Why do we eat pancakes on Pancake Tuesday? The official name for this day is Shrove Tuesday, falling before Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent. In religious terms, Lent is a time of fasting and abstinence in the approach to Easter. In days of old, strict fasting was observed in religious households. Which meant that all the rich foods had to be used up before Lent began. Pancakes were made with the eggs and milk in the pantry. Everyone had a feast. Today we observe the pancake tradition, with affectionate name of Pancake Tuesday attributed to Shrove Tuesday.  This evening everyone will be tossing and flipping like crazy! The secret of a good pancake batter is good fresh Irish milk and free range eggs, blended smoothly with sifted flour and a little pinch of salt, then some melted butter in the mix. The butter gives a velvety texture to the batter and helps it swirl easily around the base of the heated non-stick pancake pan. You only need a little batter to make a nice thin pancake. Tossing should only be attempted when the pancake has set on the base and moves freely when you shake the pan. Then it’s all in the wrist action. A quick upward movement from the wrist , while holding the pan handle, should be enough to encourage the pancake to leap into the air and flip over on its other side.  Practice makes perfect!