Walter's Special

A food piece I wrote for class...

Sunday, June 11, 2010
2:30 p.m.

It is a surprisingly sunny and mild Sunday in the heart of downtown Galway; Shop Street is congested with tourists, families, locals, dog walkers and street performers. Just after 2:00 p.m., I stumble across a sea of tents and tables along Church Street, a narrow side street to the Latin Quarter. I decide to approach this street market, initially seeing paintings, wooden crafts and homemade jewelry, but am immediately hit with a sweet-smelling, buttery aroma. I make my way farther down the crowded street, weaving in and out of people, searching for the source of this mesmerizing smell. Halfway down the street, I spot it. To my left is a red, yellow and white trailer advertising Yummy Crepes. Two parallel black chalkboards align each side of the trailer, displaying descriptions and prices for the savory and sweet crepes. The boards also advertise ingredients: organic flour and free-range eggs. It is lunchtime, and even though the fillings of feta cheese, sun dried tomatoes, onions and spinach sound wonderful, I’m not in the mood for one of the healthier, savory crepes. I know I want a sweet one, but I am overwhelmed by the appetizing selections. As a chocolate lover, it is hard resisting the Nuttela and milk chocolate, white chocolate, and dark chocolate options, but I figure it’d be best to branch out and try something new.

After much thought, I decide on Walter’s Special, which has a filling of caramelized cinnamon sugar, apple and pear spread, and fresh squeezed lemon juice.

“You’ve got a long line out there,” I say to the friendly man behind the counter. “Oh do I?” he replies, hard at work and oblivious to the single-file line forming outside. “My wife just went on a break to get some coffee too.”

This husband and wife team runs the crepe stall, but with the wife absent, the man has to work hurriedly to dish up my crepe. The shelf behind the countertop is lined with jars of fruit spreads, containers of toasted coconut and almonds, Nuttela jars, various spices, and bottles of chili sauce, Tabasco sauce, relish and more. Below the shelf are the minimum amount of supplies and utensils needed to make the crepes: brown eggs, bags of flour, bottles of oil, knives, spatulas, kitchen shears. He makes various orders simultaneously, but I know mine is almost finished when the fragrant blend of butter and cinnamon infuses the air. After dressing the thin crepe with a quick squeeze of fresh lemon juice, the man wraps my sweet treat up in paper and hands it over to me.

Fresh off the stove it is almost too hot to hold. The corners are browned with a slight crispiness; the inside is doughy and warm. Instead of sprinkling the finished product with cinnamon once its done cooking, a large amount of the spice is mixed into the butter, allowing a sweet glaze to ooze out of the crepe’s inside. Complementing this cinnamon glaze is a homemade apple and pear spread. The maroon-colored sauce has the same consistency as jam. With only a touch of sweetness, it provides mostly tanginess to the crepe. The more I consume, the more I can taste the cinnamon and fruit. The warmth never subsides. As I dig my way deeper to the bottom, heat rises from the middle. Before I know it I’m on my last two bites, still just as warm as the first two, scooping the left over apple and pear spread off the bottom of the paper and enjoying every last bit of it.