European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 30, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The versatile French specially works for fast food gourmet meals and sumptuous desserts a amps photos by Michael Abrams. A stack of or pcs with some possible fillings awaits customers at an outdoor stand in Paris. By John Taylor staff writer leave it to the French to take something simple like a Pancake and turn it into a dish even a gourmet could love. That is what they have done with the crepe a simple mixture of eggs flour and milk that can serve As the base for a fast food a restaurant appetizer a filling main course or one of the world s More famous desserts. In Paris carryout crepes Are common sights at Street Corners and open air markets. They Are usually simple snacks with the Batter spread thinly on a hot Skillet browned on both sides and then rolled around a filling. Ham cheese mushrooms and vegetables like spinach Are common fillings. So Are sugar fruit chocolate and whipped Cream. It All depends on whether you re looking for a Sandwich or something for the Sweet tooth. Many restaurants specialize in crapes or feature them on their menus. Served with a salad they can be an inexpensive lunch. Served Flat and piled High with seafood fowl meat or vegetables and a sauce they make an excellent dinner especially if accompanied by a bottle of hard Apple cider from Brittany. Dinner cry pcs Are often made with a buckwheat flour and called Gailette a Sarrasin or palettes de by noir or some variation of the words. These Are usually heavier More filling and have a slightly nutty taste. Another Way to serve crepes either As a meal or an appetizer is to place several of them rolled and filled in a pan. Cover them with cry me Traiche and cheese and bake them like enchiladas. Dessert crepes usually Call for a Little sugar and a Little less Salt in the Batter and Are often filled with fruit and lopped with Chantilly a delicacy made with cry me frat Che confectioner s sugar and Vanilla extract sometimes the toppings include liqueur and May As is the Case with crepes Suzette be set ablaze. The crepe Suzette for All its renown was created by Accident. Chef Henri Charpentier is said to have invented it while working at a restaurant in Monte Carlo. One Day in the 18cj0s, Edward the Prince of Wales appeared for lunch with a group of gentlemen and a Little girl. Charpentier had made a special sauce for the occasion based on a simpler recipe used by peasants. As he stood near the Prince s table nervously reheating the crepes in his new sauce the whole concoction caught fire. Charpentier hesitantly tasted the result and discovered it had become even better. The Prince s party ate the new treat and asked what it was called. Charpentier quickly named it after the Prince. But Edward in mock protest said that he could t accept the name for something so Fine when a lady was present. When the girl named Suzette Rose to her feet curtsied and smiled the chef agreed to Call the dessert Quot crepes Suzette Quot instead. Just about any travel Book listing restaurants in France will include crepe places. During a recent trip to Paris we had Chicken tarragon and Ham cheese and Leek crepes for dinner at la Cre Perie de Pecheur on Rue St. Andre Des arts. This Street just off the Boulevard St. Germain on the left Bank has five cry Peries plus one carryout stand that also served pizzas arid gyros. On another Day we had Ham and cheese crepes with soup for lunch at the Rist Orante be Aubourg near the. Pompidou Center. The crepes there Cost Between 22 and 42 francs Between about $4 and $7.80 and kept us going for the rest of the afternoon. Following Are recipes for the Basic crepe plus ones for buckwheat crepes a main dish and crapes Suzette. R Cripe Batter 3 eggs 2 cups flour 2vi cups milk or half milk and half Beer 2 Tablespoons of Oil Salt 3 Tablespoons warm water butter for frying beat the eggs in a mixing bowl blender or food processor. Add flour and beat until smooth. Gradually beat in the milk or milk and Bee the Oil and a Pinch of Salt. Let stand for at least two hours. When ready to Cook the crepes thin the Batter with the warm water so that it is Runny enough to cover the Bottom of the pan immediately. Put a Pat of butter in a crepe pan or frying pan and tip the pan so that the Batter is thinly spread. Cook for 2 minutes or until Golden Brown on the underside then turn with a Spatula and Brown the other Side. Slide die crepe out of the pan and repeat with the remaining Batter. Crapes can be cooked in Advance. Wrapped in foil they will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 Days. The Batter itself will keep up to 24 hours in the refrigerator and should be stored in a Container with a tight lid. A from la cuisine the Complete Book of French cooking Brittany buckwheat cripes buckwheat flour is available at health food stores and some local grocery stores if it can to be found in the commissary. Legg 1 cup milk Viz cup Buttermilk r/2 Teaspoons of sugar v a Teaspoon Salt % cup stirred buckwheat flour a cup sifted All purpose flour a a cup melted butter Buffer slightly beat egg. Beat in milk Buttermilk sugar and Salt. Gradually add buckwheat and White flours beating to make a very smooth Batter. Cover and let stand at room temperature for one hour. Beat in melted butter. For each crepe heat about vie spoon of butter Over medium heat in a 7-or 8-Inch crepe pan. Pour in about Tablespoons Batter quickly tilt and rotate pan so alter covers Bottom. When Brown on Bottom flip and Fown on second Side. Makes 12 crepes. Thin Batter with milk so that it will flow easily. Crepes a an be stacked and held in a warm oven for a Short Ime while the rest Are being made. A from woman s Day Home cooking around the world cripes with scallops and Calvados Burre Blanc 1 Green Apple 1 Bunch chives 1 red Pepper 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter v2 Pound Bay scallops Salt freshly ground Black Pepper Crft Pes Calvados Burre Blanc preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place four dinner plates in warm oven. Halve Core and Dice Apple. Finely chop chives to measure 2 Tablespoons. Halve Core and seed red. Pepper Dice enough to measure a cup. In Large saute pan melt butter Over medium heat. Add Apple and Pepper Cook stirring occasionally for 2 minutes. Add scallops and Cook stirring Tor 2 minutes. Season to taste with Salt and Pepper and add chives. Divide crapes equally among four warm plates. Spoon Scallop mixture Over crepes and top each with Burre Blanc. Calvados Burre Blanc 1 shallot 1 cup dry White wine % cup unfiltered Apple juice the 5tars and stripes skilled hands prepare a crepe at the Paris Flea Market. From left shredded cheese is placed in a cooked crepe the o be is left on the Grill to melt the cheese the finished product is wrapped in paper for a snack logo. A Satu rdc a 1993 of cup Calvados juice of 2 Lemons about is cup 1 stick unsalted butter Salt freshly ground Pepper Peel and mince shallot. In Small Saucepan Combine wine Apple juice Calvados Lemon juice and shallot. Simmer gently Over Low heat until reduced to a syrupy Glaze about 30 minutes. Cut butter into Tablespoon size pieces and add to Glaze 1 Tablespoon at a time stirring until each piece is incorporated before adding the next. Keep sauce on heat just until barely warm and last piece has melted or sauce will separate. Add Salt and Pepper to taste. A from great meats in minutes French regional menus cripes Suzette crapes 3 eggs 2 rounded Tablespoons All purpose flour f Tablespoon water 1 Tablespoon milk sauce 1 heaping Tablespoon Vanilla sugar 1-Inch Square Orange Peel 1-Inch Square Lemon Peel i cup Sweet butter 6 Tablespoons Maraschino 6 Tablespoons dlr Schasser 8 Tablespoons Curacao prepare crapes As before. When each is done fold in half then again to make a pocket handkerchief Triangle. There is enough Batter to make 8 crepes. Make them shortly before the meal. For the sauce liquid ize the sugar and peels in a blender. Put the butter Cut in pieces on a Small plate. Mix the 3 liqueurs and put in a Small Pitcher. When ready to serve the crapes melt butter at table using table Burner or chafing dish. When butter bubbles add just Over half the liqueur mixture and allow it to catch fire in the Burner flame. When the flames die away add cripes and sugar mixture. Turn crapes Over so they Are reheated and bathed in sauce. Finally pour rest of liquid and allow it to catch fire again. Serve As soon As flames have died Down. Serves four. From the world Atlas of food the stars and stripes