gfrancie | I like the books dirty.

I like a cookbook that I can genuinely use. Porn-worthy pictures are nice but not required. It doesn't make sense to have too many books that have glossy pictures of food you feel too intimidated to make. (though I do admit to having the French Laundry Cookbook book but that is because I had so much fun flirting with Thomas Keller when talking about Meat)
Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a book I keep turning to for a variety of dishes and techniques. It is a used copy I picked up a few years ago and I have put to good use. It has stains and water marks from when I cook. I don't think I will ever be a courtly lover of books. I like things a bit messy. I found that Julia Child helped once again when it came to making crepes. I told

emmabovary that I had tried a few different recipes from different sources and the results were alright and for some reason some recipes made the process of making crepes more complicated than it ought to be.
Sometimes going back to a reliable source will bring out simplicity and damn delicious results.

Crepes

1 cup cold water
1 cup cold milk
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
4 Tbs melted butter

You don't need some fancy Kitchen Aid mixer to do these. Either a hand mixer or a blender can do the trick if you don't feel like whisking your arm off.
Mix together the water, milk and eggs. Once that is combined add the salt, flour and butter and mix (if you are using some electric device) a few more seconds. Maybe scrape down the sides of the bowl or blender glass if there is lingering flour.
Saint Julia says that the batter should be like a light cream and thick enough to coat a wooden spoon. Put the batter in the fridge for at least two hours.

When it is time to make the crepes you just heat up a skillet/crepe pan over moderately high heat. Brush the pan with butter/oil, lade out some of the batter (the ladle should hold about 1/4 cup) into the middle of the pan and tilt tha pan till it runs all over the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat for about a minute and then jerk the pan a bit to loosen the crepe. Lift the edges with a spatula and then turn. You can do this with your fingers if you have burned off all of the nerves on them like I have or do it with the aid of a spatula. Then for about 30 seconds let it cook and then place on a plate. Rebrush the pan with butter every crepe or so. It should make about 10-12 crepes with this recipe.
Place what you like on them. Cheese, nutella, butter, your boyfriend. Take yer pick.

Tomorrow I am going to make a Persian dish. I have been kind of enticed by Persian culture as of late. The food is rather interesting.