' as sweet by another name? '

Shrove Tuesday.

Mardi Gras.
Fat Tuesday.
"Pooshki" Day.

....  Pancake Day! 

Pancakes had to happen. 

Over lunch, I was gladdened somewhat by the ensuing confusion which I'd started by wielding British terminology over the day's name. Lauren was reminiscing over Mardi Gras celebrations back home in the (proper) South & expressing surprise over the lack of comprehension with regard to 'King Cake'. Likewise Emily was talking of some doughnut-type pastry that we'd never heard of, "pączki" : popular in certain areas of the States due to the influence of Polish immigrants. For once it wasn't just me talking weird. We all took to Facebook to express our disbelief & discontent over other people's ignorance.  ;)

Joey had thrown me somewhat by packing a sausage for supper to go with his pancakes. There was talk of syrup too so I just put it down to them being Yankish. It was only as I looked up ingredients online (my trusty tried-&-tested recipe being back on the blessed isle) that I began to understand their expectations. The Independent gave me three basics: milk, eggs, flour. Using Martha Stewart as a comparison to convert from grams back into cups, I kept seeing baking agents appear in the list. Then it dawned on me. Uh-oh. 

They were expecting American pancakes. 

Not on my watch! "Crêpes" it was. British/French/European, whatever. Still tasting as sweet by any other name, my pancakes were flat & frying-pan-sized. Lemon & sugar proved the novelty topping of the evening. (We had a lesson in how to correctly top & roll lengthways.)
   I cooked for The Manly Man & Emily: lovingly transported over to them in Tech for Cadence's upcoming show. Joel dropped by to issue us an invite for the Valentine's Weekend Book Sale so had two purely by being in the right place at the right time. Joey learnt a whole new skill in making them & took to the challenge of flipping like a pro, turning out one after another ... after another... after another for himself, Lauren & I.

"Flliiiip!"

A very successful Shrove Tuesday indeed!

 

(Plus "Shrove Saturday",
 

                                              a revisit:)

  We should've taken pancakes over for the cast of HF. Blowing fuses whilst trying to prep the Act III breakfast was not our finest moment of the night. It's a full & fine array too: bacon, "haddock" (chicken patties),  scrambled eggs, toast & marmalade. Plus lots of tea.

   Hunt-the-missing-haddock-dish adventure on the following night wasn't too cool either. Hm. For a play where hardly anything happens save bitching or making out, there's an awful lot of set dressing to be done between times. Enough to impress a reviewer any way: 

Sue Griffin’s period costumes are stunning, Schaum’s set is detailed down to the clutter under the sofa, and Steve Perigard’s sure-handed direction makes the three-act, two-hour comedy fly. 

Organised Clutter.