Pala-what? That word looks pretty strange, given that our family always
pronounced it "palla chinka." It’s really just a crepe we love
to eat two ways - either wrapped around our favorite jelly, or drizzled through a funnel like a snake. When mom was a kid,
this was her favorite snack. She would stand by the stove watching her mom make it, feeling as if she could taste it before
it was even done. The family ate this every Sunday after soup, and many were the nights she and her brother, Steve, would
lay on the floor at night, listening to the Inner Sanctum Mysteries on the radio and unraveling their sugar-and-cinnamon topped
snakes. In more recent years, this recipe has been a favorite of the grandkids, who often drag grandma or grandpa to the kitchen.
2 c. sifted flour
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
2 c. milk
Oil
Mix flour, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and milk. Add
egg/milk mixture gradually to the flour, beating into a thin, smooth batter. Let sit for 1/2 hour to get rid of the raw flour
taste.
For crepe version:
Coat skillet with thin layer of oil. Spoon about 4 tablespoons of the batter
mix into the hot skillet and tilt skillet in a circular motion to distribute the batter over the entire bottom of the pan.
Brown very lightly on both sides. Remove from pan. Continue until the batter is used up. As each crepe is done, spread with
strawberry jam or your favorite jelly, roll up loosely and sprinkle with sugar.
For snakes version:
Put oil in a skillet, about 1/2 inch deep and get it hot. Pour a cup of
the batter into a funnel, holding the end of the funnel closed with your finger until you have it positioned over a hot skillet,
in the middle of the pan. Move your finger and as the batter pours out, move the funnel in a circular motion, curling the
“snake” as if its in a tight sleeping position. Brown slightly on both sides and remove from the pan. Sprinkle
with a mix of sugar and cinnamon.
