For Mother's Day, Be a Crepe Crusader

For Mother's Day, you've decided to tackle the classic: breakfast in bed.

This is a good idea that can go awry, and if you're not careful, will end up as a day that Mom spends doing laundry and scrubbing the kitchen. Not what she wants, at all.

But if you do it right, and delight her with something that didn't make too much of a mess (you're cleaning it up after all), this can be a morning that's talked about for years to come. The meal should be something feminine, unexpected and delicious.

I recommend homemade crepes. My recipe requires a blender, a bit of batter, a deft hand and a 9-inch nonstick skillet. This is a recipe that will have you volunteering to make crepes year-round; it's a lot easier than you might think.

But don't stop with the crepe; the real delight in crepe-making is the fillings. Do strawberries and whipped cream sound like something Mom would love? How about nutella and bananas, or sautéed pears and blueberries? Try savory fillings as well: roasted turkey breast with honey mustard, warm brie and arugula; roast beef with horseradish sauce, even sautéed spinach with feta and pine nuts.

Gild this lily with freshly squeezed orange juice and champagne, and a small bouquet of flowers.

Show her what she already knew: Momma didn't raise no fool.

Crepes
Makes 1 1/3 cups batter, or 10-12 crepes

2/3 cups whole milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons sugar
pinch of salt

To fill: fruit jams, lemon curd, nutella and banana, walnuts and honey, powdered sugar, apple butter and ricotta

Combine milk, flour, eggs, butter, sugar and salt in blender, or use a hand held mixer, and mix until smooth.

Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour 2 tablespoons batter into pan and quickly swirl to coat bottom. Cook until crepe is set and becomes opaque, about 30 seconds to one minute. Gently transfer to plate using a plastic or silicone spatula.

Repeat with remaining batter. Fill crepes as desired, and serve.

Tip: Crepes may be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days, or in the freezer up to one month. To refrigerate or freeze, layer warm crepes between pieces of paper towel. Let the crepes cool, and wrap tightly with plastic wrap, squeezing out any excess air.

For freezing, place the bundle in a freezer bag. To defrost, remove from bag and put plastic-wrapped crapes in microwave; cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, or until the crepes are warm. They will pull easily from the paper towels, and can be stacked and used warm or room temperature. For most efficient defrosting, limit crepes to stacks of 10. If you like, omit the paper towels, and use a very gentle hand to pull the crepes apart.

Tip: Use a 1-ounce ladle to precisely measure batter into your pan, as two tablespoons equals one ounce. Or, forget the measurements, and pour in exactly what's needed to just cover the base of the skillet.

Tip: If you like a brown edge to your crepe, continue cooking until the crepe has a bit of browned color. As this crepe cools, the crispy edge makes it more difficult to roll, so be sure to fill it when it's still warm.