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Shrove Tuesday
What’s in your pancake?
Today in England we celebrate Shrove Tuesday, a day better known for the consumption of pancakes rather than the reason behind it.
Many Americans will be celebrating Mardi Gras today and I wonder if the historical significance of the festivities has become as lost on many Americans as Shrove Tuesday has on the English.
Traditionally, households would use today as a means of using up the last of their rich ingredients before begining their fasting period which is better known as Lent. As time has passed it has become better known as a childhood treat and one which I certainly have vivid memories of.
Pancakes, or Crepes (forgive the grammatical omission) were once the darling of the restaurant dessert trolley across Europe, customers would sit and stare as the restaurant manager would set fire to the oranges and grand marnier with great panache then stick a supplement on the bill for the privelage.
In the modern restaurant world, pancakes are viewed with some distain by many chefs who see them as a cop out for kitchens who do not posess the relevant skills to produce a creative dessert menu, they are difficult to present attractively and do little to spark the imagination.
That said, we shall serve them in the restaurant this evening as a one off dessert special. Tuesday nights are usually busy with business guests who are away from home and often want to eat and get back to work. With that in mind we like to be able to offer the guests a small reminder of their childhood, even if the origin has become lost on them, even if we have to sacrifice a little artistic content for once.
Happy Shrove Tuesday
Miles,
There is the famous Carnival in Venice, of course. Germany also celebrates Karnival and is renowned for parades in Cologne and Mainz. Instead of pancakes, they eat small doughnuts. The historic background there was that of religion when people were allowed a weekend of madness before start of Lent. It all ends at midnight tonight with start of Ash Wednesday.
Cid, we need to hurry and don our masks and create some atmosphere around the pancakes in MIles’s restaurant.
Elsie
February 5, 2008 @ 10:49 am
Elsie,
Feathers and sequined masks at the ready… hope the glue is dry, we don’t want to be dripping rhinestones into guests pancakes! I’m not sure how I’d look in full Mardi Gras costume but sufficiently off-putting at a guess so the pancakes had better be ground-breakingly fabulous
Cid
February 5, 2008 @ 3:34 pm
Miles,
what’s in my pancake? … if I do indulge then sugar and lemon or rosehip syrup. Trouble is there’s one of the seven deadly sins sat in my fridge, a tin of condensed milk and I hear it calling me. From tomorrow on though it would be a good idea to give up something for Lent…
Cid’s sinful treats:
Chocolate (well of course it’s in poll position!)
Bread and butter with soft brown sugar - all bad but surprisingly good
Cake, every kind
Butter in mashed potatoes, well the quantity I use
Battered fish
Tall milky coffees
Pastry
Puddings, most of them
Condensed milk, which probably has all of the above in it
I shall cut out some of these and have others in far greater moderation, that should see me through to Easter and hopefully beyond.
Cid
February 5, 2008 @ 4:09 pm
Cid,
Please note that masks will have to come off at midnight. If we do not wish to be recognised we shall have to sneak out early.
Elsie
February 5, 2008 @ 5:40 pm
Miles,
.
Great pancakes were enjoyed at the Nean household today. We used our best yorkshire pudding mix with a little added melted butter. We created a sauce of orange/lemon zest and squeezed juice, some caster sugar and a good splash of Grand Marnier. Psssst, we did not flame or boil it, just warm it a little in order not to lose out on the alcohol
I am afraid that Lent will have to be faced with a reduction in our beloved chocolate intake. If the struggle gets to hard we may have to give in
Elsie
February 5, 2008 @ 5:48 pm
Cid & Elsie,
Sorry if I’ve been a tad quiet on the comments front, last night was spent in the riviera town of Grimsby bidding farewell to my dear friends, Andrew and April. Good luck with your fasting, it is hard but worth it (apparently)
Miles
February 5, 2008 @ 7:21 pm
Miles,
I do hope you will be able to visit your friends in their new home - very important to keep in touch. Perhaps they might drop us a line on the blog?
Let’s face it, anyone getting out of Grimsby is cause for celebration
Cid
February 5, 2008 @ 7:48 pm
Elsie,
Don’t know if Mile’s joint has a bouncer but if it does, you and I are going to be gently removed long before midnight
Cid
February 5, 2008 @ 7:58 pm
Cid,
I shall be paying them a visit in a couple of months, they are going to start a blog of their own as a means of keeping everyone updated on what they are doing, I shall post details at a later date.
Got to go, I’ve got chillies to sow!
Miles
February 5, 2008 @ 8:37 pm
Okay Kids,
I have a great idea for Lent. Let’s give up giving up. That way we will be showing our pious natures by indulging. Doesn’t that sound positively inspired. Being one of the heretical Lutherans, I have never had to eat fish on Fridays, nor sacrifice during Lent. Perhaps I would have profitted from denying myself more. My waistline would certainly agree.
Annie
February 7, 2008 @ 12:52 am
Annie,
Sounds like my kind of religeon
Miles
February 7, 2008 @ 8:07 am