I love gluttony based days, loosely disguised as spiritual holidays (ah Christmas). And Shrove Tuesday, or pancake Tuesday as it's sometimes known as, is no exception. Inevitably your first, and last, efforts are something to be left to the chef, but otherwise they're delicious and a great social event for everyone to join in. Here are a few quick tips to help you on your way.

• Always use the exact measurements when making your batter. It should be about the consistency of puring cream. The thicker your batter, the thicker your pancakes will be and vice versa.
• Let your batter rest before you use it. preferably overnight covered in the fridge, but a few hours should do the trick.
  
• Use a non-stick pan with just a drop of oil. Your pancake will soak up any more oil than is needed and give a greasy texture.
• Make sure your pan is hot before you add your batter, and when you do, work fast to get it round the pan as quickly as possible. If you have the heat on full whack, it should only be able 30 seconds a side.
• Flip it only once. Unless you are seriously trying to impress someone or you want to redecorate your ceiling, your pancake needs to be only flipped once and will toughen up if you do any more.

Being in our mid 30s, Ellie and I know we are too old for pancake eating competitions, but that won't stop us. Some of the flavours we'll be enjoying will be,

• The Classic- Lemon and Castor sugar
• Nutella and Banana
• Orange butter with Cointreau
• Wild Mushroom with creme fraiche

Enjoy, and remember, lent is 6 long weeks so eat up!