The wonderful wafer-thin French pancakes called crêpes fill a niche in contemporary dining. Made with light sauces and fillings, they suit today's passion for healthy fare.

The word crêpe refers both to the individual pancake and the filled creation. Fast to assemble and ballooning with a voluptuous variety of savory fillings - fresh vegetables and herbs, seafood, poultry, and meat - crêpes can serve as appetizers, first courses, and entrées. Filled with seasonal fruit, soufflés, sauces, sorbets, or ice cream, they become sumptuous desserts.

Turning out a batch of the aromatic butter-browned pancakes is a rewarding endeavor. Assembling them is swift and can often be dome ahead. With a stack of these tender discs on hand, you will have myriad serving possibilities for a happy repast any time of day.

Crêpes are ideal to make in advance and refrigerate or freeze, to fill later for a party or informal gathering. They are easy, dramatic, and fun to serve. One option is to stage a kitchen party and let guests spoon on their own fillings.

Crêpes may be made with either plain or sweetened batters. Incorporating different flours into the batter varies the taste. Savory batter can be based on whole-wheat flour or a variety of specialty in bulk in many natural food stores or gourmet markets. Fresh herbs can be used to color and flavor savory crêpes. Sweet crêpes are enhanced by flavorings such as liqueurs, extracts, or fruit zest.

Crêpes star when it comes to versatility. Their fillings can be complex and sophisticated or as simple as a dollop of herb butter, a dice of chilies, or crumbled sheep or goat cheese. Or, for sweet bitefuls, tuck in some grated bittersweet chocolate or white or dark chocolate chips, spread with jam and sprinkle with powdered sugar, or sprinkle with sugar and splash with lemon juice.

Crêpes may be filled and folded in various shapes for a decorative presentation. Ideal to serve around the clock - for morning brunch; and elegant lunch; a midday snack; or a dinner entrée, accompaniment, or sweet finale - crêpes are the good cook's best ally. May these recipes bring pleasure to your table.

[Crêpes, Sweet & Savory Recipes for the Home Cook, Lou Seibert Pappas]