (I know someone will remind me that these are properly called galettes) and some not.

What are your favorites?

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Wow! I had no idea. Thanks, I haven't made crepes in 48 years and my crepe pan is long-since buried somewhere. But maybe I can cruise by a crepes place around Montparnasse for a celebratory one before lunch.

[pennylane]

Yeah, thanks, I had no idea either (knew it was around this time of the year but not when exactly).

I can't make my favourite sarrasin crepes (apparently they can also be called crepes and in fact I read that that's what they're more commonly called in some parts of Brittany) because I've taken a vow not to stock up on any food items (like sarrasin) until I've depleted my existing ingredient hoards. But maybe I should make the fast food version with mushrooms and cheese and eggs (no ham 'cause I'm vegetarian) and then banana and chocolate for dessert. Apple caramel might be nice too.

[Ptipois]

I've already started rehearsing last week, my crêpes were too soft, I'll make sure they'll be the right consistency for la Chandeleur. I always add a little rum or, if I have time, I do the Suzette thing, with real mandarin juice and zest.

The traditional origin of crêpes at la Chandeleur is that hens resume their egg-laying routine at this time of the year. Chandeleur crêpes were originally made with the first eggs of the season.

If you are able to toss your crêpe in the air so that it turns over and falls flat in the pan on its uncooked side, you're very skilled indeed. If you can manage that while holding a gold coin (or, failing that, any amount of metallic currency, or just some money in your pocket), you'll be rich for the year to come.

[John Talbott]

If you are able to toss your crêpe in the air so that it turns over and falls flat in the pan on its uncooked side, you're very skilled indeed. If you can manage that while holding a gold coin (or, failing that, any amount of metallic currency, or just some money in your pocket), you'll be rich for the year to come.

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My experience was that once I'd made about 15 I could flip them with accuracy (The first ones were a disaster). But no coins were involved.

[Dave Hatfield]

Very interesting. A little work on Google made it even more so. We live and learn.

As these things go once somebody points something out you start seeing it all over. Sure enough having read Abra's post this morning I saw a full size billboard advertising a fancy electric crepe maker. (I didn't buy one) then in an Aldi shop they had up posters reminding everyone not to forget Chandeleur. I now will not forget this holiday.

The information has, however, put me in a quandary. We're having a group of French friends over for dinner Saturday night. So, now do I serve them crepes thus showing off my new found knowledge? Or do I make a carrot cake as I'd originally planned? The friends always expect that at least one dish at dinner will be American & I know they will love carrot cake.

Think I'll stick to the carrot cake as I seriously doubt that I'm capable of making good crepes for nine people given that I haven't made a crepe for even longer than John.

[ludja]

...

The traditional origin of crêpes at la Chandeleur is that hens resume their egg-laying routine at this time of the year. Chandeleur crêpes were originally made with the first eggs of the season.

If you are able to toss your crêpe in the air so that it turns over and falls flat in the pan on its uncooked side, you're very skilled indeed. If you can manage that while holding a gold coin (or, failing that, any amount of metallic currency, or just some money in your pocket), you'll be rich for the year to come.

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I had never heard of this Catholic holiday celebration. Here is some other info on the holiday and the crepe tossing game! click

Enjoy your crepes; I may make some this weekend as well!

Edited January 30, 2008 by ludja (log)

[Dave Hatfield]

Reading more about this got me thinking & it occurred to me that there might just be some connection to Pancake Day in England which is about this time of year.

Wikipedia put that idea to bed, but some of the parallels are fascinating.

Perhaps we should all run down the streets with a coin in one hand a crepe pan in the other as we flip away.

Since the French think all Anglo-Saxons are crazy anyway what have we got to lose?

[Abra]

Although there will be only 3 of us, I want to make several different kinds. Because I have a bit of truffle and a couple of truffled egg in the fridge, one sort might be a crepe filled with brouillade à la truffe - but should that be in a sarrasin or wheat crepe?

One will probably be a pastry cream flavored with the Basque aromatic spices, since our guest is half Basquaise, half Béarnaise. But what else?

[John Talbott]

Today's Metro says that pastry chef Christophe Felder will give crepes lessons the 7 Feb (and maybe the 6) 18h30-20h30 for 50 E at the Acclimatation Garden in the Bois de B., 01.40.67.99.05 and the recipe is 4-3-2-1, 4 glasses of milk, 3 eggs, 2 glasses of fluid flour and 1 pinch of salt.

[Abra]

I've got a good part of tomorrow's feast made. I did the sarrasin galettes, adding no wheat, and managed to get a dozen decent ones. They do take a little more care that a regular crêpe. There will be some with smoked salmon and crème fraîche, some with a creamy curry of petit pois, and the main thing, ham and Gruyère,

The batter for my dessert crêpes is resting, and there will be a variety of good things to put in, an apple Calva compote, toasted pecans, Basque pastry cream, lemons with sugar and lemon cream, and probably some sort of chocolate. What am I missing?

Edited February 1, 2008 by Abra (log)

[pennylane]

I've got a good part of tomorrow's feast made.  I did the sarrasin galettes, adding no wheat, and managed to get a dozen decent ones.  They do take a little more care that a regular crêpe.  There will be some with smoked salmon and crème fraîche, some with a creamy curry of petit pois, and the main thing, ham and Gruyère,

The batter for my dessert crêpes is resting, and there will be a variety of good things to put in, an apple Calva compote, toasted pecans, Basque pastry cream, lemons with sugar and lemon cream, and probably some sort of chocolate.  What am I missing?

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Banana? Some kind of chestnut paste?

[John Talbott]

Today's Figaro, had an article by Sylvain Ouchikh (available only in hard copy or on the PDF version p. 35 until it gets posted next week on their Figaro Madame site) about the traditional drink with crepes - cider - and indicates there are the same differences between them as champagnes - brut, doux, etc.

[Dave Hatfield]

Today's Figaro, had an article by Sylvain Ouchikh (available only in hard copy or on the PDF version p. 35 until it gets posted next week on their Figaro Madame site) about the traditional drink with crepes - cider - and indicates there are the same differences between them as champagnes - brut, doux, etc.

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Ah Ha! Thanks John.

I chickened out on crepes for 10 (we've added a guest since my last post), but a nice Brut champagne cider might go down very nicely with our pork & parsley terrine entrée.

Didn't I read in one of the links that you are not supposed to start before 8:00PM?

[pennylane]

Not supposed to start before 8:00 p.m.? I read that it was bad luck to make crepes after sunset. And hubby wanted waffles so I just made crepes for 1 (me). Chevre with honey and macadamia nuts, followed by banana chocolate chip. Bit of an odd combination perhaps but it hit the spot. Tried flipping the first one but it broke into three pieces.

[Dave Hatfield]

Well we ended up having crepes of a different color so to speak. There's a brief write up of this evening's activity on my blog below for those who are interested.

A great evening is all I can say.

I'll have to look into this 8:00PM business tomorrow & report. Its more than possible the I've got it backwards.

[Abra]

Pancakes, pancakes, noon and night, wasn't that a lovely sight.

This might be my new favorite holiday.