RECIPE: Charlotte Chef Farid Ahmed shares his recipe for homemade crepes and some of his favorite toppings, from savory to sweet.
by Asha Ellison | photographs by Richard Israel
At Farid Ahmed’s house, opportunities to slow down don’t come often. When they do, he savors them. And at least once a month, those special moments are filled with the tantalizing scent of crepes and joyful sounds of laughter.
As executive chef of the Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel in uptown, Ahmed oversees culinary operations and banquet programs for the hotel, its rooftop bar, Merchant and Trade, and the Italian-American restaurant Angeline’s.
At home, Ahmed is elbow-deep in life and love, as doting husband to Elizabeth, his wife of seven years, and as father to their two young children; 4-year-old Asher and Farah, who is 1.
For Ahmed, 42, family is everything, and carving out time for connection — especially over food — is sacred. It’s also central to his upbringing and his heritage. Like his mother, the New Jersey- and Raleigh-raised chef was born in France, a place where people prioritize eating together. And in his father’s native Pakistan, it is customary for families to dine together daily.
“They cook one big meal, place it in the middle of the table, and everyone just digs in,” Ahmed says with pride. “I come from two huge food cultures that have really shaped my world.”
Finding his way to the kitchen
Ahmed, who grew up watching his mother make magic in the kitchen — including weekly crepe breakfasts — was drawn to the song of pots and pans in motion. And despite his father’s best efforts to direct him toward a more traditional career such as a doctor or lawyer, Ahmed was determined to find a rhythm of his own.
“I tried different things,” Ahmed says, recalling computer courses and an attempt to pursue architecture at N.C. State University. “I always found my way back to food. The kitchen is where I’m most comfortable.”
Ahmed graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta at the top of his class, with a degree in occupational science. In 2007, he interned at Pinehurst Resort, where he moved up the ranks to chef de cuisine. In 2017, Ahmed became chef de cuisine at Links, an American Grill, at The Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island. He was later promoted to executive chef and led the PGA Tour’s Heritage Classic golf tournament before joining Tryon Park in 2023.
A taste of home and tradition
Today, when chef Ahmed isn’t rolling out new menus, cooking up culinary collaborations with Bojangles or hosting dinners for Charlotte Wine & Food Week, he is working to create lifelong memories with his family, just as his mother did for theirs.
“My mom would make crepes for us almost every weekend, and I like to carry on the tradition.”
Chef Ahmed champions crepes as the perfect solution for anyone who wants to indulge in something simple, satisfying and efficient.
“They are great because you can make them ahead of time,” Ahmed says. “And you can serve them with toppings from plain sugar and fresh fruit to jams and Nutella.” They can be savory, too — Ahmed cites a Pakistani version of crepes served with spiced potatoes.
Most importantly, chef Ahmed just wants the home cook to enjoy the process and share the delight with loved ones.
“Once you get the technique down, you’ll be fine,” he says. “In the end, it’s about sharing joy through food.” SP
Chef Ahmed’s Crepes
Serves 4-6, with some extra
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
2 ounces melted butter
Pan or cooking spray
Kitchen tools
Crepe griddle or a nonstick pan, 10-12 inches
Large bowl
Whisk
Fine strainer
Directions
1. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Add in eggs and whisk.
3. Add milk slowly. First, form a paste to help minimize any lumps. Then, stream in the rest.
4. When the batter is smooth, whisk in the melted butter.
5. Pass through a fine strainer if you have any lumps.
6. Cover mixture and let batter sit overnight for best result.
7. Adjust the batter by adding more milk, if needed. The batter should be the consistency of a heavy cream that flows well.
8. Pan cooking directions: Spray pan lightly with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. For better color and to avoid frying the crepe, do not overly grease the pan. Once thoroughly heated, drop a 2-3-ounce ladle of batter into the pan. Start on the top left and work your way clockwise, ensuring batter coats the full pan. When you are able to pull the crepe away from the pan, flip it and cook evenly on the other side.
Griddle cooking directions: If you have a griddle with a crepe spatula, ladle the mixture in the center, giving it about 10 seconds to cook, or it will rip. Then, spread the batter in a circular motion, keeping the crepe as thin as possible. Once one side is cooked, flip the crepe and cook the other side.
9. Serve crepes with the topping(s) of your choice.
PRO TIP from Chef Ahmed’s grandmother: To thin out the batter, add a little light beer when cooking. The alcohol will burn off just enough to create a light and airy crepe.
