CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD “PAPA VINCENT’S FAMOUS FRENCH CRÊPES”!
I had never thought about weaving crêpe cultures until Sunday afternoon at our house.
It was La Chandeleur, “French Crêpe Day,” even though my very French husband didn’t remember—AGAIN!
I may not be a native-born French citizen (even though I hold a
In fact, it was so important to me this year that I wrote a post about it, “Did You Know Today is ‘French Crêpe Day’?” I wanted everyone to know and to join me in this food celebration!
Are You French, or What?!
I walked into the kitchen that afternoon after church, and my husband was pouring a bottle of beer into a bowl of mixed flour and milk.
“You are making crêpes?” I asked. “Did you know it’s La Chandeleur today?”
He looked at me with surprise. “Is it really?” he said.
“Are you French, or what?!” I asked him laughing.
Vincent wasn’t only making French crêpes. He was making French crêpes for a traditional Ukrainian dish.
What in the World is That?
That evening, we were invited over to our friends’ house. It was a birthday party. We had asked the Canadian birthday girl, “What would you like to eat for your birthday dinner—if you could eat anything in the world?”
We were surprised and puzzled by her answer. It wasn’t a favorite Canadian or Spanish dish, it was a Ukrainian dish—Nalysnyky.
Have you ever heard of it?
We hadn’t, and we certainly couldn’t pronounce it.
“I’ll try to make it!” Vincent answered cheerfully, always ready for a culinary experiment in the kitchen.
Relaxing and Creating in the Kitchen
Unlike me, if Vincent has free time on a Sunday afternoon, you will often find him in the kitchen, mixing and making new,
“It’s the way I relax. I’m creating, just like you do when you write,” he told me one day.
“Great!” I replied. “Create, create, away, and I’ll be your personal taste tester!”
So, there he was in the kitchen . . . creating, experimenting, and “weaving cultures”!
The recipe our friend had given him of Nalysnyky called for crêpes. Because Papa Vincent already mastered his “Famous French Crêpe Recipe,” he preferred to use his own family recipe and then continue on with the unique Ukrainian filling for Nalysnyky.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD “PAPA VINCENT’S FAMOUS FRENCH CRÊPES”!
Vincent was weaving the French and Ukrainian cultures with his crêpes! How fun!
“That’s crazy that you’re doing this on La Chandeleur, and you didn’t even know it!” I told him.
His new recipe was a success, and we were all happy guinea pigs at my friend’s birthday party.
It was delicious. You should try it.
Here’s the recipe of Nalysnyky that Vincent tried.
The birthday girl served sushi with Vincent’s Nalysnyky, so we ended up weaving even more cultures together. It was a beautiful, delicious tapestry that we all enjoyed eating!
Extra Crêpes for the Super Bowl
Thankfully, Vincent made extra crêpe batter for our family. As soon as we got home from the birthday party, it was time to mentally and emotionally prepare for our next big event. We were about to watch our beloved Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl.
We were going to be up all night!
Just before kick-off at 12:30 a.m., David and Vincent got out the crêpe pan, la crêpière, and made a small stack of crêpes for our Super Bowl party.
No, it’s not your usual food item for American Super Bowl parties. However, for a French/American family living in Spain, watching the Super Bowl in the middle of the night on “
—THE CULTURAL STORY-WEAVER
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LET’S WEAVE CULTURES!
Have you ever tried weaving two countries, two cultures (or more!) into a meal? We do it all the time in our French/American home. It’s fun! Why don’t you give it a try today? You never know what you might create!
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD “PAPA VINCENT’S FAMOUS FRENCH CRÊPES”!
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures!” Write about them in the comment box below.
