They say that each culture has its own version of the pancake. Here’s an article on the topic, but I just have to point out that it claims that a blini (used as a singular noun) is Russian and a blintz is Jewish. Now I don’t know about the ethnicities of these pancakes, but as far as the language is concerned, a blintz is the English translation of the word блин. The plural form is блины in Russian or blintzes in English. Okay, I feel better now. (And don’t get me started on the word blinis!) Check dictionary.com for more.
On a side note, the word блин is also used in slang to mean dang or darn.
So, as some of my twitter followers already know, I had the pleasure attending my very first blini party this past weekend. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any pictures of the event, but basically there was a stack of blintzes that reminded me of this picture from Shel Silverstein’s “Where the Sidewalk Ends”.
Here is the accompanying poem, if you’re interested:
PANCAKE?
Who wants a pancake, Sweet and piping hot? Good little Grace looks up and says, “I’ll take the one on top.” Who else wants a pancake, Fresh off the griddle? Terrible Teresa smiles and says, “I’ll take the one in the middle.”
—Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends
So we started with the stack of blintzes. Two stacks, actually – one sweet and one not-so-sweet. The not-so-sweet blintzes were accompanied by a choice of a mushroom sauce or a chicken and egg dish. Oh, and of course сметана – or sour cream! For the sweet blintzes, there was variety of fruit-related toppings. I have to admit, I filled up mostly on the sweet blintzes, topped with Nutella and bananas. What do you like with your блины?
All of this deliciousness, was accompanied by an endless supply of mimosas – all in all, the perfect blini party!!
A big shout out and thank you to my buddy, Alex, for inviting us!! Can’t wait for the next one!
