Pancake Day

Today is Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day. So I figured it's a great time to talk a little about Shrove, Delia Smith and of course Pancakes.

Shrove is an old word and I believe it means to be absolved. Shrove Tuesday is associated with Christian going to Confession prior to Lent to obtain absolution. It's a good time to turn your mind towards the season of lent and to think about how you are going to prepare for Easter. Lent is a time of 40 days, this mirrors the 40 years the Jewish nation walked in the wilderness, it is also the same as the forty days Jesus spent in the desert being tempted by the devil.

On Shrove Tuesday we eat up the nice things in the house like pancakes before the season of Lent starts. For us Christian's Lent is a penitent time, a time to give up some luxuries, a time to start to do something positive, a time of charity and prayer. It's is often useful to reflect on some Christian reading over Lent, and there are many good books to choose from. For me I am going to turn to Delia Smith, and her book A Feast for Lent. With a reading, a reflection and a prayer for every day it's wonderful material, and she has a fantastic way for making you think.

Finally let moving to pancakes, and of course I am going to stay with Delia. Her Recipe for the perfect pancake can be found on the BBC website here BBC Food Website - Delia's Pancake Recipe.