Shrove Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras, marks the last day before Lent where people indulge. Traditions include eating pancakes in the UK and parades with costumes and beads in New Orleans. In the small English village of Olney, women participate in an annual pancake tossing foot race. The document provides a recipe for thin crepes to enjoy on Shrove Tuesday before Lent begins and people give up indulgences for 40 days.

1. Shrove Tuesday
– aka Mardi Gras

2. It’s that time of year again: time for people to give up (again)
the things they swore (on New Year’s Day) to give up, but let
themselves off the hook by mid January.

3. It is to be the end of the gluttony we indulged ourselves in
since the end of the previous Lenten Season. For those
living under rocks, the pagans, and those who fell asleep
during Sister Veronica’s ‘liturgical calendar’ class in
school:
Shrove Tuesday: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrove_Tuesday

4. For those more interested in the secular aspects of the day,
this may be more to your liking:
Pancake Day:
http://britishfood.about.com/od/festivecooking/a/pancakeday.htm

5. It is not all about eating those things we (in the UK) call
pancakes, but more closely resemble the thin (25
mm), rolled up things - the ‘posh’ folk call them ‘crepes’ –
than the (80 mm) stodgy ‘doorsteps’ the ‘Yanks’ make!

6. The ‘colonials’ traditionally parade in garish costumes,
drink in excess, throw - and beseech others to throw strings of beads at fellow revelers.
Some will attempt to accumulate a dozen or more strings
of beads before being satisfied with that activity.

7. In New Orleans (pronounced by the locals as 'Nor-lins'),
many women-folk seem to believe it necessary to provide
on-lookers a different type of satisfaction - as they
conduct all those activities bare-breasted.
I have never been there to witness it - yet!

8. More sedately, it has been a tradition for hundreds of
years, in the small English village of Olney, for the women
there to participate in a foot-race whilst holding a frying
pan and tossing the pancake that it contains.

9. There are many videos of that event, but this is the most
informative – and best footage: Olney Pancake Race:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ngal2tQ17fA

10. In case the thought of that exertion (I mean the foot-race,
not the bare-breasted bead-tossing) made you hungry, I
have provided the following recipe.

12. I use a heavy 6” pan and generally follow Mrs Hughes'
recipe. For two people, I use only 2/3 of the ingredients
and with 2 ½ tablespoons of batter for each crepe (to
ensure they are thin and light) I can easily make 10 of
them - onto which I drizzle a small amount of honey.
Here are the assembled ingredients and 'tools':

14. Note – the photo shows raisins – an acceptable
alternative to currants which are far more difficult to find in
the US.
You may use 2%, or Vitamin D, milk if you wish - or the
lower-fat, skimmed milk that I chose.
I keep the heat at medium-low to make sure the crepes
do not burn:

16. Then, when turned out of the pan, they are barely
browned on each side:

18. After adding the small quantity of sugar and
lemon juice, I roll them then drizzle on the honey:

20. Enjoy – Lent starts tomorrow!
Originally posted here:
http://swanseajackinusa.blogspot.com/2014/03/shrove-tuesday-aka-mardi-gras.html