Profiteor: February 2015

So it is now officially Lent, in fact it's the first Sunday of Lent tomorrow, and that means we have had Fat Tuesday where we have one last day of sweets and rich foods before we give up chocolate, Facebook, or sleeping in for the next forty (six) days.

Back home, I would probably make gumbo, eat a King cake, and wear purple, green, and gold during this day because it's Mardi Gras, and my friends and church like the Mardi Gras tradition. Here in England, Fat Tuesday is known as Shrove Tuesday, or, more commonly, Pancake Day because, you guessed it, everyone eats pancakes.

There are several ways to serve pancakes with really only two basic options: sweet or savory. The tradition is to eat thin pancakes drizzled with lemon and sugar. (Maple syrup really isn't a huge deal in England like it is in the US.) However, you can see it with fruit sauces, ice cream, cheese sauce, vegetables, etc. Basically it's up to you.

A traditional pancake without any flavorings added.

Since my roommate and I are both from different countries, we decided we had to make pancakes and celebrate Shrove Tuesday in the English style. However, neither of us wanted to eat a sugary dinner after we finished work, so we decided to spend the evening making a savory version of pancakes that were stuffed with asparagus, broccoli, and leek. (Don't worry. I had a sweet pancake later on.)

It ended up taking the entire evening to make dinner, mainly because of all the pancakes we had to make. There were several mishaps, such as cut pancakes, sauce and milk spilling everywhere, and the oven trying to eat one of the finished pancakes, but eventually we were able to make enough for us to sit down and enjoy this English tradition.

Overall, it was a successful night of roommate bonding with delicious food, and we were able to welcome in the Lenten season in a new style. The best part is now I understand what my youth talk about when they suggest we have pancakes at an event.