Move Over Groundhog Day! We're Celebrating Le Jour des Crêpes!

Thursday, January 21, 2016

With Groundhog Day right around the corner, I’m excited to see what that little guy thinks of his shadow. However, it occurs to me that this holiday is lacking something major-a signature dish! In my opinion, food & holidays go together like pumpkin pie & Thanksgiving, am I right? This February 2^nd, the French will be celebrating Groundhog Day a little differently than those of us stateside-with Candlemas & crêpes! No one is really sure when it started, but crêpes have long been associated with the Christian celebration of Candlemas. This has led to the holiday being referred to as Le Jour des Crêpes, or National Crêpe Day!

Like the Southern convention of eating collards & black eyed peas on New Year’s Day, the French have a crêpe-tastic custom to ensure good fortune until the next Candlemas. Traditionally, if you hold a coin in your left hand & successfully flip the crêpe in the pan with your right, then you’ll be blessed with good luck until next year’s celebration!

So, whether or not we’re in for more winter weather, this week’s recipe for crêpes is sure to keep you warm (and full!) for what’s left of it! These thin French “pancakes” are stuffed with savory mushrooms, bacon, goat cheese, ricotta & herbs. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to make these delicate crêpes at home, and we’ll leave it up to you to decide if you’d like to try flipping them with one hand.