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Ghene Snowdon…. “oh dear me. Sha, take a photo before passing it to your crewmates. That way you have something to blog about”

This post is long overdue, today is already Palm Sunday and next week is Easter.. this pancake story started at the beginning of the Lent when Stephen, our British mate, came to the galley asking me ,”Do you know whats on today? “
I wondered what would make our Tuesday special other than going from our day to day routine work. Well he said Pancake day, thought he just wanted pancakes then it hit me beginning of the Lent, Shrove Tuesday.

Luckily I have lived in UK before and understood the British culture, rather long before I lived in UK, I already been influenced by my British teachers at school and by my dear friends.

Shrove Tuesday was last February 16th , the beginning of the 40 days Lenten period
When meat, butter, eggs or milk are forbidden. So what to do with these foods before the fasting? With a little addition needed like flour, hence pancakes.

Shrove Tuesday is rather known as Fat Tuesday in the US, whereas in the Orthodox world where I partly grow up, Clean Monday, the day before that is a big holiday that involves flying kites and feasting as Tuesday is the beginning of the fasting period….

But what makes this post interesting is I posted this on my Facebook that caused rather a stir whether which pancakes is better, the thin crepe like I did or rather what Stephen asked or the hefty ones the American make in which my another Briitsh friend who grew up in Greece said I should have served octopus. Yes octopus that’s how we start our Lent season in Greece, feast on seafood.

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Here are some interesting comments on my Facebook wall about this pancake debate.

Toni Tiu: There are other kinds of pancakes? This made me curious!
February 16 at 8:37pm ·

Stephen Edwards: with a little coaching she made some good pancakes…
February 16 at 8:52pm ·

Shalimar : Hi toni, the british recipe does not use BAKING POWDER less airy almost like crepe… no sugar as well…
February 16 at 8:56pm ·

Toni Tiu: Oh! So it’s more flat than the American pancakes are?
February 16 at 8:59pm ·

Shalimar: yup you can even just roll it…
February 16 at 9:07pm ·

Nena Wuthrich: I think this is like the Ethiopian bread injera? I miss these! 🙂
February 16 at 10:15pm ·

Sandy Bartrum: Saffer pancakes…rolled up with dusted cinnamon and suger inside… can be savoury to! yum! must have some saffers on board hun????
February 17 at 12:42am ·

Iska Montero: uy, thanks sa recipe!
February 17 at 1:15am ·

Donna Seneca: Don’t like them even with lemon and sugar to taste.
February 17 at 1:32am ·

Cristina Topham : Excuse me, you say American pancakes like they’re a bad thing? Ummm, from the country that came up with kidney pies and parsley sauce? Or worse yet, Brovil? Gag. American pancakes with Grade B Vermont Maple Syrup = heaven. (and a side of bacon, please!)
February 17 at 1:40am ·

Charl Asuit: I grew up with American pancakes, too. But last night, I made them ‘the way they should be’ – with sugar, lemon and dusting of chocolate powder. Honestly, they weren’t bad.
February 17 at 2:26am ·

Cecile Aquino: Oh so he wants the thin pancakes – almost like crepes. Me personally I want pancakes with more heft in them so it’s American pancakes for me! 🙂
February 17 at 4:12am ·

Marieta Garbo: ´with a little coaching´, hahaha i like this one…i´ve never known other ways than this..spread it with butter then marmalade, or just plain NUTELLA!!
February 17 at 7:25am ·

Ella Aquino ur spoiling ur crew..let them cook for u for a change..LOL..
February 17 at 9:38am ·

Tara Orlanes What about Scottish pancakes? The Delia one with sugar and lemon is also yummy.
February 17 at 3:50pm ·

Shalimar : I made plain ones and the crew drizzled it with sugar and lemon I also had some with blue berries and chocolates.. I had mine with butter and marmalade.
February 17 at 5:43pm ·

Shalimar : The wayward chef: shhh let him have it the british way … my ex chef I worked with was from vermont and he makes great pancakes with maple syrup….
February 17 at 5:46pm
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And Stephen proudly said he coached me how to do great pancakes and here is his recipe which I tweaked a bit and changed the measurements to metric.

½ pint milk
4 oz Flour (plain)
2 eggs
pinch of salt

or

230g all purpose/plain flour
Pinch salt
2 eggs
2½ cups milk
2 tsp melted butter

Sieve the flour into a large baking bowl, add the salt. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the eggs and beat well until smooth and lump free.
Add half the milk and the 2 tsp of butter, beat well. Add the remaining milk and stir.
Leave the batter to rest for 15 minutes.
Lightly grease a pancake pan or frying pan with a little melted butter, heat until very hot and add a ladle of batter to evenly and thinly coat the base of the pan. Cook until set and lightly golden

Ever since that Shrove Tuesday, we now have a weekly pancake treat which the boys look forward to, but our Texan crew is waiting for me to make him the American huge big pancakes… soon perhaps.

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… since Stephen started this, the day he left for UK to take his exams for a captain’s ticket I made him a huge pile of pancakes and we all wished him all the best and good luck for his exams this coming Thursday.
And if he will pass which we are pretty sure he will, I might as well change the title of this post to … “Stephen’s Pancakes”

Good Luck Stephen!!!!