I hate cooking, with a vengeance, hence my standard reply of “shit from the freezer” when my poor unfortunate offspring ask what gastronomic delights I have in store for them on any particular day; and yet for some completely inexplicable reason I came back from France on Sunday night (where we stayed in the same place as last year, so I won’t bore you with the details or the holiday snaps) with a sodding crepe pan. And not just any old crepe pan I hasten to add, but a crepe pan that’s so fucking heavy I’m going to be in serious danger of breaking my wrist if I ever attempt to use it.
What can I say: it was the last day of the holiday; we were at a French market; up to that point I hadn’t managed to find anything I particularly wanted to buy and I always like to bring home some kind of memento from the places I visit (well, that’s my excuse for some of the bizarre items that litter my house anyway); and I really really like eating crepes.
I’m not convinced I’m going to really really enjoy cooking them though, but I’ll keep you posted on that score if and when I ever manage to make any.
But have no fear. My purchase of a crepe pan and my determination at some point in the dim and distant future to actually use said crepe pan to cook some actual crepes does not mean this blog is in any danger of turning into a cooking blog. And nor does it mean that I’m in imminent danger of turning into one of those retro 50’s housewifey types who seem to think that 21st Century women who are engaged in baking cupcakes, or knitting, or sewing, or any one of a number of other such ‘crafts’, are bravely reclaiming some kind of long lost feminist heritage or something. Because to put it bluntly, pull the other one, it’s got “you’ve been conned” written all over it.
Anyway, I’m back. From France. And I’ve got a new crepe pan. But take heed: this is not an invitation to post crepe recipes in the comments. I’d actually be more interested to hear what weird and wonderful objects you’ve brought back from your travels. And did you ever end up using them, or have they sat forlornly in a cupboard/on a shelf ever since you brought them home?
Too Much To Say For Myself 
I brought back a white dress, worn once, which will never be worn again.
I also brought back the children, who won’t sit forlornly in a cupboard, mores the pity 😉
Oooh, I have a great recipe for crepes 😉 Seriously now, your cooking skills sound about as advanced as mine, which consist of shoving stuff in the microwave and setting the time. Sometimes correctly.
I had some of those tacky plastic wine glasses that light up, from Australia (why, I do not know) but the lights stopped working and they were just kind of tacky plastic wine glasses.
OMG, wine glasses that light up? They sound fab!
Good luck with the Crepe making – give it a go, if nothing else it might be fun. Why didnt you just go to the french supermarket and buy the crepes ready packaged and they just need heating up? then you could have place them in your new pan when no one was watching, warmed them gently and pretended you had made beautiful crepes yourself?
A few years ago, while in France on holiday I enthusaistically bought a Creme Brulee kit. It came with 6 glazed earthenware bowls and a circular heavy iron thingy to heat up and place over the top of the creme brulee to melt the sugar and caramelise it. Needless to say I never used it. The earthenware bowls – I use them as ashtrays in the garden. I have no idea whatever happened to the iron thingy, its probably tucked away in a draw somewhere contributing to the clutter in my house.
They were pretty cool!
Hey Cath,
I love crepes! I think that’s a very practical souvenir. My dad brought home two really ugly troll dolls from Norway. He uses them as props in negotiations. He has several props and stories he tells to loosen management up. It really works too!