Why do people eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday?

kara cheiko — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 17:56:08 +0000

While we secretly wish everyday was Pancake Day, we have to admit that there can only be one. And since pancakes are one of our favourite food groups, we thought we’d shed some light on why people eat pancakes on this particular day.

Pancake Day happens on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of the Christian 40-day Lent season, running up to Easter.

The expression “Shrove Tuesday” comes from the word shrive, which means to confess and receive absolution. Back in the day, people use to confess their sins before Lent. Many still do to this day.

Traditionally, Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day, was a day for using up food that couldn’t be eaten during Lent, which was a time for fasting. Since eggs and butter were always left over in the household, people decided to make pancakes for Tuesday so as not to waste them.

According to legend, pancake racing first started in the 15th century when a Buckinghamshire woman rushed to confess her sins while making pancakes and took her pan to church.

The pancake tradition has evolved since then. Towns, villages and community gatherings continue to hold pancake races and other fun activities to celebrate their last day of indulgence.

In other parts of the world like the US and Australia, Shrove Tuesday is known as Mardi Gras, which is French for “Fat Tuesday”. Mardi Gras carnival celebrations involve wearing masks and costumes, dancing and taking part in sports competitions and parades. We still prefer the pancakes, just saying.

And on that note, we’re serving Country Style Pancakes at half price all day on Pancake Tuesday (Feb 28). So come by to BOOM Breakfast, the best breakfast restaurant in Toronto to enjoy Pancakes Tuesday!

The post Why do people eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday? appeared first on Toronto Lunch and Brunch - Boom Breakfast.

BOOM Up Your Pancakes

kara cheiko — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 20:32:19 +0000

With Pancake Tuesday coming up, a thought crossed our minds. Any restaurant that strives to be the best must never stop experimenting with their menu. Our fans call us the best breakfast in Toronto and we very much want to continue to live up to that expectation. Thus, we thought we’d explore. While some of our experiments seemed outlandish, others seemed like fun – like how to give your pancakes that BOOM factor. We thought we’d share our findings for you to try at home.

First let’s begin with the simple pancake recipe and build it up from there.

a) Combine:
1 cup flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

b) In a separate bowl, stir together:
1 cup milk
2 tbsp melted butter
1 egg

c) Add to dry ingredients to create a basic batter.

d) Pour batter onto a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat and cook until tops and sides have bubbled.

e) Flip and cook until golden brown on both sides.

Now that you’ve got the basics, let’s have some fun.

Shape up
Put your pancake batter into a squeezable container like an old mustard bottle and create fun shapes right onto the pan. Who doesn’t love snowflake shaped pancakes for a winter morning?

Top them off
We admit this one’s straight off our menu, but it’s just so much fun! Top off your pancakes with powdered sugar, strawberries, bananas and chocolate sauce, just like our Banana Berry Pancakes.

A Rainbow Stack
Create the basic batter and distribute it into different bowls. Mix in different food colours for each bowl and then cook the pancakes in different colours, creating your very own rainbow stack. We recommend using natural food colours for this one.

S’more Pancakes
Add chocolate chips to the basic batter and cook away, then top up your pancake with marshmallow creme and crushed graham crackers.

Blueberry Goodness
This one’s a classic and it never fails to delight. Add blueberries to your batter and cook them up. Top off the pancakes with powdered sugar like we do with our delicious BOOM Berry Pancakes.

Birthday Pancakes
Celebrate birthdays first thing in the morning! Just replace half the flour with vanilla cake mix, cook the pancakes and add frosting and sprinkles. Add a few candles and surprise the birthday darling with the best wake up call ever!

Bacon Pancakes
Bacon makes everything better – even pancakes. Cook your bacon first and set it aside. Then take one strip of bacon and add it back into the pan, pouring your pancake batter over it. Cook your pancake like you normally would, taking care to flip with bacon at the bottom when you flip your pancake. When it’s done, that golden brown beauty will blow your mind.

So, these are our pancake findings. Tell us about yours on our Facebook page. And if you do happen to try these out, don’t forget to send us a pic on Instagram @Boom_Breakfast. Happy Pancaking!

The post BOOM Up Your Pancakes appeared first on Toronto Lunch and Brunch - Boom Breakfast.

Pancake Tuesday Archives - Toronto Lunch and Brunch - Boom Breakfast

Why do people eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday?

BOOM Up Your Pancakes