Pancake Day

Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday - whatever it is known as in your neck of the woods, the Tuesday which falls before lent begins on Ash Wednesday will forever be pancake day for me.

For Pancake Day in the UK means American breakfast for dinner. Sort of. As pancakes in Ireland, England, Scotland, Australia and New Zealand are traditionally a cross between a French crepe and a thicker, silver dollar U.S. version.

Shrove Tuesday being the first day of the season of Lent officially marks a big, honking X on the rich pantry staples of eggs and butter, milk, sugar and the sorts of foods which should, in accordance with the Christian church, be avoided completely in order to be absolved of our sins by this act of virtuous penance.

If that sounds like a load of old tripe, then omitting one or two regular dietary treats from daily intake may be a more modern approach to acknowledging the opportunity to purge! In short, the teaspoon of sugar in your morning latte, choccie bar in the afternoon, glass of wine with dinner. Could you do without, for a whole 40 days?

Pancake day isn't all about being pious. Quite the opposite, for the Brits have a ball on Shrove Tuesday with traditional games of mob football (although this has died out in most parts of the UK, several historic, high-profile community games take place to this day in the middle of the local highway) and more commonly still, pancake racing on the village green.

Aprons flapping in the February winds, pancakes are tossed as original desperate housewives dash to the finish line, pan in hand, in an all-out pitch to prove they've not lost their mettle in the midst of the family laundry pile! Maybe I should suggest we resurrect Pancake Racing down by the river outside of Aqus Cafe. I'm sure the lovely Lesley will lend us some frying pans! (By the way, if you are a British reader in the Petaluma area, mark your calendar for Aqus Cafe's first annual Saint George's Day Pot-Luck party, April 23).

Pancakes have been historically served with Lyle's Golden Syrup (a golden colored, super-sticky version of North American maple syrup with a molasses texture), a squeeze of lemon and sugar, or homemade jam. Though the popular daily press promotes a more adventurous approach to today's Pancake Day, with British families experimenting along the savory pancake filling line.

However you like to eat your pancakes, why not whip up a batch this Pancake Day?

Best of British Pancakes

Serves 4 (large) or 8 (small)

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups of milk
3 tblsp melted butter
2 tsp sugar

Thoroughly blend all of the ingredients into a smooth paste. Heat skillet, add a little additional melted butter between pancakes. Delicious served with your favorite pancake filling!

 

Comments

[lindsey]

I will be making them for the family this evening, but I've just returned from lunch where a generous friend served up a huge, unexpected pile of them.....crikey! Bring on Lent!