A Family Affair with Crêpes
Some recipes are not just about food. They are about memory and the people who taught us how to gather around the table for the simple pleasures of love and laughter and a well-made crêpe.
My cousin Simy is the undisputed crêpe master of our family. At any celebration, at any brunch, if Simy was there, her crêpes would be on the menu. Her crêpes are the thinnest, lightest, most ethereal crêpes imaginable. A delectable treat that we all anticipated with delight. As she worked her magic with the hot pan and the runny batter, we would hover around, waiting for the first few perfect ones to hit the table.
As Sharon and I were thinking about which recipe would feel right for the first issue of the new year and a fresh beginning, we kept circling around ideas that felt comforting, nostalgic and joyful.
Then, I woke up in the middle of the night and found myself thinking (dreaming) about Simy’s crêpes. My thoughts drifted to my parents and how much they loved them. Especially my father, who always made sure to take a few home to enjoy the next day.
My family’s love affair with pancakes and crêpes has been lifelong. When we first moved here in the 1970s, there was a restaurant called The Magic Pan on Brighton Way. They specialized in crêpes, offering every variation of savory and sweet. It quickly became one of our favorite places and we went there often. I ordered the spinach and cheese crêpe every time, always followed by a dessert crêpe. Sometimes it was the chestnut cream filling, sometimes chocolate hazelnut. Although I don’t remember exactly when it closed, I do remember how sad we were when it did. To this day, my brothers and I still reminisce and say we remember that place, remember how much we loved those crêpes.
For years, I have wanted Simy to teach me. I always meant to learn, but somehow the timing was never quite right.
So this past Sunday, bright and early, I went to Simy’s home. She had prepared the batter three days earlier, explaining that allowing it to rest makes it thicker and far more flavorful. Her recipe includes a bit of rum and just a tiny drop of orange blossom water. It is not mandatory, she explained. But I guarantee that once you try it, you’ll understand why she uses it.
Simy brought the batter to room temperature and then she taught me that the pan must be very hot and very well buttered. If the batter feels too thick, you add just a little milk, slowly and carefully. Not too much. You don’t want it thin and watery. This is something you learn by feel, by trying again and again until it is just right. I watched her make a few, then of course ate one immediately. Then it was my turn.
The first couple were a bit challenging, but suddenly it clicked. It became easy, even natural. Simy told me that in France, everyone knows how to make crêpes, and parents teach their children. It is a family ritual, a shared skill passed down through generations.
Traditionally, French crêpes were made with buckwheat flour, heavier and savory. But in my family, we have always leaned toward the sweet. Still, give me a thin savory crêpe, spinach and cheese perhaps, and you have truly made my day.
In honor of my parents, I made a fresh batch of batter today. In a few days, I will be making crêpes for New Year’s. I am so excited, not just to serve them, but to finally know how to make them myself. To carry this tradition forward and G-d willing, one day pass it down to my grandchildren.
Some recipes are not just about food. They are about memory and the people who taught us how to gather around the table for the simple pleasures of love and laughter and a well-made crêpe.
—Rachel
How ingenious is it to take such simple ingredients and turn them into something as delicious as crêpes!
Growing up in Australia, crêpes were a favorite treat. Often they were topped with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice and a generous sprinkling of confectioners sugar. My favorite topping is fresh strawberries, maple syrup and freshly whipped cream.
Of course, the options are endless — Butter and honey, jam, Nutella and bananas, sautéed mushrooms and Gruyère cheese, salted caramel and ice cream, smoked salmon and dill cream cheese.
Bon Appetit!
—Sharon
Crêpes
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp oil
1/4 cup rum
2 cups whole milk
2 all purpose flour, sifted
Drop of orange blossom water
1/2 cup whole milk, for thinning out the batter before cooking
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, rum and milk until well combined.
Beat the flour in gradually until the batter is smooth.
Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator for 3 days.
On the third day, remove the batter from the refrigerator and leave on the counter until it is room temperature. Add about a half a cup of milk to thin out the batter.
Warm a crêpe pan or a nonstick frying pan over medium high heat until pan is very hot.
Coat the pan with butter, then pour a thin layer of batter. Swirl the pan around to cover all the surface to the edges.
Use a spatula to gently lift the edge of the crêpe to see if it is golden brown underneath. If so, slide the spatula to the middle of the crêpe and flip it over. Cook for 30 seconds and remove from the pan.
Coat the pan with another layer of batter and repeat the process until all the batter is used.
Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff have been friends since high school. The Sephardic Spice Girls project has grown from their collaboration on events for the Sephardic Educational Center in Jerusalem. Follow them
on Instagram @sephardicspicegirls and on Facebook at Sephardic Spice SEC Food.
