Every crêpe is a fresh start.
The first lesson of making these lightest of pancakes is simply to accept that the first crêpe out of the pan is never perfect. There’s no helping it. The only way forward is to keep going. The next crêpe will be better, and the next, and the next. Every crêpe is a fresh start.
Of course, we don’t have to keep this lesson in mind when we’re not the ones making the crêpes.
It’s a lovely day and we’ve just grabbed our flat whites from Eight Thirty Coffee at the Ponsonby Central. The marketplace is teeming with all manner of delicious foods. And there is all manner of delicious-looking folks sampling these treats. What a treat for us, in every way!
Right now we are craving a freshly-made crêpe at Crêpes A Go Go, directly opposite the coffee kiosk. (They have savoury galettes too, oh joy.) Started in 2009, this traditional crêperie is the love child of French-Kiwi husband and wife duo Marco and Emanuelle Angelino. As the batter is poured onto the sizzling griddle, we can’t help but delight in the art of making crêpes from scratch.
Those with a sweet tooth will enjoy the French Toast, a take on the brunch classic with bacon, banana and maple syrup. For something more savoury, the Croque Monsieur is inspired by its namesake and uses free-range ham, cheddar, butter and one of the French mother sauces, Béchamel.
So many choices but there are no bad decisions, we remind ourselves. Every choice is a good choice. And every day is a fresh start.
Indeed, every moment – for we begin anew in the very next instant – is a fresh one, a good one. We do not have to carry what ails us forward; we can choose. We can carry forward what drives us, what excites us, what fills us with joy, and expand onwards and onwards.
We settle on the Belle Hélène, a sweet crêpe with a delightfully decadent filling of sliced pears, Nutella and almond flakes. This arrives perfect in every way and we make a perfect mess of it, sharing every bite.
Even if the crêpe wasn’t perfect, we wouldn’t have minded. Every crêpe is a fresh start; we could just order another one. Our bellies would approve. Our waistlines would simply expand outwards and outwards.
There’s always time for the gym later. Every day is a fresh start, after all.
| Ponsonby Central, 136/146 Ponsonby Rd, Auckland, New Zealand Open Mon-Tue 8:30am-6pm; Wed- Sat 8:30am-10pm; Sun 8:30am-6pm Web: crepesagogo.co.nz |
| Two small suns On the 2nd of February in France, every crêpe is an opportunity. This is Le Jour des Crêpes, The Day of the Crêpes. If you could toss and catch a crêpe using a frying pan with your right hand while holding a gold coin in your left, you would become rich in the coming year. Or so folks believed. The crêpe and the coin: two small suns, in their shape and their colour. The crêpe ought to taste the best of the lot though. (You can trust me on this one.) |