Crepe Recipe

I just finished reading an article on The Huffington Post about how top chefs are hoping Obama's food habits will influence more Americans to eat better.

To help kick off this era of good food and transparency, I am posting the recipe for my buttery crepe which were served at my Obama Inauguration Party earlier this week. The crepes are so easy to make, you'll wonder why you didn't try to make your own crepes sooner.

My favorite way to eat crepes is with a squeeze of lemon and some powdered sugar. I also enjoy them with some fresh berries and whipped cream or Le Pain Quotidien Brunette (hazelnut spread) with Bonne Maman Four Fruits Preserves. Chocolate/Hazelnut spread and bananas are a traditional and much loved filling/topping option as well.

Included in the recipe are the exact ingredients I use. As long as the proportions are roughly the same, the brands and types of ingredients can easily be changed. I like to try to use whole wheat flour whenever possible. A little bit of white whole wheat (I use the King Arthur brand from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods) actually gives these crepes some needed texture. Too much whole wheat flour makes them tough, though. Experiment and let me know what you think. They really are easy to make.

Since I make crepes regularly, I purchased a special crepe pan (pictured above). When I am making triple and quadruple batches I have two of these pans going simultaneously which helps cut prep time nearly in half. You don't need a special pan to make these delicious crepes. A regular frying or omelet pan (pictured below) works fine. Just make sure it's non-stick.



Makes approximately 8 crepes

Approximate Nutritional Information (1 Crepe):
Calories: 106
Fat: 6g, Carbs: 7.5g, Protein: 4.5g
Sat Fat: 3g, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugar: 2g

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup All Purpose Unbleached Flour
1/4 Cup White Whole Wheat Flour
3 Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1-1/4 Cups Non-Fat Milk
1 Teaspoon Lemon Extract
3 Tablespoons Salted Butter

Tools:
Non-Stick Crepe or Omelet Pan
Whisk
Large Ladle
Silicone Spatula
Turner/Spatula

1. Melt butter on low heat. Set aside and let cool.
2. In mixing bowl, whisk together all the flour and eggs until mixture is smooth.
3. Add vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk to the flour/egg mixture. Mix until thoroughly incorporated.
4. Slowly whisk in the remaining milk.
5. Mix in melted butter and lemon extract. Do not try to fully incorporate the butter into the batter. No matter how much it is stirred, the butter should stay separated and rise to the surface.
6. Heat pan on medium heat.
7. Stir batter with ladle and pour one ladle full of batter into pan. Swirl the pan around until a thin layer of batter covers the bottom of the pan.
8. Once crepe edge starts to brown, lift one side of crepe with silicone spatula, slide flipper under crepe and flip. Flipped crepe should look lacy.
9. Slide crepe onto plate and repeat process.

Any leftovers can be covered so they don't dry out and placed in the refrigerator. Microwave for a few seconds to reheat. Enjoy!

Yes We Did!

President Obama: Words for How We Feel Now from Emily Troutman on Vimeo.

Today was obviously different. Since when do people get so excited about a presidential inauguration? I even had people over for breakfast to share in the celebration. I don't even know if I've seen another inauguration, except in news clips.

Nelson Mandela, Former South African President:

"Your election to this high office has inspired people as few other events in recent times have done. Amongst many around the world a sense of hopelessness had set in as so many problems remain unresolved and seemingly incapable of being resolved.

"You, Mister President, have brought a new voice of hope that these problems can be addressed and that we can in fact change the world and make of it a better place.''

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Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister:

"He is a man of great vision, he is a man of great determination and energy and he is a man of great moral purpose. And I think all these qualities are ones that will stand him in great stead for facing up to the changes ahead of him."

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Angela Merkel, German Chancellor:

"I believe today is a very special day not only for the United States of America but also a special day for billions of people all over the world. The fact that a black president is inaugurated and the fact that we are looking at an intensive trans-Atlantic co-operation is something that not only moves the heads and thoughts but also the hearts."

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Nicolas Sarkozy, French President:

"With your election, the American people has vigorously expressed its confidence in progress and in the future, as well as its resolve to have an open, new, strong and caring America that you embody.

"As you are entering office, I should like to convey to you, on my behalf and on the behalf of the people of France, my very best wishes for great success at the head of the American nation."

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Kevin Rudd, Australian Prime Minister:

"I believe from everything I have seen, read and heard and from the conversations that I have had with him that the American people have chosen well in their new president."

Weekend With Liz & Mike

Elizabeth and Mike came to visit for a couple of days, and we had loads of fun. I wish they could have stayed longer, but they had to get back home and back to work.

Yesterday we went to the Getty Villa off of Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades. Driving down PCH on a 78 degree January day was a little surreal. The beaches were packed with surfers trying to make the best of the poor surfing conditions, and we even saw three people on surfboards with long paddles. They looked a little funny... more like gondoliers than surfers.
The Getty Villa is a spectacular place to visit. Admission to the center and museum are free, but there is a parking fee. The museum which houses Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities is architecturally in the style of a Roman villa complete with gardens. I was all ready to take a ton of pictures of my favorite people in one of my favorite places with my brand new digital SLR when I realized my backup battery was still in the charger at home and the only battery I had with me was almost out of juice. Well, at least I got a couple pictures before it died.

After going through the museum building, we had lunch at the villa cafe and then decided to check out the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. Since it was Saturday the Promenade was filled with street performers, shoppers, and curious onlookers such as ourselves. As soon as the sun began to set and it started getting a little chilly, we head back to the San Fernando Valley. Along the way we discovered Mike had never been to BJ's or even heard of a Pizookie. We knew we had to go to BJ's for dinner and Pizookie. I ordered a pineapple and jalapeno pizza, my favorite. For dessert, Andrew and I shared a half triple chocolate and half chocolate chip Pizookie with all vanilla ice cream. I was in Heaven!

We decided to go to the Los Angeles Zoo today. Andrew and I are members, so we got everyone in for free. Walking up and down the hills is good exercise. Plus, we get to support our local zoo. The new gorilla habitat is wonderful, and I can't wait to see the expanded elephant enclosure once it opens. There is always a young giraffe (this time two) and baby koala. The lions, tigers, snow leopards, orangutans, and chimpanzees are a must see as well.

After the Zoo, we drove into Thai Town in Hollywood and had Thai food at Palms, famous for its Thai Elvis impersonator. When we finally figured out what we all wanted and placed our order, the server wanted to make sure we knew what we were getting into when we requested everything be spicy. We assured her we understood that the food would be very spicy, exactly the way we wanted it.

The dishes started coming out and the Basil Chicken (which I unfortunately couldn't taste because I don't eat chicken) was apparently extremely spicy. Andrew and Elizabeth concluded it was some of the spiciest food they'd ever put into their mouths. Mike took a short break until the pain subsided and then dug into the Beef Panang. Andrew said the Basil Chicken was by far the spiciest dish we ordered and at least twice as spicy as the Kee Mao Noodles which were spicy enough for me.

We rounded out our meal with Shrimp Cakes (my current favorite), Chicken Satay, Spring Rolls, and Coconut Soup with Shrimp. It was all quite delicious!

Here we go...

So, here's my new blog. I got the name from David Sedaris. His book Me Talk Pretty One Day is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good side splitting laugh.

On my fifth trip to France I limited myself to the words and phrases that people actually use. From the dog owners I learned "Lie down," "Shut up," and "Who shit on this carpet?" The couple across the road taught me to ask questions correctly, and the grocer taught me to count. Things began to come together, and I went from speaking like an evil baby to speaking like a hillbilly. "Is thems the thoughts of cows?" I'd ask the butcher, pointing to the calves' brains displayed in the front window. "I want me some lamb chop with handles on 'em."

It seems appropriate. Besides the obvious comparison of my ramblings to bovine musing, it's important for a Lacto-ovo-pesco-vegetarian like myself to know calf brains are even a possibility.

The goal is to take as many pictures of the things I enjoy and share them with anyone interested. That said...


The last few days have been consumed by Zuzu and her mysterious ailment. She's always been a strange dog with bizarre behavior patterns. When she started periodically trembling about a week ago, we thought it was jut a reaction to our being out of town without her for a few days. After all, this is the dog that runs away from me when it's bath time and shivers in the shower before, during, and after the entire process.

The trembling continued for three days, so we took her to the vet for tests. The tests were precautionary. We never expected them to reveal anything significant. The vet believes she is either responding to fear or pain. She is on pain meds and doing a little better. The trembling has decreased and her appetite is coming back. We try to make her feel safe and loved without encouraging bad habits or spoiling her too much. We'll know she's really feeling better once she starts playing with her toys again... which she hasn't done in over a week.