The making of a crepe in Paris

Back in August I flew Air France to India which meant flying through Charles de Gaulle airport. It also meant a lengthy layover in a less than optimal airport terminal. On my way back home I had five hours to kill and there is very little in the way of food or entertainment in CDG. Fortunately I had a business trip to Paris last April and learned my way around the city in the few short days I was there. My luggage was checked through to Boston so when I landed in Paris, I got another stamp on my passport and bought myself a rail ticket for the RER into the city for some breakfast.

Thirty minutes later I hopped off the train at the Châtelet Les Halles stop, walked a few blocks to the river Seine, and crossed the bridge over to the Notre Dame de Paris. Having been here in the spring, I knew there were plenty of crepe stands in the shadow of the cathedral, and I was on the hunt for an egg and cheese crepe. At the end of Rue du Cloître Notre Dame, behind the cathedral, I found Brasserie Esmeralda. It had just opened for the day and I was the first customer. This meant I was able to see how the crepe griddle is prepared at the beginning of each day, and no crowds.

The first step in preparing the griddle for a day of crepe making is adding a small nob of butter to the griddle, allowing it to melt, and finally wiping it off with a clean paper towel. It's crepe making time!

Next, a ladle of batter is poured in the center of the griddle and spread around using a wooden batter spreader. If you watched Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen this past season, you may remember the crepe episode, this spreading of batter is no easy task for the inexperienced!

Once the batter has set, it is flipped ever so carefully with a long spatula, like the ones that are used for icing cakes. For my egg and cheese crepe one whole egg is cracked onto the crepe and gently scrambled.

Next, lots of shredded cheese is added (I forgot to ask what kind of cheese is used.)

Finally the crepe is folded in eighths, wrapped in paper, and handed over to me, to eat! This delicious egg and cheese crepe needed some more salt and pepper but otherwise was very good. Nice, light, perfectly cooked crepe, tasty egg, and delicious cheese. I can't wait to go back to Paris for more crepes! I can't think of a better way to spend a layover; not only was I not sitting around the airport, I was eating crepes in Paris!

French Street Food

France is known for a lot of things including great wine, cheese, bakeries and culture. And Paris is known for a lot of those things including the Eiffel Tower, the Mona Lisa, the Notre Dame, and amazing pâtisseries. When I told my friend Alex that I was headed to Paris for work I didn't even get a chance to ask her what I should do before she said "you absolutely have to get a banana and nutella crêpe from one of the street vendors." It was a common theme among friends when they learned of my trip so I made that my mission once I arrived. I took a few detours on my way to crêpe heaven, first to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo

and then to the top of the Eiffel Tower,

but it wasn't until I made my way down the river to the Notre Dame

that I finally saw what I could only dream of previously, the famous street vendors that create the Parisian street food known as the crêpe. I saw lots of amazing and inspiring artwork, sculptures, and architectural wonders, but at that moment it was all about the banana nutella crêpe so I stepped right up and ordered one.

I think the young woman making my crêpe was a but uncomfortable with me taking pictures, should I have asked first? I was giddy like a little kid in a candy store; I was hungry and could not wait to try this crêpe I had heard so much about. Smeared with nutella and stuffed with ripe, sliced bananas, it was a challenge to eat with a broken arm in a cast, but I managed, a couple times. The crêpe pancake was hot, sweet and perfect and the nutella and banana filling almost brought me to my knees. Wow, so good. Seriously amazing. I want to go back to Paris for a lot of things and one of them is another banana nutella crêpe. Bon appétit!

Savory or Sweet?

I'm talking about crepes, of course! Do you like yours savory or sweet?A new crêperie called Melt gelato & crepe café recently opened by my house in the newly expanded section of the Natick Mall, or as the marketeers call it, the Natick Collection. As I was walking through the new section of the mall for the first time, this new eatery caught my eye, since I realized a few years ago that I actually like crepes. There is a crêperie in Greenwich, Connecticut named Meli-Melo that turned me on to crepes for life; crepes and coconut sorbet actually!

Anyway, melt serves a variety of savory and sweet crepes as well as lots of homemade gelatos, smoothies, and coffee drinks. They also have a chocolate fountain and fresh fruit if you prefer chocolate covered fruit!

On my first visit to melt, I decided to go savory with my crepe. I tried the Andalusian crepe, a soft French-style crepe filled with avocado, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, and a mild jack cheese. Served with a side of mixed greens and creamy Italian-like dressing, this crepe was good, very fulfilling. To finish my meal I had a scoop of the coconut macadamia nut gelato, it too was great.

Melt Gelato & Crepe Cafe is a public company (MLTC) and has franchise opportunities available if your interested. I personally just want to go back for a peanut butter and jelly crepe or a strawberries & cream crepe with fresh strawberries, chocolate or nutella, and whipped cream.

Making of the Crepe

My Andalusian crepe awaiting the fold

The final product - delicious!