Before Ash Wednesday comes Shrove Tuesday. The word shrove is derived from shrive, meaning to give absolution after confessing sins. Pretty solemn nomenclature compared to pancake day. And fat Tuesday always sounds rather more indelicate than the romantic Mardi Gras - until the realisation hits that Mardi Gras translates literally as - Fat Tuesday.
But both fat and pancake refer to the using up of foods that won’t be eaten during the coming days of fasting - meaning meat, eggs and dairy (as well as wine and olive oil). Thus, prudently, pancakes were traditionally made the day before Ash Wednesday with the last of the butter, eggs and milk.
So Beverley and John have invited us for dinner on pancake day. And we rightly expect pancakes but are in fact regaled with a full meal from soup made from their own tomatoes - duly roasted, blended and frozen - to superb crepes, John’s specialty, following a full meat and roast potato main course.
Joined, discreetly, by Henry, the oldest of the four rescue dogs, and two of the rescue cats. Not to mention excellent company. Pat is there as well, and kindly gives us a lift home.
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