I started to prepare for “Crêpes & Hazelnut Spread by Notre-Dame” well before I officially signed up. Deciding what pan to buy was the most challenging issue to resolve. The Airbnb listing instructed participants to bring a frypan to the experience, but I knew not just any pan would do. After enlisting the help of a friend (an expert crêpe maker), I decided on a carbon steel De Buyer pan. I seasoned it (a new process for me) just before joining my host Christopher on Zoom. It was 11:30 PM in Paris and 5:30 PM in Philadelphia. We were the only two people on the call, which I was pleasantly surprised to discover. I’ve participated in enough Airbnb Online Experiences to know that hosts will often offer single participants alternative group meeting times to avoid rolling out the red carpet for an audience of one.
Chris mainly conducts private group cooking classes but will periodically open listings up to individuals. Thus, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to cook with him. My host and I talked a lot about crêpes—their history, their varieties, the technique one should employ whilst cooking them—but we also discussed France’s second Covid lockdown, the proper food education we received from our mothers, and our common goal to enjoy life. My crêpes and hazelnut spread turned out well. I’m eager to perfect my technique, but first, I’ll have to recruit some friends to enjoy them.
Works Sighted
J.Crew ruffle sleeve tee (old); crêpe with hazelnut spread by me
Hazelnut spread by Chris