Paris Crêpes and the Luxembourg Gardens

by Krista | Nov 24, 2009 | Gulliver Tuesday

Next to making and sharing delicious food, traveling is my favorite pastime. I gladly give up movies, new clothes and such, and put every spare penny towards plane tickets, hotel rooms and oh so fabulous meals.

This fall I spent a couple of weeks in Paris visiting family and dear friends. One brisk afternoon my friend Amy and I donned coats and scarves and set off for the Jardin de Luxembourg, instantly slowing to a saunter as we entered the gates.

Wide, leaf-strewn gravel paths meandered past twisted old trees, around great stretches of green grass bordered in short, scalloped iron fencing. At the center of nearly every grassy place was an intricately carved marble statue, its base festooned with flowers, the lawns dotted with fallen leaves.

It was lunchtime and clusters of teenagers parked themselves on chairs, benches and even the pathways to eat their meal, laughing, talking and smoking happily in the warm fall sunshine. Here and there an artist sat in the sun, capturing the autumnal beauty in chalk or paint. Well-dressed women sat alone with their thoughts, or shared them animatedly with a friend. My favorites were the elderly couples, the women in heels, dresses and wool coats, the men in dress pants and overcoats, both wearing hats, strolling hand in hand along the winding pathways.

We emerged from the park ages later, our hearts richly satisfied with the beauties we’d seen, and walked towards the Pantheon. By this time our stomachs were crying out for victuals, and we spotted a crêperie across the road. We had the cheeriest waiter, a young fellow about 22 who behaved as though nothing pleased him more than to see his customers happy.

He seated us outside at a tiny round table and brought us flat water and our buckwheat crêpes of choice. I chose a savory one filled with white ham, Emmental cheese, tomato and fried egg, while Amy indulged her sweet tooth with Nutella, banana and coconut. The crêpes were amazing – delectably crisp yet chewy, with fresh and flavorful fillings. Ooeee, SO good on a cold day! 🙂

They were delicious, so earthy, rich and hearty that within a day or two we were positively craving them!

We found another crêperie down a twisting side street and were directed to a teensy table by the window with two round-seated wooden chairs. Within a few minutes it was packed to the gills with locals – nary a tourist to be seen – so we were quite proud of our choice. 🙂 Amy’s crêpe was filled with melty, caramelized pears and I had a buckwheat one with cheese, ham and egg topped with a fabulous green salad with a vinegary dressing that dripped down onto the crepe. Deeeelicious!

Wanting to replicate these beauties at home, I experimented with flour and milk and came up with my own version that I love. I hope you will too!

Buckwheat Crepes

Ingredients:

2 cups coconut milk
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup flour
3 large eggs

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in non-metal bowl and let sit overnight.
2. Heat non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
3. Use 1/4 batter per crepe, pour into pan and tilt to cover bottom. When nearly set, flip and brown other side for 10-30 seconds. Repeat until batter is used up.
4. (The first couple of crepes may be flops – mine always are – but you’ll get the hang of it in no time.)
5. Spread warm (or cold!) crepes with Nutella or top with shredded ham and Swiss cheese and heat until cheese is melted.