A Julia Child New Years Eve - Nutella Crepe Recipe

So I'm sure I'll get a lot of flack for starting this blog AFTER watching Julie & Julia and I must admit, it did provide a spark of inspiration...and my purchase of 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking.'In all fairness though, my epiphany began a bit before Meryl Streep decided to don an apron.
The past five years of working a job I just don't like has forced me to really begin thinking about where I want to go with the rest of my life. And, since I spend more time in my kitchen than anywhere else, this path seemed obvious.So, on New Year’s Eve, when the babysitter had better plans and so did everyone else...I decided to treat my husband to my first venture into FRENCH COOKING...(gulp.)
I wanted to make the entire menu from the book and after reading it cover to cover I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I was in the mood for French basic favorites I had enjoyed but never made on my own. When I read the ingredient lists, butter, eggs, more butter, more eggs...I realized that basic French cooking is just that...basic.

So, Le Menu was as follows:
Starter: French Onion Soup
Main: Filet Mignon with Béarnaise sauce
Side: Creamed Spinach
Dessert: Crepes

So early in the afternoon I began the French Onion Soup when the kiddies took their nap.I had never truly watched onions caramelize before and it was pretty nice to watch...and smell. Lots of thinly sliced onion, butter and low heat was all I had to do. After half an hour I was getting impatient when, viola.…I had brown, gooey goodness in the bottom of the pan that just looked wonderful! Splash of wine, lots of beef stock and more heat created the same soup I had had in French bistros all over NYC! Add a toasted piece of baguette with melted swiss and it was ready to go! Also, the longer it sat, the better it tasted so its great to make in advance. Just remember to top with cheesy bread before service.
The sautéed spinach was also pretty easy to accomplish. I have made similar recipes before and I used some of the broth from my soup to make it really good. Now came time to grill the meat. I must admit that Phil took care of the cooking filets. [Geez, I can't be in charge of everything AND, I knew the béarnaise sauce was going to require all of my attention.] Béarnaise, I learned is just hollandaise sauce with white wine and white wine vinegar whisked in. However, it was not easy to make and mine did not make it...or it did but then fell over the edge. It curdled into a disgusting mess and I had to pitch it and start again. Luckily, Julia talked me through it and instead of rushing; I let the melted butter slowly drip into the eggs and whisk, whisk, whisk. This time, it survived and was oh so delicious. Trick was as soon as it looks done, it is! Took it off the heat and dropped it on the meat.**Side note, I ingested enough butter on NYE to last me all of 2010.
The Grande Finale was the easiest and BEST part of the meal. Crepe batter is a cinch and you make the entire thing in the blender. I knew right away I wanted my crepe to take exactly like the one I used to get on MacDougal Street near my college dorm. So, I picked up bananas, hazelnuts, strawberries and NUTELLA! Yes, not French but the best chocolate spread this world has to offer. I am convinced you can spread it on a shoe heel and it would taste good. Julia said the first crepe would a throw away and it totally was. Limp and tough, I just tossed it. But magically, when I ladled the second one in, it just formed with the swirl of my wrist and flipped over without hesitation. We slathered the nutella, dropped the fruit and rolled it up.What a sweet way to start the new year!

Recipe of the Day:

Nutella Crepes – Adaptation of J Child’s Crepes with my Nutella Fruit filling
Pate A Crepes (Batter)
Get your blender out, it does all the work! Add 1 c water, 1 c milk, 4 eggs and pinch of salt and blend until smooth. Then throw in 1 ½ c flour and 4 Tb melted butter. Blend again. DONE!
Put the batter in the fridge for 2 hours to chill.
Make the filling.
Scoop 1 cup nutella into a bowl and add a few tablespoons of milk. On its own, nutella is thick and will rip the crepe. So, thin it out a bit. Then, slice up strawberries, bananas or any other fruit you want. Make the slices thin so the crepe doesn’t get too overloaded. If you like nuts, toast up some hazelnuts because nutella is made with them and just takes these crepes to a whole new level.
Ok, tick tock…two hours later you are ready to go.
Get a NON STICK pan and heat it up. I added a bit of butter to the bottom for insurance and it helped make the crepe slide. Get a ¼ measuring cup and slowly pour it in to the medium hot pan. Now with some wrist action swirl the batter all around the bottom. Now its magic time. You will see the crepe quickly (like a minute) start to harden. Move your wrist back and forth so it starts to groove around. Put the pan down, lift one edge (careful for your fingers)and FLIP it over. The first (or maybe a few) will be hard but after a few you will get the hang of it. It only needs about 20 sec on the other side. Have a dish right there to flip the crepe into.

YOU DID IT!
Now, the fun part: Spread nutella down the middle. Leave the sides clean. Line up some fruit, nuts on the spread and your crepe is almost there. Now, think of a buritto for folding. Lift bottom up, lift the top down and then roll it up. Top it with whip crème and serve!
Enjoy and if you DO try this recipe, tell me ALL ABOUT IT!
Happy Eating.