Shrove Tuesday is linked to Easter and as such is move-able, falling just before Lent – the 40 days and 40 nights of abstinence before the joy of Easter. During Lent traditionalists will avoid eating or drinking luxuries such as sweet foods, including chocolate and other sweet treats. So,on Shrove Tuesday people would empty their larders of temptation ready for Lent. Ash Wednesday signals the actual beginning of Lent, in some churches the previous year’s palm crosses will be burned, and the ash used to mark a cross on the fore-head of each person attending religious services.
The tradition continues in lighter hearted vein with Pancakes and fun.
Importantly, there are many recipes available to shoppers, including gluten free and egg free ingredients meaning that everyone may enjoy a treat on Tuesday next week.Why stop at Tuesday, the kids will love pancakes any time? Pancakes are easy to make so why not try making your own, all you need is a few basic ingredients and a hot frying pan. For less adventurous cooks there are ready-made pancake ready-mixes available in the shops.
How do you like your pancakes?
Basic ingredients are flour, eggs, milk (can be let down with water to taste). Non- stick frying pans are good because there is no need for oil to be used, this is important because if one wants to toss the pancakes to thrill the youngsters doing so is safer without hot oil.
Inventive cooks may add other ingredients, including banana, chocolate spread, raisins etc, but if your preference is un-sweet pancakes savoury ingredients may be used instead, such as peanut butter, butter, and cream cheese, or with nothing added.
Because the plain pancake is so receptive to toppings the traditionalists amongst us may prefer a sugar dusting and chunks of lemon squeezed over the pancakes, or golden syrup or honey for those of us with a sweeter tooth.
Pancake Tuesday is surely a sign of the onset of Spring, the Meteorology Calendar uses 1st March as the start of Spring. There are signs of Spring in the gardens and hedgerows. So, this is a great time to enjoy the seasonal changes with lashings of pancakes and all the goes with them.
Enjoy.
The Best of Taunton and Bridgwater.
