3 French Recipes From An American Girl Who Misses France (A Lot)
International travel can change your life. A good trip provides perspective, adventure, and exposure to a new, exciting culture. Even more important: exposure to new, exciting food! After immersing yourself in such novel flavors, coming home to the same old routine can result in a mean case of culinary jet lag. Having just returned from a week in France, I can tell you that my morning bagel just isn’t doing it for me anymore. It’s not you, bagels. It’s me. I’m hung up on another bread product, and need some time to figure things out. Whether you, too, have felt this kind of vacation hangover, or just want to inject a little je ne sais quoi into your next meal, I invite you to grab your passport, change the clocks, and join me for a day trip to the Latin quarter of your kitchen.
Petit Déjeuner: Crêpes aux Bananes Caramélisées
For a culture so enamored with bacon, eggs, and cheese, it somehow never occurred to the French put them all together. Petit déjeuner is usually pretty minimal. I think the real reason French women don’t get fat is that they don’t yet have access to an IHOP. They may save crêpes for dessert, but this is America — land of the free and home of the brunch menu.
The key to a good crêpe is confidence. Don’t be intimidated by the fragile, thin texture. You need to get all up in its face like whoa. Remember, you brought it into this world, and you'll flip it any time you want. (Also, running a spatula around the perimeter before you flip it never hurt — but really, it's about the attitude.)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Cost: $20
Crêpes Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tbsp melted butter
Bananes Caramélisées Ingredients:
4 tbsp (1/2 a stick) butter (salted or unsalted depending on your taste/what you have in the fridge)
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (Again, your call. But your call should be light.)
3 bananas, sliced
Steps:
Mix crêpe ingredients together, and whisk until you have a pale, thin, lump-free batter. Let it sit while you caramelize the bananas (as the batter settles, straggler lumps will rise to the surface).
In a small pot, melt butter over a medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Let the mixture simmer up until you have a thick gooey mixture. Remove from heat immediately and stir in bananas until well coated. Don’t worry about the fruit getting a little mushy – it’ll be a good mush. Note: If your caramel starts to clump, you may have overheated a bit. You’ll just need to mix in a little more butter until it thins out. More butter – quelle tragédie, amiright?
Using a ladle or liquid measuring cup for ease, pour crêpe batter onto a slightly greased pan, over a medium high heat. Quickly, tilt your pan to create a circle(ish) shape. Cook for two minutes on both sides or until slightly browned.
Place your crêpe and spoon bananas onto on side of the circle, folding the other on top. Admire, then eat.
Petit Déjeuner: Crêpes aux Bananes CaraméliséesFor a culture so enamored with bacon, eggs, and cheese, it somehow never occurred to the French put them all together. Petit déjeuner is usually pretty minimal. I think the real reason French women don’t get fat is that they don’t yet have access to an IHOP. They may save crêpes for dessert, but this is America — land of the free and home of the brunch menu.
The key to a good crêpe is confidence. Don’t be intimidated by the fragile, thin texture. You need to get all up in its face like whoa. Remember, you brought it into this world, and you'll flip it any time you want. (Also, running a spatula around the perimeter before you flip it never hurt — but really, it's about the attitude.)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Cost: $20
Crêpes Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tbsp melted butter
Bananes Caramélisées Ingredients:
4 tbsp (1/2 a stick) butter (salted or unsalted depending on your taste/what you have in the fridge)
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (Again, your call. But your call should be light.)
3 bananas, sliced
Steps:
Mix crêpe ingredients together, and whisk until you have a pale, thin, lump-free batter. Let it sit while you caramelize the bananas (as the batter settles, straggler lumps will rise to the surface).
In a small pot, melt butter over a medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Let the mixture simmer up until you have a thick gooey mixture. Remove from heat immediately and stir in bananas until well coated. Don’t worry about the fruit getting a little mushy – it’ll be a good mush. Note: If your caramel starts to clump, you may have overheated a bit. You’ll just need to mix in a little more butter until it thins out. More butter – quelle tragédie, amiright?
Using a ladle or liquid measuring cup for ease, pour crêpe batter onto a slightly greased pan, over a medium high heat. Quickly, tilt your pan to create a circle(ish) shape. Cook for two minutes on both sides or until slightly browned.
Place your crêpe and spoon bananas onto on side of the circle, folding the other on top. Admire, then eat.
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