I receive an email from a company called 'A Quarter of'. It is very nostalgic! As I have also said, on many occasions, I do not like to use this post to promote or advertise, but sometimes I just want to share! Over the past couple of weeks, the emails have contained things that have reminded me of my past, and it has made me smile. However, on Monday, I opened the email and found a picture of a box of 'crispy pancakes'. To be precise, they were, at the time, made by a company called Findus, and without casting aspersions, and I will continue to write, 'without prejudice', the contents of this delicacy were always a little dubious. They were the type of food that everyone loved, yet would be outlawed by the current 'healthy eating' brigade!
"I loved those!" said Samantha, when I showed her the email, and we set about trying to find out how to recreate the item. Although the email showed the packet with cheese pancakes, the favourite were the 'minced beef'. Both of us found different 'you tube' offers, and the ingredients were read. "Contains 8% meat", said one broadcaster. Obviously, there was no way to recreate the delicious little edible pocket, exactly, but I was going to try!
Of course, I had decided to create something spectacular for my Wednesday night dessert, and although it was a concoction that had been made many times before, it was not as straight forward as it seemed. Making a 'mousse bomb' requires some sponge squares to be placed in a bowl, and the prepared mousse to be poured in, then frozen. All would be a lot easier if I could buy the sponge squares that used to be available (and no doubt still are available) at any English supermarket or convenience store, but I have to make them! They are not difficult to make but obviously take time. "Separate the eggs", is always a sentence that makes me sigh. It takes time! I did not have time, especially if I was to recreate the Findus crispy pancakes that were now being craved by my daughter!
I love a challenge, until I don't! I could have done without a challenge on Tuesday, as I poured my orange flavoured mousse into the bowl edged with the homemade sponge squares. Actually, they were not technically squares. Actually (forget the technical part) they were not squares at all. They were 'torns'. I ripped the flat sponge into pieces, and placed them haphazardly around the sides of the bowl, until all was covered. I didn't have time to be precise, and squares would hardly have fitted perfectly. I realised afterwards that long slices probably would have been a better option, but the bowl was in the freezer, and would stay there until morning. As time was marching on, I had to make pancakes.
English pancakes, or 'crepes' as they are known on the Continent', are much thinner than American breakfast pancakes. I prepared the batter, and at the same time put the minced beef into the pan to cook. "Glupey" said the man on the 'you tube' channel. The meat was very lean, and I added flour, and stock cubes as shown. With a little water, they became quite glupey, and the seasoning was quite prolific. The taste was quite reminiscent of the scrumptious pies! However, I was unsure as to how the pancakes would turn out! Admittedly, there were a number of pitfalls. Firstly, I did not have time to make them as lovingly as they had been made on the show. Secondly, putting a bit of paprika into some breadcrumbs, turns the said breadcrumbs into a darkish red colour, not a golden brown as pictured on the front of the box. The television presenters loved the remakes as they were 'real food', but that was not the challenge!
Into the freezer went the uncooked finished product, as they were 'best cooked from frozen'. I went into work, leaving the kitchen in its usual disastrous state.
Swimming time had been reduced to just that. A swim! The light was dimming and as we do not get twilight, per se, I knew that once it started to get dark, it would actually get dark very quickly. Although I did not not feel unsafe, there was an eerie feeling around the pool. I could feel nocturnal eyes all around, and marched quite quickly out of the area!
The clearing up of the kitchen took place as I prepared dinner for both that evening and the next. The pancakes were also being fried! The moment of truth was not far away. Grant had come over after work to 'work out', in the makeshift gym that my carport becomes, and when he and my daughter had finished, I presented the pancakes. Grant commented that they were like something his ex-wife's grandmother made. "Is that good?" I asked. Apparently, it was. Dana said they were 'delectable', which is a word he throws around every so often! Only Samantha and I were disappointed. Perhaps disappointed is too stronger word. The meat was almost there, but the pancakes lacked something. Perhaps, 'lacked something' is too stronger phrase. They were obviously not the same as the original Findus Crispy Pancakes, but then I did not have a manufacturing plant, a lot of processed breadcrumbs and the bunch of 'additives' that was listed down the side of the packet. I did not have the packet to know what the additives were, to perhaps recreate, but I know there must have been some! One batch were made with breadcrumbs, and one with 'panko' breadcrumbs, which are a little different. We thought for a moment, threw around some ideas, and then, in unison, shouted, "Fish fry!" For those not accustomed to the term 'Fish fry', it is a sort of 'wonder' ingredient. It is a 'breadcrumb' coating, with a bit of seasoning, and contains the word 'crispy' on the front of the pack. I had never tried it before, but I was willing to go the extra mile to attempt to create the 'almost' Findus Crispy Pancakes.
The mousse came out of the freezer, and out of its container, and the whipped cream was applied. The reason for freezing, is so that the cream can be applied evenly (the word 'neatly' is sometimes used, but appears to have vanished from my culinary vocabulary) and I put it back in the fridge. The next attempt at pancakes would have to wait!
I walked Wednesday morning. Instead of doing the usual circuit around my condo community, I chose to take a hike into the next neighbourhood. Samantha has a stick placed at the entrance to the trail that leads up to the houses above ours, and waves it as she walks to dislodge any unseen webs. I felt like the Pope! I was waving it up, down to the right and left, and then to the left and right, just to change things up a bit. It was as though I was blessing the woods! Of course, the problem with waving a stick means that you have to watch where you are waving it, so it does not get caught in the branches, and the problem with that is that you are not watching your feet! Thankfully, I did not trip up the ragged path, but made it to the top in one piece, stick still in hand, and holding tightly to my plastic water holder in the other! It is also snake season so I am told. (When is it not?)
Mr. Findus would have been proud of me on Thursday! I had the day off, as it was Veterans' Day, and with my poppy firmly affixed to my shirt, I went on an adventure! Firstly, I visited the DIY shop, where I bought a couple of large tiles for my garden, and two more planters. Then I went to find the 'fish fry'. Whilst at the supermarket, I purchased some more minced beef. This time, instead of the extra lean, I chose the slightly more fatty version. After all, the dubious mixture inside the pockets was probably less lean than I had been using (sorry Mr. Findus, but I do not think you used the best quality meat) and thought perhaps, it would be a better flavour! From there I went to put petrol in my car, and then return home!
I had my day planned out, and amazingly enough, I stuck to the plan! However, there was not enough day for the whole plan! After completely revamping the sun room, I went for a swim. "Is the water cold?" asked my neighbour, who was sitting reading. I responded that it was not. I had seen him the previous evening, and he said I was very brave! I think he really wanted to say "stupid" but was too polite. I thanked him for his service, as he is ex-air force, and he appreciated the thanks. After the swim, I returned home to make the pancakes, and the 'glupe'. The less lean meat was much better to make the 'glupe' and although I could not help myself rinsing away most of the fat, it still held the consistency. I left the pancakes to go cold, and took my book for a well earned hours rest! I thought it was well earned!
The air fryer was put on and the pancakes cooked, from frozen. I make no apology! I am, as I have said, a firm believer in a 'balanced diet', and the modern day term of 'eating healthy' (which is not even proper English!) is something that grates like fingernails down a blackboard. "'Ily! Ily! Eating healthily!" I will often be heard muttering! Sometimes I shout! How about 'eating properly'! However, no time for a soap box now! I was on a mission. The pancakes were devoured! Samantha and I nodded our heads in approval and agreed that there was no way I could compete with Mr. Findus, but they were not bad at all! Dana and Grant just wanted more! Obviously, they have no idea as to how the originals taste, but a compliment is a compliment!
With poppies still stuck firmly to our chests, Samantha and I ventured out on Saturday. She asked if I wanted to make a 'quick trip' to the outlet. There is no such thing as a 'quick trip' to the outlet, but we went nonetheless. Of course, as we were 'that far down' south, we had no option but to stop at Buc'ees. I went straight for the coffee counter. "Is that good?" a gentleman asked me, with an expressionless look. "Oh yeah!" I replied. "It's great!" He looked, again with no real change to his face. "Make your own mocha?" he enquired. "Make your own anything! I am like a kid at Christmas here! Anything and everything! It's just so much fun". For someone who showed no emotion at all, his face lit up and he burst out laughing, and continued to chuckle as he followed me round and almost repeated my every move! Chocolate and caramel sauce, caramel syrup, 'snickers' creamer, and of course, a dash of coffee, ice and then more sauce! I hope he enjoyed it!
We headed back to the outlet, and then on with our shopping. The Thanksgiving turkey was purchased, somewhat early but I wanted to make sure I was not left with a 22lb bird (of which Samantha would have approved, but my freezer would not) and then on to the warehouses. "Are they English?" I asked as Samantha moved away from a couple to whom she had been talking. "No we are Canadian", the lady said. They had noticed her poppy and asked if she was Canadian. Of course, her response was quite abrupt. "No, English!" They explained that, as Canadians, they usually wear poppies, but when they see someone else, here, wearing them, they assume they are Canadian. I told her that we assume they are British! We laughed, and her husband asked if I had heard of "Flanders Field". I responded. "My grandfather fought at Flanders", in hushed tones. He was in awe! We chatted for a few minutes, and all around were a little amused it would seem. Most people assume they are just decoration!
I arrived home later than I had planned, but managed to swim and then read. Up and down the patio I went, swapping chairs as the sun moved down, and down. Eventually, at around four thirty, I had to give up!
"Are you not swimming?" asked my neighbour on Sunday morning. Dressed in a jacket, gloves and boots, I was surprised she asked! It seems now that it is expected! "I will probably go later", I replied, smiling.
The challenge to perfect has been put on hold, by me, as I have decided that I will spend the next two to three weeks trying to get something to taste like 'home', 'old times', or just 'packet', and I do not want to finally 'get there', (which I doubt will happen,) to be told, "Please, make something else".
As I said, in the beginning, blasts from the past were cropping up all week. Some things are going to be ongoing, as I have communicated with a few people, here and there. I am sure there will be some other things to report on the subject, perhaps in a 'part two', which will be ...... another story!
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