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03/25/2021 12:01 AMI guess I thought that once I had had my second dose of COVID vaccine, plus waited the two-plus weeks to make sure I was safe from the infection and to be around people, but still safely masked most of the time, friends as old or older than I could go out to dinner, in a restaurant.
I was wrong.
Nobody wanted to go out and play.
I am still reading two to three books a week, watching too much television, finishing Sunday’s New York Times often by Monday night
And, I’m tired of my own food.
Both UConn basketball teams have made the NCAA brackets (the men by a hair’s breath, the women one of four in the highest bracket), but there is no college basketball this week. I called my friend Nancy Trimble and she said there is America’s Cup sailing from New Zealand but noted I don’t stay awake long enough to watch it. She is right, but I can DVR the finals and I have NBCSN.
But am I that bored?
Yup.
While a friend of mine once said watching sailing is like watching paint dry, Nancy promised me it isn’t these days. Is it multihulls? I asked. To me, that is not sailing. She said these are single-hulled boats and each of the finals last around 25 minutes. She is right. These boats are fast, we can watch it from four different angles (three different cameras and one digitized).
And guess what, it was exciting. For women of any age, there is much to appreciate about the men, and the boats are gorgeous as well.
I still am reading a lot, writing a lot, watching too much television (my latest is The Morning Show on Apple TV) and I am still a bit tired of my own cooking.
But I hadn’t made crepes in years and not only are they delicious, they keep well. They freeze easily, layered with piece of waxed paper. They are great for savory or sweet leftovers and I just love a crepes cake.
You can layer the crepes with chopped walnuts, maple syrup, bitter or sweet jam, or even orange butter. I made the crepes in under half an hour and had them in the freezer in no time They are so delicious. Your first or second crepe might not look good. On the other hand, they taste delicious. Eat them. Your new ones will be gorgeous.
Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com.
Grand Marnier Crepe Cake
From Gourmet magazine, March, 2008
Yield: at least 24 to 40 crepes, depending on size of pan
Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 cup of whole milk (2 percent is fine)
3 cups chilled heavy cream, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, divided
2 teaspoons grated orange zest, divided
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or Cointreau
Directions
Blend eggs, milk, ½ cup cream and ½ teaspoon vanilla with flour, salt, ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar, and 1 teaspoon zest in a blender until just smooth.
Brush a 10-inch nonstick skillet lightly with some of the melted butter, then heat over medium-high heat until hot. Pour in a scant ¼ cup of batter, immediately tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom. (If batter sets before skillet is coated, reduce heat slightly for next crepe.) Cook until underside is golden and top is just set, 15 to 45 seconds. Loosen edge of crepe with a heatproof rubber spatula (I used my finger nails), then flip crepe over with your fingertip and cook 15 seconds more. Transfer to a plate. Continue making crepes brushing skillet with butter each or every couple of times and stacking crepes on plate.
Beat remaining 2 ½ cup of cream, ½ teaspoon vanilla, ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, 1 teaspoon orange zest, and Grand Marnier in a large deep bowl with an electric mixer until cream holds stiff peaks.
Center a crepe on a serving plate and spread with ¼ cup cream. Continue stacking crepes and spreading with cream, ending with a crepe. Chill, covered, at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Serve with fresh berries for garnish, if you like.