Johnny Crêpe

I visited Burlington ( in Vermont) for the first time this past July 4th weekend and I came across a quaint restaurant called the Skinny Pancake. It's a small restaurant with outdoor seating, a great view of the Lake Champlain and great crêpes. One thing I like about the dish I tried was that the crêpe wasn't "skinny ( no pun intended) ... If I had the appetite, I would have tried all of them but I settled for the "Johnny Crepe" which is pulled pork, braised in a sweet whiskey BBQ sauce, caramelized onions, and Cabot cheddar cheese folded into a corn meal crêpe. This is served with root vegetable slaw. All the ingredients seem local which is always another plus for me! So, if you are ever in Vermont, try one of my new favorite foods, the Johnny Crepe and let me know what you think!

Crepes

Crepes are another favorite food item of mine...so thin, so delicious.  They are great by themselves or with honey, jam / preserve...anything.  Here is a recipe that I use...let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1/4 cup sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg powder
  
• butter (for frying)
  

Directions:

• In a bowl, beat the eggs then add the milk
• In another bowl, combine the flour, sugar and nutmeg
• Slowly pour the egg mix into the flour and whisk until you have a smooth texture
• Heat a frying pan over medium heat and rub a little butter in
• Pour or scoop the crepe batter (1/4 cup to 1/2 cup) into the pan
• Fry for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side until light brown

Notes:

1. You can use a measuring cup to scoop out your batter
2. Depending on how big your frying pan, use a 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup
3. After scooping the batter in the pan, tilt the pan in a circular motion so batter covers the entire surface of the pan
4. If you really like nutmeg, you can use 2 teaspoons instead of 1 !
5. Always rub a little butter in the pan for every scoop of batter
6. I am sure other toppings are great but nothing beats the combination of this crepe recipe and some honey! 

Dorayaki

 I first encountered Dorayaki back in my college years during one of my Japanese classes. My professor had just returned from a trip to Japan and he brought with him a bag of goodies, including dorayaki and grean tea. I was , at first, reluctant to try this confection because I never associated black beans and pastry in the same sentence! However, being open to trying new things, I took a bite of this pastry and I have never looked back.

Dorayaki is a Japanese cake with a sweet black bean filling. It actually looks like two mini pancakes stuck together with the sweet black bean filling (anko). It can be enjoyed on its own or with some hot green tea or oolong tea, which balances out the sweetness of the pastry.

Dorayaki can be found at most Asian supermarkets, either in the candy / sweets aisle or sometimes in the "cold" section where cakes and other such pastries are kept. A pack of dorayaki normally sells for between $3.99  and $4.99...cherish every bite you take because before you know it, you are out of dorayaki !