Posted on 02/01/2008 4:52:08 PM PST by snugs
This Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday otherwise known as Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday and if you come from Britain Pancake Day.
Though all of these names are completely different celebrations and events they also signal one thing the next day is the start of lent. Many years ago in countries considered as Christian countries this meant 40 days of fasting and praying so the day before was the time to eat up all the rich fatty foods before this time of obstaying.
Pancakes are ideal foods to be consumed on Shrove Tuesday as they contain fat and eggs which were forbidden to be eaten during Lent.
Nowadays in a more secular society and more free less traditional churches the season of Lent no longer seems as important and in many cases people are not even aware of Lent and the original significance of this time of year.
When I was younger I came from a church background that as such did not celebrate Lent but in those days it was still a time when people did use that time of year as an opportunity to deny themselves something they really enjoyed during this period. I can remember friends at school not eating sweets or chocolate (candies) or going on a diet if they were overweight.
The following information on Shrove Tuesday comes from Woodland School in Kent, England which is an excellent web site for traditional British events and celebrations and traditional customs and food. This web site is aimed at children under 11 but I find it a great webs tie explaining many of my country's traditions and also Christian traditions in general.
The click here for pancake recipe does not work but the recipe is at post number 2
I’m Orthodox Christian, so I have until March 2 for “Cheesefare Sunday” and March 9 for “Meatfare Sunday”. So I’ll be enjoying all the fried fish sandwiches and pieroghies with all the Roman Catholics around here. I’m also excited about Chinese New Year and all the special foods the local Chinese restaurants prepare for it.
That’s a crepe.....not a pancake..
;-)
A British pancake is very fatty hot and oozing in sugar and lemon juice :o)
It is crazy there with the bad weather and millions of people traveling to their home town for the celebrations.
The other person we have out there is one of our commissioning engineers who is Chinese born and his parents still live there so he trying to travel to them for the new year.
Yeah, but they’re much thinner than the American version. And you can roll them, like a crepe.
I found it amusing on my first trip to the UK (NI) that the hotel chef didn’t have a recipe for American-style pancakes. He needed to learn, because there were going to be MANY of us passing through for many years to come.
So, a couple of us spent several days in the kitchen with our new friend and gave him a few helpful hints to appease home-sick Americans ‘round the breakfast table..
;-)
Our family went to Mardi Gras as a family vacation many years ago....
(When I was 13).
Not something I would recommend as a “coming of age” family vacation. :)
They do serve them for breakfast in the American breakfast choice but mainly the pancakes are consumed as a desert as this is how we are more used to eating them.
My favourite Little Chef one is Jubilee pancake which was launched during the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977. It is 2 pancakes with ice cream and hot cherry pie filling.
Some of the photos I have seen of New Orleans at this time of year are bad enough let alone what goes on behind the scenes.
My mom’s recipe for crepes (aka palachinke) is similar to the British pancake. After they’re made, she heats them up with lots of butter and cream cheese...or sometimes maple syrup. YUM!
I almost got a job in NOLA before Katrina. The apartment I was looking at getting in Jefferson Parish as well as my place of employment were...well, not structurally sound after Katrina.
That reminds me...(For us ‘Mericans)
Sunday is Super Bowl XLII. What do you folks like doing for Super Bowl Sunday? And snugs, any English equivalent you’d like to mention to us—such as the World Cup or UEFA—that would be much appreciated. :)
Butter, maple syrup....pretty standard ‘round these parts. Fresh blueberries, when in season, in the batter.
I was once picking wild blueberries in the wilds of northern Minnesota, when I saw that it was time to leave with my meager quart of berries. Black bears love blueberries!!
So the competition starts early in the season on small grounds with half a dozen people watching and gradually the bigger clubs come in.
It gives an opportunity of which luck and good draws for a small club to get drawn against a top club, earn some money and give their supporters a great day out.
The final takes place at Wembley at the end of May I have in the past posted some photos of the FA Cup Final. It was held in Cardiff for a few years when Wembley was being re-built and my photos are from Cardiff.
I will dig some out and post some tomorrow.
I was actually looking at Wembley on Google Earth and it looked like the world’s largest construction site and big pile of steel.
I bet it’s palatial by now...
I have not been to the new stadium but I am told it is better impressive.
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