Jackie Lyle stood over the stove, picked up one of the small aluminum pans, and began explaining why crepes are such a staple in our family.
Some of Lyle’s family emigrated from Paris to Louisiana in the early 1900s. Among them were her grandmother Jackie and her Richard, who were infants at the time. Upon arrival, the family took root in Rain.
They brought with them many French customs, and Lyle’s family has maintained many of those traditions for over a century.
In the United States, this day is known as Groundhog Day, but in France it is “La Chandeleur”. This translates to Her Candlemas in English to commemorate the bringing of her son to the temple by Mary and Joseph 40 days after the birth of Christ. For purification and devotion ceremonies, as prescribed in the Torah.
Before flipping the crepe, Jackie Lyle lightly shook the pan to prevent the crepe from sticking.
While Americans waited in the cold for groundhogs to appear, the crepe holiday in France dates back to the 5th century and is a mashup of traditions such as Catholic holidays and harvest festivals. Considered superstitious, it is said to serve as a good luck ritual throughout the year, similar to the Southern tradition of eating cowpea and cabbage on New Year’s Day.
Growing up, Lyle’s family celebrated the holidays at his grandmother’s house in Lafayette. She has hosted her holiday celebrations for as long as her grandmother has been alive.
All the participants gathered in the kitchen and experienced making crepes. Surrounded by her family, Lyle began preparing crepes when she was eight years old, but it wasn’t until she left college that she celebrated the occasion for the first time on her own.
“It’s the strongest tradition in my family,” Lyle said.
Celebrate without hesitation. Lyle refrained from black-eyed peas before going crepe-free on Groundhog Day.
A native of Oberlin, Louisiana, Lyle has lived in Lafayette for most of his life and is recognized as the longtime Executive Director of the Performing Arts serving Acadiana, known as “PASA.” She shares her family’s crepe traditions and experiences with her PASA staff and interns.
A native of the Allen Parish town of Oberlin, Lyle has lived in Lafayette for most of his life and is recognized as the longtime Executive Director of the Performing Arts serving Acadiana, known as “PASA.” She shares her family’s crepe traditions and experiences with her PASA staff and interns.
The bread was placed on the gas stove and the batter was placed on its side. Lyle’s pans are smaller than modern crepe pans and are made of aluminum. Worn frying pans tell stories of family gatherings reminiscing about the old days and celebrating traditions brought from France.
In Lyle’s kitchen, her crepe recipe is in a cookbook compiled by her aunt Phyllis Richard. This page shows the years of wear and tear that opened the cookbook near the batter. Lyle says the cookbook was given to her family for Christmas and has been a source of comfort and joy. Her aunt’s first cookbook was handmade and she was covered in cloth because her aunt was a seamstress.
Lyle clicked the stove burner to get to work, making the process seem effortless. As the scent of brown butter permeated the kitchen, she gave me details of the process.
Mixing crepes can be a chore. To keep the dough from clumping, I put the flour, salt, and eggs into the mixer and started making a smooth mixture.
The Jackie Lyle pan is smaller than modern crepe pans and made of aluminum. A well-worn frying pan tells the story of family gatherings celebrating traditions brought from France long ago, and listens to the old days.
“Once blended, refrigerate for a few hours to allow the gluten to develop and create a thick batter,” Lyle said.
Lyle turns crepes into science.
When she hears the bread sizzle and the edges begin to curl, it’s time.
Then she took the pot and turned it over. The crepe landed gracefully. Somehow, she managed several pots at the same time — and none of the crepes burned, fell to the floor, or fell apart.
I asked if she could turn the crepe over with a spatula.
“What’s the point of being able to do this?” she said.
I laughed and instantly knew I wanted to try it myself.
For many years, I used only granulated sugar in crepes and enjoyed rolling them. Today, more modern versions of the filling exist, such as the much-loved Nutella. It’s my favorite,” she said.
When I lifted the skillet to make sure the crepe was loose on my first try, I was surprised to find that it flipped over just as it was supposed to. Beginner’s Luck!
It didn’t work the second time. It took some trial and error, but in the end I had to accept the failure of the flip. Still, I appreciated her experience and her patience during my attempts.
For many years, I used only granulated sugar in crepes and enjoyed rolling them. Today, more modern versions of the filling exist, such as the much-loved Nutella. It’s my favorite,” she said.
The Lyle kids continue the family tradition of celebrating Groundhog Day by making homemade crepes with their growing family.
February 2nd is not just another dull day of winter for Lyle and her family.
Crepe
Makes 40 crepes. The recipe is by Jackie Richard.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 cup cold milk
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup cold water
salad oil or butter (for frying pan)
1. Mix flour, salt and eggs. Blend well.
2. Mix milk, water and butter. Mix well.
3. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to expand and soften the flour particles, giving the crepe a lighter texture.
4. Lightly grease the bottom of a 6-inch or 7-inch crepe pan with vegetable oil or butter. Heat the pan over medium heat until hot, but no smoke.
5. Pour a small amount of batter into 1/4 cup and quickly tilt the pan in all directions to spread the batter across the bottom of the pan.
6. Bake for 1 minute and flip the crepe over. Bake until sides are golden brown.
Crepes can be frozen between wax paper. Remove, defrost, and serve for dessert.
If you eat crepes like Lyle’s Grandma Richard, roll them on groundhog day and use butter instead of oil. Lyle also recommends blending the batter in a blender.
