Anolon Crepe Pan

Anolon Crepe Pan

Last year I attended the IFBC conference in Seattle where I was privileged to sit in on a session presented by Anolon. Everyone in attendance that day received an Anolon crepe pan as a thank you (thank you Anolon…you can butter me up anytime)! Who doesn’t love food conference swag? Anyway, I have always liked the look and feel of Anolon’s pans, but until then I haven’t had the opportunity to try one. And savory or sweet, who doesn’t love crepes? I haven’t gotten around to making them in a long time so now I have no excuse not to.

I have to admit that crepes are seldom on my radar. My first memory of them come from ‘The Magic Pan’, a San Francisco restaurant that opened in the 70’s before being sold and becoming a chain of over 100 restaurants. The best part about going there as a kid was the chuckle we got when we referred to them as “creeps”. Once I outgrew my ‘creep’ phase I didn’t go out of my way to have them very often. That was, as they say, was that.

That, however, changed briefly a few years ago when my friends Geneviève and Gwenaëlle stayed with me for a short but sweet visit. Gwenaëlle, who is from Paris, offered to make crepes one night for dinner. Word to the wise, when a Parisian offers to make crepes for you, let them! So Gwenaëlle made crepes for the three of us, and they were delicious and perfect. She prepared them simply, with ‘jambon et fromage’, and we ate them as soon as they came off the stove accompanied by some lovely red wine. Between the company, the crepes, and the wine, it was a very memorable meal, but let us get back to the pan.

The first thing I noticed about Anolon’s Advanced Umber Crepe pan was that it is one fine looking pan, one that you could happily hang in the kitchen if you like to keep your pans out. It has a bronze colored signature SureGrip® handle that matches the bronze Hard-Anodized Nonstick surface (a nonstick surface that I might add is PFOA-free and safe to use with metal utensils). And even though you can make crepes in almost any pan, the low sides on the crepe pan make it easier to work with than in a skillet or omelette pan. This pan is also so much lighter and easier to use than a heavier pan. The crepes slide right off, and clean up is a snap. I guess I needed this pan from Anolon to remind me how much I love crepes and all the endless possibilities that they present.

Making creeps (err, I mean crepes) is easy. Crepe batter is about as basic as it gets and you can whip it up in the blender in no time. You can make it ahead (up to 48 hours), and the finished crepes will keep in the refrigerator for several days, or up to two months in the freezer. If you are making savory crepes, you can add a little salt and some fresh herbs. A little sugar, vanilla, or liqueur can go into the batter if you are making sweet crepes. The Internet is full of great recipes, but if you want a jump-start just go over to my Pinterest board here and check out some of my favorites. If you want to just dive in, here is a basic recipe. Enjoy!

 

Tips

• Practice make perfect. You will need to try different heat settings and batter consistencies to achieve the perfect thickness.
• Add a little water if the crepes are coming out too thick.
• Lower the heat if the crepes are browning too fast and the batter is setting up before it is spread evenly in the pan.
• Have fun!