Cristina's Crêpes

It was always a special day when my mother used to get her rickety old metal skillets and announce we were going to make crêpes. Even back then, in my childhood, I loved all things related to the home (cooking, ironing, decorating, and more), and spending time in the kitchen learning from my mom was a super-special treat. 

Over the years, I rarely made crêpes, but when I was teaching French at our local high school, our French Honor Society used to prepare and sell crêpes at the French table, to promote our classes. This is the recipe I used with students when I was assisting them, and I've made it dozens of times since. It has gotten refined and adjusted and is THE crêpe recipe I stand by.

I hope you will give it a try for a special breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea or coffee with friends.

Makes 20 small crêpes


Ingredients:     

2 cups of flour

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups of milk

1 cup of water (you can add up to another 1/2 cup to thin the batter, if you wish)

1 tsp of oil 

1 tsp sugar

1 pinch of salt


Instructions:

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the other ingredients in a medium bowl ans whisk until blended. Pour the liquids onto the dry ingredients and mix until combined and smooth. Let sit at room temperature 20-30 minutes, or longer in the refrigerator if necessary.

Heat 2 small skillets on medium heat and pour a few drops of oil in the center to help the first crêpe cook well. You should not need more oil from here on, but this depends on your skillets.

Pour 1/2 a ladleful of batter in the skillet and holding it by the handle, swirl the batter into a round shape by tilting and rotating the skillet to achieve such shape. Crêpes are meant to be thin, so do not pour too much batter at a time. Let cook about 2 minutes; be sure the crêpe edges start to dry and lift a little. To flip it over, you might need to help it along with a spatula. Once loose, try flipping over the crêpe by thrusting it in the air (gently!) with a little spin of the wrist to make the crêpe flip over in the air. Cook another minute until slightly golden. Move crêpe onto a regular dinner plate on which you will stack every crêpe. No need to separate them with wax paper.... They stack well and won't stick.


Notes:

  • Crêpes are very easy to make and you don't need special or fancy tools to make them. This is a job that works best with 2 or 3 skillets at a time and becomes relatively intensive, so do not count on tending to anything else once the skillets are warm.
  • One recipe only makes 20 small crêpes. I suggest you double the recipe to save time. Separate your stacks: Eat some while you cook (someone has to test the quality, no? - those don't count), eat some officially on a plate with a topping, then refrigerate or freeze the rest. To freeze them, wrap small stacks in wax paper, then slip them in a freezer baggie, and mark the date. I recommend you use them within a month or two at most as they will dry out in the freezer. 

Toppings: Sweet or Savory

Traditional toppings of butter and granulated sugar, jam, Nutella, strawberries and whipped cream are tasty, but to follow French Breton traditions, you can also top them with eggs, spinach, onions, mushrooms, Swiss cheese, etc etc. Savory crêpes make a very nice-looking lunch! My mother used to make cannelloni with crêpes instead of pasta tubes, for a very fine and delicate dish.

A vos fourneaux et bon appétit ! 

(At your stoves and...you know the rest!)

 

 

Ferragosto!

Find out what Ferragosto is and how it is celebrated in Sicily and Corsica.

Old Port of Bastia, Corsica, with the bastion visible on the hill on the left. - Photo by C. Sturm.

Old Port of Bastia, Corsica, with the bastion visible on the hill on the left. - Photo by C. Sturm.

Those of you who have traveled to Italy mid-August and found most businesses closed for a good week if not the rest of the month: You know that during Ferragosto, the bulk of Italians se ne vanno al mare, leave their hometowns to toast their skins on a small part of the 9200+ km (5700+ miles) of Italian coastline.

In fact, if you don't plan on shopping, Rome is a pleasure to visit during that time. When my sister and I were there in 2015, we allowed extra time to get to Termini train station by bus. It turned out that on that Monday morning at rush hour, we shared bus 63 with a dozen people and zoomed to the station in a record 20 minutes. A guide once told me she loved Rome in August because there was no road traffic, no grumpy Romans, and many tourists booking her tours.

 

Ferragosto:

According to Richard Overy, author of "A History of War in 100 Battles", the Feriae Augusti festival was introduced by Gaius Octavius "Augustus" after his victory over Mark Anthony at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. It actually was one of numerous festivals celebrated in August during a resting period after a long summer of hard labor in fields, and before harvest.

Ferragosto begins on August 15 and can go to the end of the month.

 

The religious holiday:

 The Christian Catholic feast of the Assumption of Mary falls on August 15 and coincides with Ferragosto in Italy. It is also celebrated in Corsica as my sister and I found out in person, but only as a national and religious holiday (no Roman festival references). This island was Italian before it was conquered by France in 1769. Consequently, Corsican culture and language still have a strong connection to Italian roots. 


In Sicily:

Paola, Pina, Cristina 

Paola, Pina, Cristina 

Our Sicilian friend Pina whom we met during our genealogical research in Messina shared her festive enthusiasm yesterday and described her busy preparation for the feast.  Pina announced she was ai fornelli (at her stove) preparing the traditional Sicilian Ferragosto meal for her family: 

 

 

The meal:

Bianconero in Pina's refrigerator - Photo by Pina Campanile

Bianconero in Pina's refrigerator - Photo by Pina Campanile

  • Galletto ruspante (free-range rooster)
  • Involtini di pesce spada (stuffed swordfish wraps)
  • Anguria (watermelon)
  • Cannoli siciliani con ricotta spolverati di mandorle tostate (Ricotta-filled cannoli, dusted with toasted almonds)
  • Mattonella or schiumone di gelato alla fragola e nocciola (layered strawberry and hazelnut ice cream cake)
  • Bianconero (whipped cream-filled profiteroles covered with melted chocolate! Literally, the word means "white/black".

 

 

The procession: 

Pina reported that in the evening, everyone in Messina attends and participates in the Ferragosto procession where the "sacred" and the "profane" share attention. View a short video she shot of the procession. Notice the interesting hand-pulled float with choirs of angels and lots of moving parts.

I Giganti a Cavallo (Horse-riding Giants), pulled by many men, in Messina - Photo by Pina Campanile

I Giganti a Cavallo (Horse-riding Giants), pulled by many men, in Messina - Photo by Pina Campanile

The processional float of the Madonna dell' Assunta is pulled by tens of barefoot faithful while thousands of people follow them and pray the Hail Mary in unison. - Photo by Pina Campanile

The processional float of the Madonna dell' Assunta is pulled by tens of barefoot faithful while thousands of people follow them and pray the Hail Mary in unison. - Photo by Pina Campanile


In Corsica:

In the city of Bastia, a solid silver statue of the Virgin Mary weighing about 700 kg (1400 lbs) is housed in the cathedral and is carried by a dozen men on a one-hour loop through the city's old neighborhoods. The procession attracts faithful, tourists, and onlookers by the thousands.

There are a few stops, one of which is in front of St Joseph's church (as seen in the photos above). Priests from this parish, joined by the mayor, stand on the front steps reading a proclamation and giving blessings. The statue of St Joseph holding Jesus is set on the front landing of the church as if to greet the Virgin Mary. This short pause is quite picturesque and spiritual, until fireworks are lit up and shot right there!  Smoke inhalations and debris falling on the crowd were a little worrisome... A scary moment for us cautious Americans. See a short video I shot on location. 

The procession stops one more time when it reaches a point that overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea. The statue is held facing the water to bestow blessings on fishermen and the sea, provider of life and nourishment for this island community. Eventually, the crowd heads back to the cathedral.

It was very interesting and enriching for us to partake in this Corsican tradition, also imagining our ancestors carrying on this ritual in their village a few centuries ago.

From an American Irish town to Ireland

In the next few weeks I will be discovering Ireland, whose culture is so highly represented in Rosemount, MN, our town, settled by Irish immigrants in 1858. Excitement is building in my mind and in my heart as the prospect of travel always lights a fire in me. Knowing little about the Irish culture past the obvious or stereotypical shamrocks, Leprechauns, Irish dance, and Irish Pubs, I confess I have much to learn. Surely once I return, Shannon Parkway, Connemara Trail, Glendalough Court and the like will mean much more to me than street names in Rosemount.

Months have gone by, learning about Ireland from square one. My trail blazer friends have shared bits and pieces of information and impressions to soak in. Books and Internet have provided me with an education, but learning of Ireland and its people on location will be the best possible course of study.

Anticipation is a big part of any experience. I have fueled enough anticipation to propel me into Ireland ready to absorb sights, culture, music, Celtic language (I am a language junkie!), cuisine, nature, people, and everything in between...Yes, even rain. Another part of this anticipation is that I will share all discoveries with my good friend Françoise who shares my inquisitive attitude towards different cultures. For a few years, when both of us were still teaching, we organized cultural and linguistic Pen Pal exchanges with our respective classes. Some of my students also got to visit her school and town during one of our student group tours to France.

As I love taking pictures with my compact camera and consider it the most important tool during my travels, I am considering bringing a backup camera in case anything happens to it. I could not bear the thought of missing out on any beautiful shots... Photos are the most important (and most convenient) souvenirs one could bring back! 

Rain gear is the other necessity for this trip, something I am not accustomed to (we live in snow land), thanks to the constant shelter of buildings and cars. Time to shop for comfortable, watertight shoes. Got any suggestions?

Going back to research - a task Françoise and I shared - we won't be able to visit it all in just over a week's time. We created our itinerary based on public transportation service since we will not rent a car. Neither of us wished to drive "on the wrong side" :) However, visiting a country by train and bus only is a valuable lesson, especially when coming from a country where we are used to driving ourselves around.

Our itinerary: 

We start with Dublin for a few days; take a day excursion either to Malahide, to Glendalough and the Wicklow mountains, the Hills of Tara, or Newgrange; travel by train to Tralee from which we will book excursions to Dingle town and the Dingle Peninsula. We will then travel to Galway from where we will visit the Burrenthe Cliffs of Moher, and the Connemara area. As we travel back to the Dublin area, we will spend the last night in Dun Laoghaire. By the way, if you didn't know it, this last town is pronounced Dun Lay-rah (or I've even heard Dun Leary! Will have to find out for myself and let you know).

Will surely follow up with more from my Irish experience. Tabhair aire, everyone! (Stay safe and take care!)


Photo Credits: My former French student and good friend of my son's, Mary B., was so very kind to share some of her own beautiful shots, as I don't have my own yet.  Mille mercis, Mary!

 

St Patrick's Church: What is not visible, is the ethereal chant of the boys' choir that was filling the church during the visit.

St Patrick's Church: What is not visible, is the ethereal chant of the boys' choir that was filling the church during the visit.

The Giants Causeway

The Giants Causeway

At Connors' Pub in Doolin, just across the Aran Islands on the west coast 

At Connors' Pub in Doolin, just across the Aran Islands on the west coast 

The Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher

Clam Chowder at Connors' Pub in Doolin

Clam Chowder at Connors' Pub in Doolin

Here is a fun dramatization of the different Irish accents.


First Things First

First Things First

The first picture of the Vieux Port (old harbor) of Bastia, Corsica was taken this past summer. My sister Paola and I traveled to explore our ancestry in Sicily and Corsica, and the last stop on this beautiful island was two overnights in the eastern coastal city of Bastia, full of charm, history, and stunning seascapes.

My passion for travel started relatively late as I took international travel a bit for granted as I grew up around the Mediterranean and country-hopped often as a child. It's not until I moved to the United States and that the Mediterranean basin suddenly fell out of easy reach  that I started missing that side of the world.

Teaching French to high school students helped open the travel doors for me... I have thoroughly enjoyed organizing and leading groups of students to the motherland of this beautiful language many times since 2005. Student groups were followed by adult groups and there grew my passion for designing itineraries and researching sites, cities, villages, and everything in between. I find that the fun is in the details. This type of work, where every minute of the day has to be thought of, is quite exciting because it makes me live and relive trips day by day, hour by hour, as I run them through my mind to be sure they are feasible, they flow well, and include a variety of interesting sites and engaging activities.

Well, there is so much to say - I'll leave you with this for now as I plan a possible structure for my blog. There may be some randomness in this plan as I prefer things to be creative and not necessary follow a strict path. After all, the trick to successful travel is being flexible and open to just about anything.

This is only the beginning. A presto!