So I’m reading this cookbook/philosophy book by New York restaurant owner Kenny Shopsin. It’s a great read on many levels, but I’ll warn you, skip it if you get queasy at multiple sex references and profanity. Anyway, I just wanted to let the crepe lovers among you know that the crepe method Shopsin created is worth finding the book for. I tried to get it on Amazon, but they didn’t have it, at least last week. Luckily, my awesome local library does.
Anyway, if you’re a crepe purist, maybe you should avert your eyes while I describe the painfully simple, fast way to cheat on crepes. Grab some white flour tortillas, the thinner the better, and the great big ones are the best. In a wide bowl, whip up some eggs with a little cream and a tiny bit of vanilla. Dunk the tortillas, one by one, a la french toast, and maybe let them stew for a few minutes while you heat up the griddle.
Butter griddle like you would for regular crepes. When it’s hot, toss in a tortilla, cook until golden on the bottom, with lovely brown circles all around, flip, same for next side. I plated these up as fast as I could and couldn’t keep up with how fast they were cooking. I actually had to cut the tortillas in quarters because my griddle is too tiny, but that works with little kids just fine.
I popped them on a plate, dabbed about a tablespoon of cottage cheese (no ricotta on hand), a drizzle of strawberry jam, folded it like a burrito, and tapped on some powdered sugar. What a hit.
There are so many other cheats in the book that it’s worth looking into. I already do a lot of them, but he sure takes it to a new level, as far as being prepared to cook anything on the fly, and serve in less than 5 minutes.
I’ve now started daydreaming about visiting Shopsin’s General Store, but I suspect I’d get kicked out for being too much of a twit. I’d probably walk in, stare around with wide eyes, and stammer. And Shopsin would bellow, “Off with her head!” Actually, I doubt he’d do that, but I don’t know if I want to find out.
April 18, 2009 at 6:32 am
Can I just say “weird”? With a capital W? TORTILLAS? I understand they have the same shape and stuff, but WOAH! It does sound like it might taste nice if I was thinking “french toasted tortillas” Or not thinking “tortillas” at all. (especially considering YOU would be making them and Sarah food is good) Hmmm. That is very interesting. I make naleśniki (crepes) too often to switch over to a different version I think. Plus the tortillas here cost as much as 10 times what a loaf of bread does, and they’re not very good. 😦
June 24, 2009 at 1:50 pm
@LisAway,
Where are you buying your tortillas? I guess all the people crammed into the tenement buildings in my Puerto Rican neighborhood must be rolling in cash since they keep buying those ridiculously expensive tortillas.
And what’s “weird” about using tortillas for crepes? crepes are just flour and eggs, Flour tortillas plus eggs is also flour and eggs.
Rock on Kenny.
December 9, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Where is your local Library that has a copy of “Eat Me…”?
Elliot Silber
December 9, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Ha! Our library is wonderful, but truthfully, Eat Me was on a Top 10 Cookbooks list in the New York Times, so I wouldn’t be surprised if many libraries have it. At least libraries that are into keeping up.
August 9, 2011 at 4:24 pm
Makita…
Kenny Shopsin’s crepes « H. I. P….
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