"FatTuesday" news and stories

Over the years, the Tuesday prior to the beginning of Lent (known as Shrove or Fat Tuesday in most areas of the country - New Orleans knows it as Mardi Gras) has become recognized as a day to eat pancakes. To quote myself from last year, this is because "pancakes were a good way to use up the ingredients in your cupboards that were prohibited during Lenten austerity."

For as long as Pancake Day been part of our modern cultural vernacular, the International House of Pancakes (aka IHOP) has been giving away a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes to all comers on this most holy of breakfast days. Last year, they tried to move their free giveaway one week later so as not to have their business reduced by Super Tuesday, but they experienced more than a little backlash as a result, owing to the fact that those who observe Lent aren't going to disrupt their fast so that IHOP can have a better day at the till.

Happily, IHOP's pancake giveaway is back where it belongs this year. They'll be giving out free short stacks (one per customer, three pancakes per stack) tomorrow, February 24th between the hours of 7 am and 10 pm. In conjunction with the giveaway, they are conducting a fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network, so if you go in for some pancakes, consider making a donation. Oh, and just because the pancakes are free doesn't mean you should skimp on tipping your servers!

I have never heard of Pancake Day. I've heard the day referred to as Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday, of course, but never Pancake Day. I don't know if that's because I am not particularly religious or I don't pay enough attention, but the result is the same. I am woefully under informed and had no idea what other bloggers have been posting about.

So in order to correct this situation, and to catch up with everyone else, I did a little research. It turns out that it's called Pancake Tuesday/Pancake Day because, in the olden days, you had to use up all the ingredients in your home that were forbidden during Lent. Most of these things (eggs, milk, butter) can be used in pancakes.

There are all kinds of celebrations out there. In Olney, England there is an actual Pancake race. The Pancake race in Olney goes back 500 years. The story goes that one woman was so engrossed in making pancakes that when she heard the church bells calling for Shriving Service, she just threw on a head scarf and ran to church with frying pan in hand.

If you're interested in a fun way to serve pancakes, watch this video. It is interesting and informative with a lot of good ideas on what can go in a pancake. I believe it's more European than American, but it looks mighty tasty all the same.

[Via ColdMud]

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Our pancake roundup this morning only included eight delicious recipes that were sure to tempt just about everyone to get out their frying pan and make up a batch. But as tempting as they may have been, most of the recipes presented there would not be good choices for gluten-free eaters because they were almost all flour-based. In fact, most pancake recipes are. Fortunately, there happen to be a lot of equally delicious gluten-free pancake options out there that ensure everyone who wants to can celebrate Fat Tuesday (a.k.a. National Pancake Day).

The easiest GF option is a pancake mix. Jay used Kinnikinnick Pancake Mix to make the lovely stack pictured above. There are many mixes out there to choose from, including Bob's Red Mill, which is widely available at Whole Foods Stores.

If you want to make your own, try using an alternative flour, as was done in these Rice Flour Crepes or Almond Flour Pancakes. You can find several more GF pancake recipes here, which use buckwheat, quinoa, potato flour and other gluten-free bases.

[Thanks for the reminder, Jay!]

Today - February 28th, 2006 - all participating IHOP restaurants will be giving away free pancakes to their customers. The free pancakes are in celebration of Fat Tuesday and each diner who requests them will be given a short stack at no charge! In IHOP speak, a short stack of pancakes is three pancakes, but diners with large appetites shouldn't worry about the small-sounding portion, since each pancake is nearly the size of a plate. During the promotion, customers will be invited to donate to the Children's Miracle Network, a nonprofit group which works to raise funds for children's hospitals in North America. Check out the IHOP website for full details and locations for your free breakfast!

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