Crepes

[supernova]

Another food besides sardines from my childhood that I have recently given thought to. I used to make them when I was a kid, and we even got a crepe maker, a kind of convex nonstick frying pan that created the right shape and made the crepes easy to pull off.

I even took the crepe maker to school once for a fund raiser in 7th grade, and I couldn't make them fast enough!

Then I loved stuffing them with fruit and chocolate frosting. LOL.

I really enjoy them, the endless flavors, the versatility of fillings. It's just endless. And now I enjoy the savory ones too.


Anyone else into crepes? What fillings do you like?



edit: I starting thinking about them because I got a wild hair that it might be fun to have a food stand and sell them. I'm really trying to think of things I can do to raise cash. And about the only thing that excites me is having my own business of some type.

[Lucinda]

1. That looks good!

I've never been a big crepe eater but I'm looking forward to the thread responses.
Something new to try!

[supernova]

3. They are really delish

and they fade into the background of whatever filling you have.

Once you have the basic recipe, you add all sorts of things to it to flavor the batter.

Savory:

Herbs, perhaps a little parmesean, though not too much.

Dessert:

a little sugar and vanilla

Basic Crepe Recipe for 4 servings:

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted


DIRECTIONS
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Basic-Crepes/Detail.aspx

They are supposed to be wet and somewhat spongy.

[Lucinda]

6. Thanks for the recicpe! I have a little cast iron griddle that should work perfectly.

Maybe I'll try a dessert crepe first!

[flamin lib]

2. Ohhhh, love 'em myself, I do. Creamed chicken crepes was my

introduction. Small pieces of cooked chicken with a canned cream of chicken soup sauce all wrapped up in a semi sweet crepe with a light drizzle of sauce over the top, yummmmmm.

I've done the sweet thing too with fruit and such.

Now I've got to make 'em for dinner one day next week.

I've 2 & 6 year year old grand sons who are developing a very sophisticated pallet. This should just about drive 'em over the top!

[supernova]

4. Creamed chicken would be good

Sort of a French variation on chicken and dumplings. :thumbsup:

Crepes are great for kids because they are kinda, but not quite finger food.

[housewolf]

19. Creamed Chicken Crepes are just the BEST!

Love, love, love them! Especially with a light sprinkle of parmesan on the chicken before you wrap it up, and on top of the cream sauce that you spoon over the top of the rolled crepe. Just wonderful stuff.

The best... next to fresh strawberry crepes with whipped cream... maybe...

Crepes are easy and delicious, just a little time-consuming to make.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

5. I was thinking of blintzes the other day,

blintzes being crepes that didn't go to college.

I always make a cream cheese filling that works nicely. Top them with strawberry or blueberry preserves.

Anything is a great filling in a crepe - but I've always been partial to fruit of any kind.

Remember The Magic Pan chain of restaurants? They were so much fun. Watching that carousel where the chefs heated the pans and then dipped them in the batter and hung them to cook. What a treat.

Here are some of the Magic Pan classic crepes: Original Spinach Souffle Crepe; Original Chicken Divan Crepe; Original Crepe Suzette; Original Strawberries and Sour Cream Crepe; Original Chantilly Crepe and Original Cherry Royale Crepe.

More here: http://tinyurl.com/3lnd3y

[TreasonousBastard]

11. Blintzes, blinis...

which came first, the blintz or the crepe? The old Russian Teas Room had the best blinis, and the Dairy Planet had absolutely the best blintzes-- much better than Ratner's. And the Dairy Planet's came with a huge bowl of marvelous sour cream that was delivered fresh every day from a Lower East Side creamery.

(There was a local chain of Le Crepe restaurants, but they disappeared in a wave of closings of just-too-cute places.)

[housewolf]

20. The Magic Pan was a favorite of mine for some number of years

still miss them! It's time for them to come back! Their Orange-Almond Salad was to-die-for, as were the beignets with dipping sauces... YUM!!!!

Thanks for the link to the recipes

[MagickMuffin]

7. Why YES I'm into crepes

Savory crepes:

Seafood stuffing, smothered in a white cram sauce with fresh spinach, tomatoes, carrots.

Dessert crepes:

Filled with cooked peaches and topped with homemade ice cream.

I even like them with just lemon juice squeezed on them and powdered sugar.

I bet orange marmalade would be great as the stuffing and chocolate gauche drizzled on top.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

8. Look what I found!!!!

This site links to a whole bunch of Magic Pan recipes: http://tinyurl.com/dxyrah

So does this one: http://tinyurl.com/5so586

[Lucinda]

12. Excellent find!

Thankie much!

[troubleinwinter]

17. I LOVE crepes

but never have been to a Magic Pan. I'm headed to your links for inspiration!

I used to do one with left-over ham, spinach, cheese sauce.

(left-over ham = pea soup or crepes!)

[eleny]

9. I like a cottage cheese filling

Cottage cheese, egg, sugar. Beat it up with a fork until a little smooth.

Fill the crepe, fold over and smear some Damson plum jam on top.
Coffee on the side.

Thanks for bringing back an old and very warm memory. :hi:

[troubleinwinter]

16. Like my fake blintzes

Ricotta, egg, sugar, then topped with CANNED cherry pie filling!:rofl:

[eleny]

18. Oh yeah!

Ricotta would be the better choice since it's so nice and smooth already.

[Tesha]

10. Paris - Seattle - my house

I watched a street crepe stand deliver those beauties, chocolate was the favorite. Crispy on the outside, steaming in the cool air. Mmm

Pikes Place in Seattle had a tiny creperie - they filled mine with tiny shrimp and a velvety cream sauce.

I've never tried to make them, I feel intimidated... somebody tell me it's easy

[Tangerine LaBamba]

14. It's so easy

You'll be startled at how simple it is.

So the first few might not be perfect.

BFD.

It's easy, and fun, and - oh, yum! - so rewarding.

Try it. You'll laugh at the idea of being intimidated. You will, I guarantee it............................

[Lucinda]

13. I'm going to try something with Nutella.

Yup. With Nutella. Yum. :)

[elleng]

15. Just found Nutella again!

And its wonderful! Nothing necessary with it. but Strawberries???

[Lucinda]

21. I only learned about nutella a few yeas ago so I have a lot of time to make up for

:D

Nutella is great with cream cheese. I've used them together with bagels.

[elleng]

22. Try with croissants!

[Lucinda]

24. Mmmmm...sounds like a good combo!

[Tektonik]

23. The best fillings are Nutella and table sugar

[Mollis]

25. I LOVE crepes

The best I have ever had was in Paris on a little corner.
I had a nutella and banana one...yummm
And one with egg and ham and cheese...and that was amazing, too.

[Lorax]

26. Yummmm, nutella!

I love nutella and banana, sometimes even a bit of coconut.

[Stinky The Clown]

27. Creperies are all over France

I'll bet they're all over Montreal, too.

[yy4me]

29. Ahh, the savory crepes of Normandy, onion, ham, few herbs,

the dessert crepes of Paris, any filling you want. There is a great creperie on rue Cler that serves fantastic crepes. Street food. Folded up, wrapped in a waxed sleeve. Hot and yummy, munch as you stroll. Maybe someday I'll go again.

[Retrograde]

28. whatever you want

There was a creperie in Lyon in France in the older part of town that had a 3-course crepe menu: crepes for starters, main dish, and dessert. We went there for our 25th anniversary and I want to go back! I remember crepes with mushrooms, various cheeses, vegetables, chicken, fish, seafood, chocolate, chestnut puree, fruit purees - anything imaginable.

Crepes are a lot easier to make then you'd think, especially if you don't insist on perfection. They also keep well for a few days at least, so you can make up a stack and use them as needed. I haven't tried freezing them yet.

When you get really good, you can do a flaming classic, Crepes Suzette!

[Warpy]

30. I need to bang out a couple of recipes worth of them

because they're great to stuff into the freezer and haul out for quick lunches in summer when I don't bake that much bread, the solar oven working well only on windless days.

I always use a rolled steel pan, well seasoned. It doubles as a poor man's comal when I bang out a bunch of tortillas.

[htuttle]

31. Re: Food Stand

I had to chuckle when I read that, since it's my current retirement plan. :D I think we could make it on just the lunch rush and farmer's markets if I came up with the right menu.

I'm only half joking when I talk about it. Madison is a great town for food carts.

[troubleinwinter]

32. I think you have a winning idea.

A friend of mine had a teensy tiny little joint across the street from the university in Berkeley in the very early 70s. All they had was crepes and coffees.

No silly crepes with whipped cream and caramel, just basic, well-made crepes. The fillings were simple.. quality cheeses, maybe a little ham.

I used to love to go there in the evenings for a simple cheese crepe and a doppio (double espresso). The crepe had just a thin layer of high quality Jack with good grated parm on top.

But they were LARGE crepes. Probably 12" before folding... 4" x 8" finished.... so it made a nice portion.

If you can locate near a college, I think you'll go over big!

[Beacool]

33. Panqueques con dulce de leche.

Crepes with caramel filling. I went to boarding school for a while in Argentina and love the panqueques. Argentina is very European, particularly Buenos Aires (dubbed the Paris of the South), and have a sophisticated palate.

Panqueques are a common dessert at family restaurants and at home. The most requested filling is dulce de leche. The crepes are made first and filled with a layer of caramel before rolling them. They are then sprinkled with sugar and put under a broiler until the sugar forms a crust.

The second most common filling are the ones filled with thin layers of granny smith apples and sugar. What makes them special is the final touch, they are flambeed with rum. The sugar melts and helps to cook the apples.

Darn, I wish I had some panqueques right now!!!

:9