A Taste of France: Crepes

France is a place of beauty, style, and diversity. Since the 17th century, after the French Revolution, France has been the center of culture and art with medieval cathedrals, fashion shows, wide varieties in music, delicious foods, etc. France has been heavily influenced by political and military leaders such as power-hungry Napoleon or French minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert that shaped French culture, fashion, etiquette, and architecture. France is a melting pot of different races that can range from Haitian, Italian, Spanish, or Albanian. In France, they are many different values to follow, especially when comes to family and privacy. French people take parenting very seriously and don't tell strangers about their life, only close friends and family. Friendship is also very important, where every person respects each other and make time in their busy schedules to keep in touch. Despite what most people believe, French people don't kiss every person they meet on the cheek, only close friends and family. When it comes to French food, it varies on each region of France, but cheese and wine are a major part of their cuisine. The French take food very seriously by critiquing their skills when making any dish such as pastries, seafood, pasta, desserts, etc. The are 2 types of cooking: haute cuisine (many courses of food in small portions) and nouvelle (lighter food with little butter or cream). One popular dish served for either breakfast or dessert is the crepe, which is a thin pancake that can be topped with any kind of ingredient. Crepes are usually sold by street vendors or small cafes, especially in Paris. Crepes are even eaten on a special holiday called Candlemas that celebrates the Virgin Mary. There are 2 types of crepes: sweet crepes (has wheat flour that is slightly sweetened) and savory crepes (has buckwheat flour that is unsweetened). Here is a recipe to make plain crepes and chocolate hazelnut fruit crepes:

Plain Crepe Recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup of all-purpose flour
2 eggs 1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of water
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of butter, melted

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.

Chocolate Hazelnut Fruit Crepes:

Ingredients

1 cup of chocolate hazelnut spread or nutella
4 crepes
4 bananas sliced
1 can of pressurized whipped cream

Spread 1/4 cup of chocolate hazelnut spread onto each crepe. Arrange 1 sliced banana down the center of each one. Roll up, and place in a warm skillet over medium heat. Let them warm up for about 90 seconds. Transfer to plates, and serve topped with whipped cream. This tastes great with coffee, tea, or cider. Bon Appetit!


http://allrecipes.com/Cook/Photo.aspx?photoID=18554

sources: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Hazelnut-Fruit-Crepes/Detail.aspx, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cr%C3%AApe, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cuisine