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Tuesday, February 28, 2006 

Esurient

After living here now seventeen months, I thought perhaps my list of Strange Things was ready for retirement, as nothing really surprises me like it used to. That was until today, when I came home to six girls in my kitchen making huge batches of crêpes for lunch. That's right it's.....

#46: Pancake Day!

I was raised Christian pretty much by default and only went to church about four times (sorry Mum), so a lot of rituals escape me. I know there's Mardi Gras, Lent, and Easter and that's about it. Apparently in this country, Fat Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday, something I vaguely recall hearing before, but also it is know as Pancake Day. Which is celebrated by, yup, eating pancakes. Someone first told me it had to do with The War, but no these pancakes just contain ingredients that you are not supposed to have during Lent. So you eat what you have left in pancake form before the deadline.

Anyone who knows me knows that breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and I will in fact eat breakfast food throughout the day. Living in Britain therefore is really rough in this aspect, as American breakfast is quite different especially for a vegetarian. Typical Brit breakfast is what? beans, toast, mushrooms, eggs, bangers, bacon all fried up in one pan. Nasty! American breakfast foods I long for include waffles, biscuits, omelets, grits, hashbrowns, and of course pancakes.

So thought I hit the jackpot but no. These are basically crêpes! You add lemon and sugar I guess and it seems more a desert. Not the thick, chewy, starchy American pancakes, with butter and maple syrup. Such a shame.

Nothing to do with the war. Goes back at least 500 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrove_Tuesday

has all you need to know. Seems even IHOP gets in on the act...

last night i had proper pancakes for Pancake Day (as opposed to British crepe-wannabe "pancakes") with proper maple syrup, and ice cream!

Hmm. Rhapsodizing about Krispy Kreme and now a peaen to pancakes. Will I recognize my bulging baby next time she waddles through my door, should she ever venture across the pond? The Carb Queen reigneth? Moomph!

Pappy

Do they not have pancake mix over there? Do you want me to bring some when I come in August? :)
_Rachel

Oh, I'm with you; breakfast foods are my absolute favorite. I could live on cereal and pancakes. When I lived in Glasgow I'd make pancakes for lunch all the time because they were quick and easy, and everyone thought I was a little nutty for it. But hey, to each her own. Toss a smattering of chocolate chips on there and you have a little slice of heaven. :)

I always have my pancakes with treacle (it's what we call Lyle's Golden Syrup - DON'T put the black stuff on).

And we don't eat all that stuff for breakfast unless we go to a hotel - we eat cereals (Weetabix for me - and for a change sometimes, Shredded Wheat with treacle [see above])

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