French Crepes: Savory or Sweet

The history of crepes sits with French folklore. Supposedly they were created by accident in the 13th century but have been filled with goodness ever since. Our favorite crepes were in a small café in Villefranche-sur-mer, France (Map). We visited Chez les gourmands in April and again in December, yumm!

Professional and home cooks get increasingly creative with the batter and filling of these delicate pancakes. Imagine filling your belly with any combination of sweet or savory ingredients listed below.

• Flour

• Egg

• Milk

• Fat

• Sugar/salt

• Optional: herbs, spices

Though some recipes suggest the total preparation and cook time is 20 minutes, many other recipes recommend letting the batter rest for 30-60 minutes to eliminate the air bubbles in the batter. Whether you use the fast or slow method of preparation, this batter can be made ahead and kept in an airtight container for up to 48 hours.

Since many home cooks prefer a video, here are three recipes you can use for your own crepes.

Martha Stewart: Simple Crepes (recipe with Video)

Alton Brown: Crepes on Food Network (recipe with Video)

Serious Eats: Basic Crepe Batter (recipe with photo steps)

Filling Choices can be savory or sweet

• Protein: ham, bacon, sausage, salmon, egg, tofu, etc.

• Vegetables: mushrooms, onions, peppers, tomatoes, spinach, etc.

• Cheese: any melting variety such as cheddar, cream cheese, feta, gruyere, etc.

• Fruit: berries, peaches, cooked apples, banana, mango, etc.

• Other: chocolate, caramel. Marshmallow, nuts, Nutella, etc.

The Batter uses basic ingredients that any home should have

If you are making more than 4 crepes, it's best to separate the hot ones with paper towels as shown here.