I was surprised with how authentic La Creperie was. OK, it's not a very valid statement for me to make, since I've never actually lived in Brittany, France (where the cafe owner hails from). But I say this because the food was totally different in taste and ingredients to anything else I've eaten in my life.

It's primarily a crepe place, serving up a staggering selection of savory and sweet crepes. The cafe is cosy and bustling with diners, and is modelled after the seaside and lighthouse - which is what Brittany is like, I presume. Sometimes, themed cafes are pretty tacky, but La Creperie definitely isn't. It's a laid back, casual cafe that makes for a fabulous weekend brunch. Our waitress spoke fluent English and all the staff were very attentive and polite, with food coming out quickly from the open kitchen.

Sitting at home with a head cold, looking at the clock and thinking about what to make for dinner, I thought about the beautiful cookbooks my sister-in-law gave to me while visiting my husband's family in France for CNY. Mind you, I did not have any intention of whipping up a french dinner in a moment's notice, but I did want to share one of my favorite, and easiest, french recipes that I turn to when short on ideas. It sounds more difficult than it really is, but make it once and you are sure to return to it. I am not that loyal to recipes for I am not good at following them and the measurements drive me crazy, but this one, I can do (even though I still made up my own quantities).

I also thought of doing something along the lines of “Julie and Julia”, cooking up one recipe per month (not per day!) in one of those books. I will think more on that...it will fine-tune my recipe-following abilities; never mind my french!

Tonight's dinner menu:

Carbonnade (the Flemish kind) served over pasta or rice

Low-fat strawberry muffins