Weekend Cook and Tell: Pancakes
Welcome to the Weekend Cook and Tell. Every Wednesday we peruse the food sections of various national newspapers to inspire a weekend cooking project. We hope you will cook along with us and share your experiences, recipes, and photos here.
This week's inspiration comes from Laura Reiley, food critic for the St. Petersburg Times and it's all about pancakes. "Pancakes are the Rodney Dangerfield of the breakfast world. They don't get no respect," she says.
Pancakes have been around since ancient Roman times and appear in sweet and savory guises in most food cultures all over the world. From the classic American diner versions to Korean pajeon (scallion pancakes) to Danish aebleskivers and Hannukah's latkes.
This week's challenge is all about pancakes. Griddle up some pancakes at home and tell us all about it! And please don't feel like you have to limit yourself to the maple syrup variety. Check out all of these regional pancake styles for some ideas. Crêpes, crespelle, blintzes, bánh xèo, dosas, the pancake possibilities are limitless!
Show us your photos on Photograzing (make sure to include "Cook and Tell" in your submission title) and tell us about your recipes here! If you'd like to blog the experience, please leave a link in the comments below. We'll post a round-up of your photos and recipes next Wednesday.
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37 Comments:
So hard to do a banh xeo perfectly. I love Swedish crepes and taro pancakes! I haven't made okonomiyaki in a while! So many dishes...
Cassaendra at 12:25AM on 09/24/09
@Cassaendra! So glad to hear someone else say that. Banh xeo are super-hard for me to execute properly, too. I've tried to make them a couple times, neither turned out like I've had in restaurants. Hopefully we'll both have better luck with making them soon!
maxcriden at 2:34AM on 09/24/09
I must admit that most of the time I make pancakes from a mix, but what I do is add fun ingredients into the mix that make the pancakes really fun.
Here are some ideas: pancakes with apples, cranberries, dried apricots and pecans; another time I added fresh cherries into a pancake mixture, and who can forget my very popular broccoli pancakes?
If you are lucky to still have some peaches in your kitchen, be sure to make my pancakes with peaches and chocolate chips.
Hope you like these ideas!
orchidgirl at 9:09AM on 09/24/09
I like krampouezh, a traditional Breton buckwheat pancake, sprinkled with sugar and a dollop of lemon curd. You can also fill it with seafood and a little creme fraische.
NotAmerican at 9:58AM on 09/24/09
For regular pancakes, I love The New Best Recipe's version, with buttermilk and an extra egg (it's very similar - maybe identical - to Alton Brown's version, once the egg is added).
I also love my mom's hoecakes, which consist of her cornbread batter fried as pancakes (although I make them with butter instead of Crisco).
I serve it with a blackberry syrup:
3 cups of blackberries
a scant half cup of sugar
a little water
lemon zest and juice to taste a
little cinnamon or vanilla
Mix together in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and the berries break down. It's really easy, and should be ready at the same time as the pancakes!
GirlFromJetCity at 11:08AM on 09/24/09
Do pannekoeken count? Those are fantastic! Not that I don't adore (and devour) "regular" pancakes on a fairly regulara basis, but why not try both! :)
Traveller at 12:01PM on 09/24/09
@Cassaendra & maxcriden, according to my mother a perfect banh xeo requires a very well greased pan and some beer mixed in with the coconut milk. She says it almost guarantees a very crisp and delicate banh xeo.
AnnieNT at 12:04PM on 09/24/09
My cooking plans for the weekend involve stews and soups, not pancakes, but I would encourage anyone who's looking for a new recipe to try Jane Brody's multi-grain pancakes, which have a nice sweetness to them and enough healthy ingredients that you can convince yourself that they're good for you.
misha at 12:09PM on 09/24/09
I'm going to cook some crepes. Haven't had them in a while. Don't know what's going in them yet, but it will be savory. Stay tuned......
finsbigfan at 1:03PM on 09/24/09
Saturday is the end of my hell week at work (a conference we've been planning for MONTHS ugh), so Sunday I'm going to make myself some cottage cheese pancakes, because I haven't made them in forever and they are SO good.
joyyy at 1:11PM on 09/24/09
@AnnieNT, thanks (and thanks to your Mom!) for the tip, I'll definitely give that a try.
maxcriden at 3:24PM on 09/24/09
I have a double-purpose batter that I use for pancakes and waffles, with and without blueberries, oatmeal, pecans and other add-ins. I've made aebleskivers with it, too, and strawberry shortcake pancakes or waffles at the height of strawberry season, and bacon-cheddar waffles.
2 cups flour
1/4 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk with a half can of water (or 2 c. milk)
1/4 c. melted butter or vegetable oil
Whisk everything together in a mixing bowl. Add a half cup of oatmeal, a handful of chopped toasted pecans or a cup of cottage cheese if desired. Thin with additional water or milk to get the consistency you like. Let batter rest on counter for 15 minutes to a half hour--you should do this with all pancake recipes, by the way, even if you're using an instant mix. It really makes a big difference if you give the flour a chance to absorb the liquid before cooking. I use evaporated milk because it adds a bit of taste and velvety texture; besides, it's easier to keep on hand than buttermilk (which you can substitute for the milk if you add a half teaspoon of baking soda). You can make thin, crepe-like pancakes, thick fluffy ones and anything in between by adjusting the amount of liquid. For peach, banana and blueberry pancakes, ladle the batter into the pan or griddle, then immediately sprinkle the pancake with chopped fruit and cook as usual. I use a cast iron skillet, heating it on medium-high and then wiping it with a paper towel dipped in oil.
We use maple syrup, and sometimes I make a simple syrup with sugar, water and Mapleine, which is good and cheap and brown, but nothing beats real amber maple syrup and butter on a plain pancake or waffle.
betteirene at 4:08PM on 09/24/09
Cottage cheese pancakes are my signature breakfast meal. Absolutely fabulous with fruit, in particular. Hope you had a good one.
lemons at 6:36PM on 09/24/09
@maxcriden, not too much beer probably about 1/4 cup, but the coconut milk is the essential ingredient.
AnnieNT at 6:44PM on 09/24/09
Do ableskivers qualify?
dmcavanagh at 6:48PM on 09/24/09
german apple pancake, baked in a cast iron skillet. topped with tons of cinnamon sugar and butter, then broiled until it's gooey. i made one for my birthday and ate almost the entire thing.
cybercita at 10:32PM on 09/24/09
YES! Aebelskivers! I love them. I got a pan for them for like $7.98 at Amazon.com. They are so much fun to make and fill with interesting stuff. It's so much better than that cheesy pan you see on TV. The pan above comes with a little brochure of recipe ideas. The best way to turn them is with a skewer.
I filled some cooked puffs with Nutella and another batch got jam the first time I used the pan.
This cook and tell is a good excuse to whip that pan out again.
therealchiffonade at 6:01AM on 09/25/09
Dutch baby...cutest named pancake you will ever eat.
PoorOldMama at 2:20PM on 09/25/09
I was already planning to make pancakes this weekend. My new favorites are yeast pancakes from this site: Vegan Yum Yum.
We aren't vegan, but it's easy to substitute the real thing for the vegan versions, and I honestly think a little vanilla soymilk adds a nice vanilla flavor to them. They're thicker and heartier than the baking powder kind, but I really like them. I haven't make my old ones since I found this recipe.
MeganCochran at 3:09PM on 09/25/09
I like really heavy, grainy pancakes. It usually just involves a little baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and then eggs, milk, whole wheat flour, oat flour, and old fashioned oats until the consistency looks right. Then i'll throw in some applesauce for sweetness, some chopped up apples if I feel so inclined, and a sprinkle (albeit a heavy handed sprinkle) of cinnamon. Alternately, if I have fresh blueberries, they'll go in instead. I tried doing it with peanut butter instead once but that wasn't very good.
cycorider at 3:56PM on 09/25/09
I actually made the silver dollar pancakes from Serious Eats (twice), and they were fantastic. Very light, creamy and delicate. I eat them with pure maple syrup, and sometimes strawberry jam. Oh so good. I would totally make them this weekend, but I cannot afford the calories. :(
tatianak at 4:26PM on 09/25/09
Took and early march on this and made potato pancakes for dinner Thursday night. FP grated potatoes & onion, corn kernels cut off the cob, matzo meal, some flour, eggs, S&P. Fried in veggie oil until nice and crispy. The little tendrels of potato shreds stuck out like spider legs. Cool thought for a Halloween meal!
whoot at 8:10PM on 09/25/09
Pancakes produce strong opinions, even arguments, over the recipe of the morning. Will it be light sourdough pancakes served with honey/orange zest/pecan butter OR should it be superthin Swedish pancakes made with sour milk and rolled around lingonberries/whipped cream or powdered sugar? Either way I'm happy, and frequently feed early-morning drop in diners when the word is out that pancakes are flipping.
SeattleDee at 10:59PM on 09/25/09
@therealchiffonade- thanks for the heads up, I just ordered one from Amazon, can't wait to whip up a batch for my son and his girlfriend.
dmcavanagh at 1:18AM on 09/26/09
Not crazy about regular pancakes, but I made potato pancakes with breakfast sausage patties for dinner tonight. Might do a rerun tomorrow just because it was so good.
dbcurrie at 1:37AM on 09/26/09
The BEST pancakes are so simple, yet come out so delicious (and, they are quite healthy too). Beat 2 egg whites until it starts getting a bit foamy, then add in 1/2 cup of quick cooking oats--it just doesn't work with the 'old fashioned' kind. mix that together, add some cinnamon, vanilla, a dash of milk (and sometimes I add a spoonful of cottage cheese for extra protein), wheat bran, ground flax, whatever really. I add 1/2 sliced banana the other day and it was delicious served with some peanut butter on the side. Fry 'em up like any pancake and bon appetit!
luswim06 at 5:50AM on 09/26/09
I must say that I've never been a fan of thick, heavy, pancake house pancakes. My mother, who is half italian half swedish, has always made thin pancakes, so that's what I love. When I was little, I would always fill them with butter and a light sprinkling of confectioner's sugar and roll them up nice and tight. Delicious! Nowadays, I've been on a crepe-making roll. delicioso.
Golden at 7:28PM on 09/26/09
Not sure if I'm going to get to pancakes today. But try a little peanut butter on the pancakes with that maple syrup. wonderful combination. Or, of course, sausage patties on the side with maple syrup.
lemonfair at 8:35AM on 09/27/09
We intended to make homemade buttermilk pancakes this weekend, but in typical fashion, our weekend plans kept changing. Oh well! I don't recall where I took this recipe from, but the results have always been a fairly fluffy pancake with the crispy edges (my favourite part of the pancake!).
avaryne at 8:54AM on 09/28/09
Tried but didn't get to them--blogged about the attempt, though...
http://thesugarfiend.blogspot.com/
HeartofGlass at 12:03PM on 09/28/09
How funny, didn't even see this discussion until now, and I made myself blueberry buttermilk pancakes for breakfast both days this weekend. Pancake mix and maple syrup were both from Highland Sugarworks in Vermont (highly recommend their syrup), and I used frozen blueberries.
Anytime pancakes up I feel obliged to share one of my favorite lines from the late comedian Mitch Hedberg:
"As a comedian, it's important to both start and finish the show strong. I can't be like pancakes: all exciting at first, but by the end you're f___ing sick of them!"
BKNYDan at 4:00PM on 09/28/09
Well, I made crepes on Saturday and they turned out great! Used Alton Brown's recipe for crepes. Didn't get to photo them as my camera crapped out. : ( I wasn't sure what to do with them but I looked in my fridge and came up with leftover roasted chicken. leftover braised pork ribs, added some caramelized onions, and a package of frozen spinach. For the sauce I made a bechamel and added some cream cheese, thyme and nutmeg. I made about 30 of them and what didn't get eaten for dinner never saw the light of day! My kids came home around 1 in the morning with some friends and preceded to demolish the leftovers. The friends left me a note: Mrs. H., You have the best leftovers. You kick ass.!! We always ask B and A what they had for dinner and when they tell us we are jealous. Your fans, K, N and R. I must admit I was flattered beyond belief. Have to say they all come from single parent families and I know their moms work ( one kids mom works 2 jobs to support 4 kids by herself) and it makes me happy to be able to feed them when ever possible. The fact that they left me a note to say thank you makes me feel really good.
finsbigfan at 5:57PM on 09/28/09
I had some leftover grilled corn from a party on Saturday so for dinner tonight I made corn pancakes and topped them with diced tomatoes, a wee bit of chopped bacon and sour cream.
ChefDJen at 11:52PM on 09/28/09
I made green onion pancakes, a chinese dish. http://www.kirbiecravings.com/2009/09/green-onion-pancake.html
kirbie at 3:24AM on 09/29/09
This Cook and Tell was really exciting! Everyone's pancakes look great. For mine, I tested out a different, diner-style batter that worked really well on my griddle. Thin, but not too thin, which got me pretty even heat distribution on the griddle.
Here are the kinds of pancakes I made (about half of which are from Kenny Shopsin's cookbook): trail mix w/ peanuts, cashews, almonds, raisins, and M&M's, brown sugar-glazed banana, pear gorgonzola, chocolate raspberry, turkey with colby, and strawberry banana. They were all really delish, especially the pear gorgonzola and chocolate raspberry 'cakes.
Full write-up with pictures (including pictures of the above-mentioned pancakes, as well as a couple of Shopsin's pancakes that I had made previously, like the mac'n'cheese pancakes) here:
http://beachcitycooking.blogspot.com/2009/09/pancake-madness.html
maxcriden at 4:14PM on 09/29/09
My new favorite brunch recipe is the Mixed-Berry Dutch Baby recipe from Food & Wine from this summer. I reminds me of the apple pancake that I first had in Amsterdam. I also added photos of the NYC Dutch Days stand where they were making poffertjes, which were really yummy. If I had more space for a kitchen gadget, I might be tempted to pick up one of those trays.
http://theexperimentalgourmand.blogspot.com/2009/09/dutch-pancakes.html
TheExperimentalGourmand at 9:42PM on 09/29/09
I ended up making okonomiyaki...it's a very easy, cheap, and filling dish to make, utilizing, in its basic form, only flour, water (or dashi), eggs, and shredded cabbage.
Mentioned it here:
http://cassaendra.blogspot.com/2009/09/okonomiyaki.html
This was quite enjoyable since I have not eaten okonomiyaki in a while.
Cassaendra at 1:32AM on 09/30/09