When I used to work at the Four Seasons Hotel, I was always on crepe duty during the lavish Sunday Brunches. I would make the crepes ahead of time in the kitchen and I had the ability to have four pans of crepes going at once. When the pans reached the perfect temperature (with, believe it or not, little portable butane stoves!) I learned to time it perfectly. I’d pour and swirl the first pan, then the second, third and fourth. By they time I finished swirling the fourth pan, the first crepe would be ready to flip. And so on and so forth. So that…. is how I landed the lofty title of “The Crepe Queen”. I felt cocky once and tried five pans… and that was disastrous! lol

Funny story… I was working the Sunday Brunch one day, with my impeccable white chef’s jacket and mile-high chef’s toque (hat) when a group of swarthy men stopped and asked if they could have some petit fours off of the dessert table. I told them no, because it was only for those participating in the brunch. According to one of the waiters, it was the Gipsy Kings. HA! How was I supposed to know? Hehe… now I know why they looked so offended because I wouldn’t let them have a chocolate covered strawberry! Sorry guys… I do like your music!

Crepe Recipe (adapted from Fannie Farmer Cookbook)

2 eggs
1 c milk
1/8 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract (or 1/2 tsp almond extract)
1 c all purpose flour
2 tbsp butter

1. Whisk the eggs well in a large bowl, then beat in the remainder of the ingredients, in the order listed. You can also place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

2. Heat a 7 or 5 inch skillet or crepe pan over medium heat until moderately hot and film with butter, using a pastry brush or paper towel. Using a small ladle or measuring cup, pour in several tablespoons of batter, then quickly tilt the pan about so that the batter spreads evenly in the thinnest possible layer. If there is too much batter in the pan, pour it back into the bowl of batter and use less for the next crepe.

3. Cook for a few minutes, until the bottom is lightly browned and the edges lift easily from the pan. The crepe should then slide loosely about in the pan. Turn it with a spatula, or if you’re feeling daring try to flip it without one. Cook the second side for a minute or so. It will brown in spots, but not as evenly as the first side. Remove to a plate and film the pan again with butter and repeat. If the batter gets too thick, add a few drops of milk.

Note: Fill crepes with preserves, Nutella, or my favorite, a thin smear of butter and a dusting of granulated sugar.

Note #2: If you do not want sweet crepes, omit the sugar and vanilla and increase the salt to 1/2 tsp.