Enjoy Buckwheat Galettes with our guest, Ann Claire! #bookgiveaway

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LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  Years ago, when Mr. Right and I made our first trip to France, we spent several days in Arles, a charming little walled city in Southern France  with a Roman theater, an astonishing Wednesday Market that nearly circled the city, and delightful little bistros. And of course, the ghost of Vincent Van Gogh and many reminders of him. But what surprised us most was all the bicyclists staying in our hotel. Bicycles everywhere!

I thought of that when I first heard about our friend Ann Claire's new series featuring an American who chucks it all to run a bike tour company in southern France! The series debuts with A Cyclist's Guide to Crime and Croissants, out this week in hardcover. and audio (Ebook readers got a head start.)

Although it was in another French town, tiny little Roussillon, in the Luberon Valley, where I first had a buckwheat galette. So good. I'm thinking this morning, aren't you? 

Two lucky readers will win signed ARCS of A Cyclist's Guide to Crime and Croissants. 

ANN CLAIRE: If you were to carry one kitchen item on a trip, what would it be? Years ago, my husband’s work took us to Santa Fe, New Mexico, for nine glorious months. I packed a crepe pan. We didn’t need a pan. Our rented apartment came miscellaneously furnished. Plus, there was Santa Fe with all its wonderful food.

But, crepes… Crepes seemed like a holiday. Plus, my husband is half-French, so perfect, right? I pictured us swirling and flipping, folding and rolling. Crepes for every meal! A crepe-based diet!  

As with other aspirational items I’ve toted on trips (looking at you, pristine sketchbooks), the crepe pan didn’t flourish as much as I hoped. However, I still think of crepes as mini-vacations you can whip up at home. They’re also a favorite treat of my new cozy protagonist, an expat cycling guide rolling into crimes in the South of France.

The recipe below is one of my favorites, a crêpe complète, a complete meal perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. If you have any crepes leftover, they’re wonderful with sweet or savory filling. Check out Leslie Budewitz’s recipe for a delicious apple filling. 

A note on vocabulary: In France, savory buckwheat crepes are called galettes. On menus, look for a galettes de sarrasin (buckwheat) or blé noir (black wheat).

One more note on ingredients: Traditionally, buckwheat crepes are made with only buckwheat flour, water, and salt. They’re delightfully tender and naturally gluten free. They’re also notoriously tricky to flip. In the name of a relaxing kitchen vacation, I’ve adapted recipes that incorporate all-purpose flour, eggs, and butter for easier handling.

Planning ahead: This recipe calls for letting the batter rest. I’ll confess, I’ve cheated before and used it immediately, but if you can, plan a few hours ahead.

Buckwheat Galettes, a.k.a. savory buckwheat crepes 

For the galettes:

1 c water

1 c milk (any kind of milk or use all water if you prefer)

½ c buckwheat flour

½ c all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

2 T butter, melted

¼ t table salt

1 T sugar (optional)

For the filling:

Grated cheese: Any meltable cheese. French Comté, Swiss gruyere, or cheddar are tasty.

Sliced cooked ham. Ham is most traditional, but feel free to substitute with your favorite deli meat or vegetarian options.

Eggs for however many servings you’re making. Each serving is one crepe topped with cheese, ham, and an egg.

To make the galettes: 

Mix all the ingredients. Whisk by hand or whirl in a blender or mixer. The mixture should have the consistency of heavy cream.

Cover and refrigerate the batter for an hour or two or overnight. 

While the batter rests, enjoy some fun reading like Julia Child flambéing with flair. Would you dare do this for guests? I’m not that brave.

Prepare your fillings. Grate the cheese, cut the ham into smaller pieces, and be ready to fry some eggs, either on the crepe pan after you’re done with the crepes or in a separate frying pan.

Whisk the batter to redistribute the flour. Heat your trust crepe pan or nonstick skillet. Add a bit of neutral oil or butter to the pan. Once it’s all hot, pour in your batter and swirl it around to cover the pan in a thin coating. Cook on medium heat. The crepe will bubble and firm up. Flip. When the other side is done, move the crepe to a plate and repeat with the rest of the batter. Note: like with pancakes, the first crepe might not behave. Consider it a taste test. 

Cook the crepes until they’re set and golden brown on each side. They should still be soft and flexible for folding later.

(LAB: Note that it can take a little while to get the hang of making the crepes. Don't despair! Plus the messy ones are perfectly edible, just not very photogenic.)  

When the crepes are nearly done, fry enough eggs for each serving (one egg per crepe). Assemble your complete galette.

To assemble: place a crepe back in your pan. Arrange ham and grated cheese in the center of the crepe. Heat so that the cheese melts. Top with a fried egg and fold in the sides so that just the yolk is peeking out. For smaller crepes, you might find it easier to fold only two sides. If the sides won’t remain folded, try adding more cheese (always a good solution, I think).

Serve with salad or fruit or treats for dining companions, such as Lill. Don't tell her les chats don't eat des galettes! 

Makes approximately ten 8-inch galettes.

Bon appétit! I hope you enjoy!

Have you carted kitchen supplies on trips? Do you have a favorite food that reminds you of vacations? Two lucky readers will win signed ARCS of A Cyclist's Guide to Crime and Croissants. (US mailing addresses only.) 

Vicariously tour the sundrenched Mediterranean Coast in this perfectly escapist new cozy mystery series starring American expat-turned-bike tour company owner in Southern France.
Nine months ago, Sadie Greene shocked friends and family by ditching her sensible office job in the Chicago suburbs and buying a sight-unseen French bicycling tour company, Oui Cycle. Now she’s living the unconventional life of her dreams in the gorgeous village of Sans-Souci-sur-Mer. Sans souci means carefree, but Sadie feels enough pressure to burst a tire when hometown friends arrive for a tour, including her former boss, Dom Appleton. Sadie is determined to show them the wonders of France and cycling—and to prove she made the right move. 

She hopes her meticulously planned nine-day itinerary will win them over, with its stunning seascapes, delicious wine tastings, hilltop villages, and, of course, frequent stops for croissants. When Dom drags his heels on fun, Sadie vows he’ll enjoy if it kills her. That is, until Dom ends up dead. The tragedy was no accident. Someone went out of their way to bring a permanent end to Dom’s vacation. 

As more crimes—and murder—roll in, suspicions hover over Oui Cycle. To save her dream business, help her friends, and bring justice, Sadie launches her own investigation. However, mysteries mount with every turn. On an uphill battle for clues, can Sadie come to terms with her painful past while spinning closer to the truth—or will a twisted killer put the brakes on her for good?

Ann Claire is the USA Today bestselling author of the Cyclist’s Guide Mysteries and the Christie Bookshop Mysteries, as well as the Bookmobile Mystery Series and the Santa Fe Café Mystery Series written under the pennames Nora Page and Ann Myers. A childhood with her nose in books sparked Ann’s dreams of travel. Ann now calls Colorado home but loves to visit her in-laws in southern France and a village so pretty, it’s a perfect setting for a mystery. When Ann’s not writing, you can find her reading, gardening, herding housecats, and plotting her next adventures. Online, visit Ann at https://www.instagram.com/annclaireauthor/ and https://www.facebook.com/AnnClaireMysteries/. 

A Cyclist’s Guide to Crime and Croissants is available at https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496745682/a-cyclists-guide-to-crime-and-croissants/