Saturday, February 15, 2020

Crepes

A stack of crepes based on the Julia Child recipe (I substituted some whole wheat flour in the pancake batter). My fillings
were based on the offering of our favorite Paris crêperie. My counter was crowded with all the ready foods.

Bilbo Baggins, the original Hobbit in Tolkien's first book, "liked visitors, but he liked to know them before they arrived, and he preferred to ask them himself. He had a horrible thought that the cakes might run short, and then he -- as the host: he knew his duty and stuck to it however painful -- he might have to go without."

When first one, then another, a third... and finally thirteen dwarves plus Gandalf the Wizard appeared at Bilbo's underground hobbit house for breakfast one fine morning, he managed to serve them all. They demanded beer, ale, tea, seed cakes, wine, raspberry jam, apple tart, mince pies with cheese, pork pie with salad, cold chicken with pickles, and on and on until they consumed everything in Bilbo's larder. I think this scene at the beginning of The Hobbit is one of the most unforgettable meals in all literature ... I bet  you remember it too.

This morning I passed the Bilbo Baggins test when my invited guests turned out to have invited a friend of theirs to join them at my house for brunch. In fact, I had asked if they wanted me to invite more friends, but they did the inviting themselves. I was surprised, but not as confused as Bilbo.

In fact, I was perfectly happy and able to make enough filled crepes for us all. Fortunately I had prepared a big stack of them. My savory fillings included smoked salmon, sour cream, spinach, and cheese. Sweet fillings were apricot preserves and chocolate chips. I had garnishes: tomatoes and fruits. All based on my favorite crepe restaurant in Paris!

Unlike Gandalf's friends the dwarves, our unexpected guest brought us some strawberries and chocolate raisins, which complimented my selection. Also unlike the dwarves, our guests didn't all decide to stay to supper. And they didn't volunteer to help while singing:
"Chip the glasses and crack the plates!
Blunt the knives and bend the forks!
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates --
Smash the bottles and burn the corks!"
We really enjoyed the meal and the company! And I think Bilbo would have approved.

To finish the crepes I took each one from the stack, placed it on the hot griddle, and spread it with the filling.
The sour cream with salmon was delicious. The chocolate chips and apricot preserves melted deliciously into the crepe.


My Model: La Crêperie de  Josselin, Paris
Breton Crepes as we had them in Paris, November 2018.
Google photo of the interior of the crêperie in Paris.

Blog post copyright © 2020 mae sander for mae food dot blogspot dot com.

15 comments:

Nil @ The Little House by the Lake said...

Crepes! Yum!

Angie's Recipes said...

That was a great brunch! I am going to make some pancakes for the breakfast too. Can't wait!

Jeanie said...

I know it was fun but I would have gone insane! And they look delicious! I've never done crepes but this could be a bit of a motivator!

A Day in the Life on the Farm said...

My motto is there is always room at the table for one more.

Sharon said...

You've made me hungry for some crepes. I love the idea of smoked salmon in them but my all time favorite is banana with Nutella.

Shaheen said...

The first time i ever had a sweet and savoury crepe was in Paris with chestnut puree, the second time was in Breton! your make me hankering for some with this lovely post

Balvinder said...

That's a hearty meal!

Iris Flavia said...

I so wish I´d like salmon. So healthy!
I´d be happy with a cheese-crepes, how cheesy!

Claudia said...

I'm with Jeanie, it would only be fun for the uninvited guests and readers of the silly tale. I prefer my guests invited, so they can be prepared for. Pleasant ones preferably. Crepes though are able to be expanded upon, and are a favorite for Sunday breakfasts here.

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

The sour cream and salmon filling sounds amazing. What a brunch !

Tina said...

I enjoyed The a Hobbit and the Lird I’d the Rings trilogy.
Great looking crepes, I’ve never made them but enjoy them at restaurants. There’s always room for more company at the dining table!

Beth F said...

Good job!

Jackie McGuinness said...

My Irish mother always made crepes, never pancakes. I loved them with lemon and sugar and will always have them when in Paris!

Deb in Hawaii said...

It looks like a fun and tasty brunch--even with the extra guests. Your crepes look amazing!

Marg said...

I am looking forward to having a proper nutella crepe in Paris!