Candlemas is very popular celebration in France. Usually known as “La Chandeleur”, French people eat “crepes” and drink cider. Even if it has a fix day, it’s such a popular celebration than you can enjoy “crepes” almost during all month long.

WHAT CREPES ARE?

Please, don’t you dare call a crepe a pancake. Even if technically is a pancake because it is cook in a pan, the recipe is slightly different and especially the shape is. Crepes are way thinner and bigger than pancakes.

Crepes come from the Celtic side of France, the northwest, Brittany. But they’re so popular and so yummy that you can find them across the country and even in the neighbor countries like Belgium.

You can enjoy it sweet (cooked with wheat flour) or salty (with buckwheat flour), but for Candlemas they cook just the sweet version and add sweet toppings: sugar and nutella (a hazelnut chocolate spread) are the favorite fillings, but you can use confiture, fruits, whipped cream, syrups...

WHAT ARE FRENCH CELEBRATING ON CANDLEMAS?

There are two variants of Candlemas: religious and pagan.

Pagans celebrate the lengthening of days after the dark winter; spring is just about to come. The crepe, golden and round, would represent the sun. It would be a tribute to the sun, the changing season, the approaching spring and the fertility and abundance it promises.

Christians celebrate the Feast of the presentation of our Lord Jesus. Forty days after giving birth, Virgin Mary and her spouse Joseph, went to the Temple with their newborn, this fragment was narrated by Luke on the Bible.

WHEN ARE FRENCH PEOPLE CELEBRATING CANDLEMAS?

It is not a celebration attached to the moon calendar so the date is always fixed: February second. Why? Keep in mind that Jesus was introduced to the temple the fortieth day after birth. Back then when Jess was born, roman calendar ruled. In 4th century the pope introduced the Gregorian calendar and designed Jesus birthday on December 25th. So, the fortieth day from Christmas is always February second, this don’t change even in lap years.

CAN YOU GIVE ME YOUR BEST CREPE RECIPE?

Each French cooker has its own when it comes to measurements, but a general one could be:

One cup of wheat flour
4 large eggs
A pinch of salt
One tablespoon of sugar
One cup and a half of whole milk
Three tablespoons of unsalted and melted butter

Mix and blend everything together until you see bubbles in the surface. Then let the mixture sit in the fridge during two hours. This is an important step, don’t skip it.

Grab the largest non stick pan you have and lightly coat it with butter each time. Put a ladle of the mixture on the pan and swirl until is completely covered. Wait two minutes or until the underside of the crepe is golden, then flip it on the air!

Flipping crepes is not easy, especially if you don’t have the right pan, so you’re allowed to use a rubber spatula.

With the mixture you can make a ton of crepes, so call your friends and enjoy the on your Fano dinning table. In aluminum and glass and as round as a crepe.

http://www.gardenarteu.com/table-a-manger-en-verre-et-aluminium-base-en-forme-de-trompette