Creppy crepes

Dinner last night was pretty dreadful. I decided to make crepes -- first bad call. I've never really like savory crepes to begin with, but then again, it's been a while since I'd tried any -- so maybe I'd changed my mind, right?

I filled some of them with sauteed spinach and feta cheese, most with red potatoes and mushrooms, and a few -- for William -- with bacon and mushrooms.



They look okay, right? but they were not good at all. The spinach and feta cheese would have been all right, say, on a pizza, or in salad, but with the crepes it just wasn't satisfying enough. The proportion of filling to carby goodness was too high, and -- well, mostly I think I just don't like savory crepes.

The mushroom and potato filling, from The New Vegetarian Epicure, was -- once again -- bland. I think I'm going to start doubling the spice recommendations for all her recipes. It probably would have been better with the buckwheat pancakes she recommended, but I had to go with plain (half-whole wheat) old Joy o' Cooking ones.

William did seem to like the bacon ones, but then again, I think he'd like pretty much anything with bacon in it.

Speaking of which, have you heard of bacon salt? Interesting idea -- I'm always fascinated by how scientists manage to fake the smells and tastes of things. Kosher and vegetarian, but it tastes like bacon... isn't that weird? vaguely suspicious, maybe?



I heard a strange ad for Trader Joe's yesterday. It started off talking about flat-screen tvs -- how lots of gas stations and stores have installed them and run the news, weather, or updates and specials on them. Apparently, at Trader Joe's they don't believe in flat-screen tvs, they believe in real human contact. They literally were talking up the fact that at Trader Joe's there are employees who want to talk to you, and you should chat with them about the latest movies as you shop.

I agree with the principle that social interaction with other human beings is way cooler than watching a screen, but still. Relying on Trader Joe's as a mainstay of your social life means you have to get out more. It was certainly a different sort of ad -- the first twenty seconds didn't give you a clue that it was a grocery store ad, and there was never a mention of their prices or quality, just of how fun it is to shop there.

Farmer's Markets are great things, partly because they do feature lots of real interactions with real people. But no matter how hard it tries, Trader Joe's will never be a farmer's market. And I don't really want to be friends with the checkout boys and girls.