I like to make sure that I offer up a good balance of new and old cookbooks in this (mostly) daily post. I love to flip through all the glossy new cookbooks that are hitting shelves these days, but sometimes I find myself turning to the old, the known and the comforting. Today's book, Crepe Cookery, isn't a volume I grew up with, but as it's one of those light-weight, magazine-sized editions that was once sold in grocery stores, it feels familiar and as if it was something that was always at hand. Written by Mable Hoffman (who also wrote Crockery Cookery, our April 1st Cookbook of the Day) and printed in 1976, this cookbook was the first exposure that a lot of people had to making crepes at home (if they weren't ambitious enough to make them from Mastering the Art of French Cooking). It offers helpful, step-by-step pictures on how cook crepes using either the upside down (dipping the crepe pan into the batter) or right side up (ladling the batter into the pan) methods. There are also lots of pictures demonstrating the varied ways you can fill, fold and serve your crepes.
There are five all-purpose crepe batter recipes in this book, as well as recipes that incorporate graham crackers, mashed potato, wheat germ, beer, yogurt, cornmeal and chocolate. She also devotes 15 pages to the various pans you can use to cook crepes, how to season them if purchasing a new one and their pluses and minuses. It's a surprisingly relevant section, considering that the book is more than 30 years old.
If you like making crepes, or are looking for a good introductory book to help you learn, this might just be a good book for you. There are multiple copies selling on Amazon for a penny (plus shipping), so it won't cost you much to check it out if you're intrigued. c
Seems like every food mag is doing a travel issue these days, and Bon Appetit is no exception. Their "Where To Eat Now" 
Hollandaise sauce doesn't have to be served over poached eggs and Canadian bacon to make Eggs Benedict. You can ladle it over tomatoes, avocados (now we're talking high fat), low-fat ham, even a simple salad-- but always on a good French or sourdough toast. The toast/sauce texture ratio is key. Also, don't be intimidated by the 'ole double boiler. It's quite easy to get the hang of and if you like chocolate...well, that's another post. 
Diners who frequent higher end restaurants may have no problem accepting a chef's use of unusual or artificial flavoring agents when they are used to 
Just half an hour from the Spanish border, right down in the middle of Basque
country in France lies 
We're prepping 
Hmmm. I decided to just peel them and crush just a bit in the process (I smack
them with the wide edge of my knife to loosen the skins). My cloves look a little small... so I use eight or nine. I
love garlic. I decide to toss it all in. A little extra garlic never hurt anyone. Right?
Cheese Course: Brebis Pardou
A transcendent summer tomato salad
Sliced bread turns 80 today
