Crepes

When I was a little girl, my mother would always make us crepes on Sundays. I also loved the smell of vanilla when my mother would make her cookies. So, I would always ask her to make her cookies, and when she refused, I would take out the vanilla and sit it next to me with the cap open, so that I could breathe the aroma. My mother get a kick out of this, and said, well, if it's that important, we'll add a little vanilla kick, just for you. After the first time she put the vanilla in, there was never a last...it became a tradition.

You'll find ham and cheese crepes being sold by street vendors all over Paris, as well as in cafes and bistros. But it's a classic combination that's popular all over the world, and they're so very easy to make. Optional: garnish with chopped parsley.

Traditionally, blintzes are associated with Shavuot. This is a traditional holiday breakfast for our family. Rolled pancakes filled with cheese, fruit or both, they make a delicious dessert. Sweet blintzes carry on the tradition of cheese and fruit fillings. Serve either with sour cream and powdered sugar, or maple or chocolate syrup. We like to serve them with fruit pie fillings, like apples, blueberries, or cherries, and then put a dollop of sour cream and powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar on them.