My daily (well almost daily anyway) visit to Chippenham Blog - which is a great place to visit by the way - led me to a post mentioning carnivals and street happenings in Chippenham, UK, the town where I was born.
Deep in the post our hostess mentions “Pancake Day” which I remember with fondness because I love pancakes and my Mum makes excellent pancakes.
This sent me on a trail and I seemed to remember it is celebrated on a Tuesday.
Google sent me here where I found the answer to almost all of my questions apart from a good recipe for pancakes. Don’t forget I live in a Crêpe compatible country here in Switzerland.
If you were lazy and didn’t click on the link and because I am in a kind mood today I will sum up what Pancake Day is.
- It is the last day before Lent and as fats, eggs and cream had to be used up before fasting they were traditionally used to make pancakes.
- Pancake day is a moveable feast linked to Easter and always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday. It will therefore be the 20th of February this year (next Tuesday) and the 5th of February next year. This indicates that Easter must be very early next year too.
- In the Christian Calendar it is known as Shrove Tuesday. In French it is known as Mardi Gras (which literally means Fat Tuesday).
Send me your recipe and I’ll post it here. I plan on making pancakes this year and will show the photos here too (or on Flickr, I haven’t decided yet).
I am way off track here because the original link was to Pancake Day Races where participants have to tosss pancakes while racing each other over a set distance. I always preferred eating them to racing with them though!
I’d like to round this of with a poem.
Mix a PancakeMix a pancake,
Stir a pancake,
Pop it in the pan;
Fry the pancake;
Toss the pancake,
Catch it if you can.
Author: Christina G. Rossetti - 1830-1894)
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Here’s a Pancake Recipe
Basic Pancake Mix
4 oz (110g) plain flour
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
7 fl oz (200ml) milk mixed with 3 fl oz water
1 tablespoon butter (or 1 tablespoon oil)
Mix flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in centre and break the eggs into it. Whisk the eggs into the mixture Add the milk in small quantities whisking as you go until batter is smooth. Lastly add the butter or oil to the mix to give a nice smooth consistency.
Use an oiled 7 or 8 inch pan - drop about 2 tablespoons of the batter into the hot pan. Lift the edge of the pancake after about half minute or so to see if batter is cooked underneath – when it is - flip the pancake over and cook on other side for a few seconds or until done.
Fillings
mashed bananas with demerara sugar and a few halved grapes – or
Apple puree mixed with raisins (optional – a few chopped nuts)
Or of course there’s always the standard caster sugar and lemon juice
Excellent (and timely) I’ll try and show the result! Thanks.