Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Pancake Deprivation/Pancake Exaltation




I'm a pancake person. I'm also a waffle, dutch baby, clafoutis, popover, and French toast person. If you've vacationed with me, you know that there will usually be pancakes for breakfast. Or scones. Or...something.

Until recently. Recently my main breakfast companion has been a person who has no interest in breakfast options of this kind. In fact, he doesn't even want to be near them--says they 'smell bad.' He even (don't tell New England) hates maple syrup. The phrase 'tree cum' has been used. All told, I'm cooking a lot fewer pancakes at home. The problem is, I rarely eat these things at restaurants because I make them very well and don't always like other people's versions, so I order omelets or sausage gravy or shakshuka or some savory restaurant brunch and go pancake starved.

Luckily, in my home we have staggered schedules, and there is the occasional morning when I find myself with an empty kitchen and 45 minutes before I have to leave, and this morning I made some pancakes. I made them quickly, and without much care, and of course they were some of the best pancakes I've ever made in years of looking for the perfect pancake. Leslie Knope asks 'Why would anyone ever eat anything besides breakfast food?' I would add, 'Why would anyone ever try any breakfast food recipe that wasn't written by Marion Cunningham?' Ms. Cunningham, author of The Breakfast Book and so much more, is nearly always right. In the matter of pancakes, she says:

BUTTERMILK PANCAKES
from The Breakfast Book, by Marion Cunningham

1 Cup Buttermilk
1 egg
1 Tblsp unsalted butter, melted
3/4 Cup AP flour
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda

I melted the butter in a quart measuring cup, whisked it with the buttermilk and egg, threw all the dry ingredients on top (I subbed 1/4 cup of cornmeal, as per her suggestion), mixed once more, and fried them in a preheated pan with some bacon grease. I used much maple syrup. Recommended.

2 comments:

Vicki said...

Ditto on pancakes, waffles, scones and Dutch Babies. I've yet to make a clafouti. The best thing I make is French toast. If I lived near you we could have breakfast carb fest parties all year long!

Joan said...

Katya - have you thought about oatmeal (steel cut). the blessed food for all!
Dad