Why Call a Crêpe a Pancake?

The question I often find myself asking is why the French feel the need to translate the word crêpe into pancake. It just is not necessary in the least. Here's a newsflash France: in the U.S., we call a crêpe a crêpe. The pancake translation is just wrong on so many levels. For example:

1. As I mentioned, the quintessential French dish called the crêpe is known around the world. It needs no translation.
2. A pancake, at least by American standards, is typically fluffy. Considering the fact that Chef claims a crêpe can never be thin enough, I'm pretty sure pancake is not a good description.
3. Pancakes are usually smothered with syrupy goodness and eaten for breakfast. They certainly are not rolled up with ham and mushrooms, covered in béchamel and served as dinner. Nope, that's called crêpes.
4. No one in the States really wants to have an actual pancake for dessert at a restaurant. Nor does he/she want to walk up to a random stand on the street and be handed a hot pancake that is rolled up in a napkin and then try to walk around eating it.

My point is that, well, crêpes should not be called pancakes under any circumstances. So, listen here all you Parisian restaurant owners who are oh so kind to have English menus: don't list your crêpe dish as a pancake; simply list it as a crêpe. I'm fairly sure the word is well known enough that any English speaking person will instantly know what you mean. If not, he/she should not have the privilege of eating the deliciousness that can be a good crêpe. Actually, said person won't order it anyway because I am certain he/she would not be interested in a smoked salmon "pancake" with a caper sauce.

Why am I ranting about crêpes? Because I had to make over 20 of them today. Here are the photos of that adventure.


Making the simple batter.



Before allowing it to rest, we added a small amount of French beer to the batter. Oh, you didn't know the French were known for their beer? Me neither. Because they aren't. However, it did make the crêpe batter delicious.



While the batter rested, I duxelled some mushrooms and cooked them with shallots and butter.

When you don't have a brush to brush the oil onto the crêpe pan, simply grab a "forkette" as Chef calls it and stick it into a cut potato. Works like a charm!

See?!

Final crêpe batter.

Here goes nothing...

Turned out pretty good, I have to say.

We took some ham and piped out the mushrooms for the crêpe.

Then, we rolled the crêpes and put them in this fun copper pan.

Covered it with bechamel and cheese.

And put under the broiler.

Now, no one in his right mind can call that a bunch of pancakes.

Case Closed.