What a Load of Crepe!

My dad has been toying with the idea of purchasing a stand at the Des Moines Downtown Farmer's Market for this summer's hot new DSM item--crepes made a la moi. I think it could be done easily enough. Crepes are very inexpensive to make, and so quick. I had alwasy heard such terrible things about trying to make them, but I think that as long as you have a proper metal spatula (the long skinny kind) and a very very very NON STICK frying pan. Throw all trepedations of additives and carcinigens via non-stick if you want to enjoy your at-home crepe experience. Here is the recipe I have adapted and tweaked from Alton Brown (I thought his was too eggy). I find that the thinner the batter, the better--as long as you can avoid the air bubbles (bubbles mean tearing and holes through which your filling will escape). Here is my recipe:

2 eggs
3/4 c milk
1/2 c water
1 c flour

Mix all together, whisk to remove lumps. Let rest in the fridge for one hour (so the bubbles go away--the batter will be good for two days). Add about two to three tablespoons batter to the pan (buttered if you like), run around all edges of the pan (like when making an omlette). Cook for thirty seconds on each side and voila! I may change this recipe. I am going to make a new batch tomorrow. Here are pictures:


I hope to learn more about crepes--maybe read some articles or something. All three of you out there who read this, forward me along any information you may have about crepes. My stepmom is trying a gluten-free version that I am very curious to hear about the results.

-Alexis

Felicitations!!

Congrats to us, The Freshman 15, for reaching the oddly satisfying number of 10 followers of our blog!! I am currently chez McDo for the second time today waiting for some movies to download from iTunes so I can go home and watch them 9Inglorious Basterds and 500 Days of Summer, in case you were wondering). Thursday night, coming home from a co-worker's 'gig' I found myself in a metro station that was in the process of being gassed--my suspicions point to riots and roudy folk in reaction to the Algerian/Egyptian futbal game that occorued only hours earlier (Algeria was defeated...badly...by Egypt). It's interesting, horrifying, and strangely comforting to witness somewhat inderectly the effects of national pride in a country that isn't my own. From what I observe in the States, immigrant pride is waining (sauf que my few very Catholic and very Irish friends who never fail to remind us all), for better or worse. It's such a delicate relationship between Algerian French citizens and France: they come to France for economic opportunites because the French previously obliterated the infrastructure of their societies. The French don't necessesarily want them here, but the reality is, immigrant populations not only support an economy, but are also apart of the long consequential baggage that comes with France's (or any colonial Western power) conquistadorial actions of previous generations. All this thinking, as you can imaging, has made me very tired. So i bought a coat. This one:
only in a pretty purple color. Workin' on gettin some more color in my life.

Signed,
A

God Does Exist

France has given me the gift of time...to mess around on the internet. Turns out, French people love sushi, and they are really into sushi joints, like this one, Planet Sushi, found all over Paris, and in Ibiza and Miami:


(photo courtesy of http://www1.coe.neu.edu/~gyang/photogallery/France/Paris-car.jpg)

The French can make even corporate sushi look cute. It's a gift, I swear. So I found an advertisement for this place while checking out the website of a bar where a co-intern is playing tonight, and I was drooling all over the place. OMG why is sushi so good. I think part of it is the texture (i know, nasty, but it feels sooooo goooood) and part (mostly) the soy sauce/wasabi--never fails to quench my salty craving. Ok, so back to the point of this (yes, believe it or not, there is an end in sight), check out one of their desserts:

photo courtesy of: http://www.planetsushi.fr/project/planetsushi/fichiers/maki_nutella_10-en.jpg

omg omg omg...ok dad and any adults who are reading this, close your eyes, but this is a food *****...you know what word is supposed to go there. Oh wow seriously it's hard for me even to type this, I'm so overcome with joy and envy and hunger and over-active salivatory glands. This is why God invented globalization, for beautiful masterpieces of combined culture such as this one here before our eyes. Bliss, pure salty chocolaty Franconese bliss. Amen.

Heart,

Alexis