Happy Breakfast

These simple crepes are delicious as is, with a dash of powdered sugar or a bit of butter and jam… But we had the ripest mango and a bit of yogurt (“curd” or “dahi” as they call it here) – a delicious and tropical combination. Perfect to start off a day in great Indian style. Crepes are infinitely adaptable, via the filling, to any place or season – with orange a-la Suzette, bananas flambé (D’s absolute favorite), sprinkle of lemon and powdered sugar as I first sampled off a cart in Paris as a kid, apples or pears in Oregon, peanut butter and jelly, stacked high and presented in cake form as I experienced in New York or Nutella! Oh Nutella. The stuff is a problem for me – If it’s in the cupboard, it’s on my finger straight from the jar several times a day. I urge you to surrender to the crepe – Float downstream on a pleasure cloud after a breakfast like this. Listen for trumpets and church bells, I swear they get louder with every bite of yummy.

Basic Crepes – serves 2 for breakfast

1 c flour
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp butter, melted (plus lots more for buttering the pan)
1 c milk
2 eggs

mangos, 2 cut into bite-sized pieces
1 plain yogurt, mixed with vanilla and sugar to taste


to make:
Whisk eggs, milk, vanilla and melted butter all together in one large bowl, set aside. In a small bowl, mix flour, salt and sugar until evenly combined. Using a large spoon, incorporate flour mixture into egg mixture a few spoonfuls at a time. Whisk vigorously with a fork or a whisk until all ingredients have been thoroughly combined. A few lumps are okay – the batter will mellow into a runny-yogurt consistency.

Heat a cast-iron or non-stick pan if you’ve got either (a regular stainless steel pan will also work, just a bit trickier) to medium/high heat. Stick a good blob of butter and swirl it around as it melts all over the pan. Using a 1/3 – ½ cup measure, spoon out the batter and immediately swirl to create a thin, semi-even crepe. The first one will most likely be a bust, pale and strange, but don’t worry! The rest will be gorgeous. I just munch on the first one while I work. Keep a plate handy to roll the crepes, of course fresh off the pan is the best – so don’t keep your pal waiting long. Serve as soon as possible!