My last pancake project

Over the course of my entire childhood and almost all of my teenage years, I could not--no matter how hard I tried--understand how anyone in their right taste buds could like peanut butter. To me peanut butter was a gooey, sticky, nasty mess of a spread that wished it could be as good as lunch meat, but failed miserably. Well, actually, it didn't fail so much at its aspiration to make its way into the hearts of kids and into their school lunch boxes. All the choosy moms loved it, so I heard on TV just about a dozen times a day. But that was not enough to convince me.

My sister, on the other hand, was one of those peanut butter lovers. And to my disgust, she could actually eat it by the spoonful--yes, plain!--if and when she so desired to. What was worse than peanut butter alone was its frightful companionship with its gloppy friend, jelly. Why these two concoctions had to ruin the perfectly adequate bread in my sister's brown paper lunch bag and the lunch bags and boxes of all those other peanut butter fans at school, I had no idea.

I was off to college and in a new (well, actually, dreadful old) dorm with a roommate I knew nothing about save that her birthday was move-in day. In the first week of our "getting-to-know-each other" routine at our far-away school on the outskirts of Ohio, we quickly discovered our mutual love for cooking, baking, and eating food. Wonderful! I thought. A fellow "foodie." It's my lucky day. What was one of her favorite foods, you ask? Peanut butter.

To make an unnecessarily long introduction to this final blog a little shorter, it will suffice to say that I am a successfully recovered peanut butter hater. Or, to put it more clearly, I love--let me repeat--LOVE peanut butter. It is bread's most stunning outfit, jelly's lasting soul-mate, my perfect comfort food. I love peanut butter. Who wouldn't?

So, for the final post on this totally random and fun blog (hopefully, fun for you, too), I will pay tribute to one of my favorite food combinations--pancake style.

My plan: Make a pancake version of peanut butter and jelly. Know before it's even cooked how delicious this one will be.

My method: First, I made the pancake batter and stirred into the batter a few spoonfuls of peanut butter. I cooked this simple (but amazing, as predetermined by me) pancake in my skillet. But...while it was cooking, I made a banana and jelly sauce, by heating my favorite jelly (boysenberry) until it loosened up, and then adding sliced bananas once it was taken off the stove. (Did I mention that the only thing that rivals a PB&J is a PB, J&B?) I topped my peanut buttery pancake with my fruit sauce and wiped my drool off the counter. (Well, I didn't drool; I can't have you really thinking that. I just had to say it for effect, which, undoubtedly, has been ruined by my desire to clarify and save my composed image.)

My verdict: C'mon...Need you really ask? I think you know.

To all of my faithful blog followers (those who were forced to read for class participation points and those of you who proved the depths of our friendship by reading this nonsense just because): thank you. It's been fun. Well, at least it's been fun for me. I've had spaghetti and meatball pancakes, mac and cheese pancakes, omelet pancakes, hamburger pancakes, "toast" pancakes, and peanut butter and jelly pancakes, in addition to remembering the devilishly good Australian pancakes I had down under. Weird. But exactly the break I was looking for in my insane 21-credit semester. Now to work off those carbs...

~Happy Pancake Eating~

You haven't tried a pancake like the pancakes down under

It wouldn’t be fair to conclude this pancake blog project without paying to tribute to one of the greatest inspirations for this pancake blogging endeavor of mine. This past December, I travelled to the magnificent Sydney, Australia for a week and a half. And, let me tell you, I was not at my usual level of perkiness on the day of my return trip. Sydney was fabulous. It was almost Christmas, but the Sydney weather would have made you think otherwise. In the middle of December, there were dozens of street vendors, musicians, and master barbeque and street food cooks filling up the sunny walkways on the strips of Sydney Harbor. If I had packed a bigger bag, you may not have seen me return to the chilly states. I was much too enamored by those adorably entertaining Australian accents, the dazzling waterfront views, and, well, everything else you can find in Sydney.

Yes, I could probably go on about Australia forever. But I will not, as it is time for me to somehow relate this trip to food (and more specifically, pancakes), and also avoid making you uncontrollably jealous of my time spent touring this energetic, spectacular city.

My favorite eating adventures undoubtedly occurred in the bustling street between crowds of people and eager-to-sell vendors offering everything from boomerangs to mocha crème-filled cannolis. I loved stopping for lunch and dinner at all of these humble little tents for several reasons. 1) The electric atmosphere in the streets was unmatched and couldn’t be experienced in the booth of a sit-down restaurant. 2) The food was a mouthwatering, unrivaled experience in itself. You got that “made with love” touch added to every drippy cheese-and-spinach Indian flatbread and everything chocolate-covered took you to a whole other emotional sinfully delicious world. 3) The price kept you deprived of the necessity to fast for the majority of the trip after your wallet was emptied on over-priced restaurant food in the first few days. Yes, I would have been a poor, hungry American had it not been for that good ol’ street food.

Okay…Pancakes, I know. Well, I can’t say I didn’t occasionally stop by the traditional sit-down eatery. But when I did, I made darn sure it would be worth every penny. It had to be something authentic, something as un-American and non-chain as it gets. (Unless, of course, it was an Australian chain that exhibited enough originality and flair to nix my prejudice against chain restaurants, which indeed happened to be the situation in the case of my pancake restaurant.) Apparently, “Pancake on the Rocks” is a hit in Sydney Harbor, drawing hefty crowds all day long to drool over its ridiculously scrumptious pancake masterpieces. I was happy to hear of its noteworthy reputation, but I was sold quite easily after the word “pancakes.”

And, to my extreme delight, this pancake house fit to cater a party in Heaven fulfilled every one of my highest hopes. The pancake varieties were endless, most topped with nothing less than a billion grams of fat and sugar, ranging from whipped cream and fruit to nuts and, yes, ice cream! The picture of the “Devil’s Delight” pancake says it all. Nonetheless, it’s worth mentioning the astounding variety of savory pancake options provided on their oversized menu. The second time I paid a visit to this marvelous pancake restaurant, I made sure to give the non-sweet pancakes a try, and the “Potato-Au-Gratin” pancake—replete with onions, melted cheese, hollandaise, grilled pineapple and banana—made me almost tear and toss my plane ticket home.

So here I am, four months later, still salivating at the mere recollection of those unbeatable pancakes. But I suppose I owe that experience more than a thank you for a few unforgettable meals. After all, this Sydney pancake restaurant gave me a strangely unique idea for what could have been a pretty dull blog.

~Happy Pancake Eating~

http://pancakesontherocks.com.au/home

Pancake Project #5

Do you know what I like? Toast.

Toast is so multifaceted and dreamy. These may be some strange adjectives to describe a piece of bread with a slab of butter oozing into its pores and dripping off its crusty edge. But allow me to explain...

Toast is the sick person’s best friend and the well person’s comfort food. Toast dazzles its fans with its utter simplicity and draws you into your childhood memories of the days when your mom would make that well-rounded breakfast that you could smell all the way from your bedroom. And, suddenly, hopping out of bed at the sound of your alarm wasn’t as painstaking as it was yesterday. Why? Because of that heavenly scent of freshly scrambled eggs, greasy seared bacon, hot-off-the-stove sausage…and warm, buttery toast.

One of the things I remember most about my Grandpa O’Rourke was his love of toast. But not just any toast—milk toast. Soggy, icky, milky milk toast. I asked my mom at least a dozen times to explain to me why Grandpa loved this mushy snack, but I think a plausible explanation was even out of my mother’s superb capability to have the answer to all of my diverse questions as a little girl. But while I sat on Grandpa’s lap in the old kitchen on Shelburne Road in Burlington, Vermont, watching Grandpa joyfully stomach this unusual concoction of carbohydrates and dairy, I loved him all the more.

The biggest toast enthusiast in my life today? My mom—most definitely. I am certain she got this love of toasty fresh bread from my Grandpa, though I am thankful that she didn’t let the milk part of the tasty treat pass down to her like Grandpa’s genetics did. My mom’s favorite toast buddy—without question—is good ‘ol butter.
It’s back-to-basics day on When Life Gives You Pancakes. Time to relish the beautiful simplicity of the pancake’s version of toast and butter: pancake and butter.

My plan: Take a break from the insanity of my spaghetti pancakes, macaroni and cheese pancakes, omelet pancakes, and hamburger pancakes and enjoy everything that’s best about the simple pancake. How will I do that? By topping it with the carbohydrate’s favorite fatty companion: butter.

My method: Make the pancake batter. Use any kind of batter recipe you like—buttermilk, whole wheat, whole wheat buttermilk…I recommend your absolute, mouth-watering favorite. Cook the pancake in your fry pan, flipping when deliciously golden brown. When you’ve cooked your simple little pancake, finish it off with a slab of butter.


My verdict: What’s not to love? Pancake—good. Butter—better. Pancake and butter—mmm.

My personal side note: Butter is never a health food. But in an honest attempt to lighten up my delectable little pancake treat, I used a “natural buttery spread—made with olive oil!” If my mother knew this, she would surely roll her eyes at me, as a dedicated stick-butter shopper and eater. Oh well. I also hope you enjoy the baby version of the pancake I chose to photograph. This, I suppose, was my salute to the “snack” size.

~Happy Pancake Eating~

Pancake Project #4

Burger's up!

When I think of burgers, I think of two things: traditions and birthdays.
Since I was about four years old, I spent almost all of my “play time” with my same three partners in crime: my sister, Kimberly, and the "Glenn gals"—Whitney and Rachel—who lived across the street from the house I grew up in, a perfect 82 steps from one front door to the other. Almost every worthwhile tradition I can remember from my childhood was concocted among our devious foursome. The one I'd like to highlight today—which I will somehow relate to a pancake (as I always do)—is the April "double-birthday" celebration.

Kimberly's birthday falls on April 11th and Whitney's is on the 12th: a prime excuse for a doubly-exciting joint birthday celebration. Apparently, this yearly occurrence provided the ideal opportunity to bring our families together for a mutual dinner—at the exact same restaurant (and sometimes the exact same table, the “Elvis booth”) every single year: Fuddruckers. When we were ten, twelve, thirteen, and fourteen, the best part of Fuddruckers was making the "suicide sodas" at the refreshment counter that we would carefully carry back to the table and then exchange sips to see who had the nastiest and tastiest blend of all the sodas provided in one pop dispenser. But as we grew older, we stuck to one flavored drink a piece, and stayed instead for the burgers on those sensationally buttery, oversized buns.















My plan: Salute America's good 'ol burger, as well as my fond memories of traditions and birthdays with the Glenn gals, while inviting an unusual counterpart to encompass my juicy patty: a pancake "bun."

My method: Make the pancake batter. (See my previous three blogs for my thoughts on the batter. The repetition is annoying me.) Cook your burger and dress it up with your favorite toppings. (I used a veggie burger topped with onions and spinach…yum….) Pour half of your batter into the fry pan, where you have melted a little slab of butter to bring that scrumptious taste and pretty glisten to the outside of your pancake “bun,” and cook the batter about a minute before placing the burger (with toppings!) gently on top of the batter. Then, pour the other half of the batter on top of the burger. I know; it sounds weird. But let me tell you—it looks even weirder.

Flip the burger half way through the cooking process and wait until the second side is a saliva-generating golden brown. Plop your adventurous burger onto a plate and top with your favorite saucy condiment. I used honey mustard, and though I wished I could make the pictures dazzle with a ketchup-mustard crosshatch pattern, I simply could not. Why? Because my least favorite food item in the whole world is ketchup. To me, there is nothing—I repeat: nothing—nastier in texture, taste, consistency, you name it.

My verdict: My FAVORITE pancake yet. I devoured it in less than three minutes. ‘Nuff said.

I lied…I do have one more things to say: TRY THIS PANCAKE!

Until next time,

~Happy Pancake Eating~

Pancake Project #3

Hey…There’s an omelet in my pancake!

I love breakfast—obviously. I have an entire blog devoted to transforming pancakes (a decidedly breakfast food) into lunch, snack, and dinner masterpieces. So far, I have surprised the traditional pancake with garlic, spaghetti sauce, macaroni noodles, and cheese. But I decided to go back to the cozy breakfast comforts in this next pancake project. With that said, however, I couldn’t help but throw in a twist, because what would this blog be without one?

Whenever I go out for breakfast, I agonize over my meal choice—omelet or pancakes? Omelets come with potatoes, which I have never been a fan of, especially not with eggs. Pancakes can come with eggs, but only plain eggs, cooked one of a hundred ways (or so it seems when you are trying to decide how you like it). But I can’t order an omelet and pancakes. Apparently, something about those couple of extra ingredients cooked inside the eggs makes the omelet too classy to be paired with pancakes. This is really a shame if you think about it, because that match would make a truly outstanding morning feast.















So I decided to try something crazy. I decided to not just pair the protein-packed omelet with the tasty carb-loaded pancakes, but to put those eggs IN my pancakes. Genius, I know.

My plan: Make an omelet-stuffed pancake, combining several food groups into one deliciously balanced meal.

My method:

I made the pancake batter: As always, if you don’t have the time to make your own, you can easily use a store-bought mix with this recipe (organic is best)! Again, I use whole wheat batter and milk in place of water in the mix for that special fluffiness.

Then I made my omelet—crammed with veggies of course. But, naturally, you can get especially creative here. What about a bacon and sausage omelet? Talk about an all-in-one breakfast packed inside a single pancake! The possibilities are endless! (I love how cheesy this blog gets.)

Next, I spooned half of my pancake batter into the frying pan. I put my cooked omelet right on top of the uncooked batter and topped the veggie-loaded eggs with more pancake batter.

I allowed the pancake to cook through, flipping it right when it was looking brown and toasty on one side…I have to admit, this was the hungriest I have gotten while making my pancake creations. I think my appetite was wet for the traditional breakfast flavors.















I finished off my pancakes with what I thought would be a chic-looking asparagus bouquet. Once I looked at the pictures, I decided the topping was more of an ugly detriment to the photo than an elegant finish. Oh well!

My Verdict: Besides exciting all of my taste buds (c’mon, it was a pancake chock full of all of my favorite breakfast tastes), this pancake was unusually fun to make. Cutting the pancake open to see a whole omelet inside made me feel like a brilliant chef for combining the two morning starters into one compact bite of breakfast menu heaven!

What I would do differently: For the sake of full disclosure, I will honestly admit that my attempt to make a hollandaise sauce to accompany the omelet pancake failed miserably. My lack of attentiveness to its cooking process and the low-rate recipe I used made for a congealed mess of a topping that should have been a stellar ending to this beautiful pancake. I decided not to fret over my abysmal sauce, and instead topped the pancake with maple syrup—which I had been missing anyway.

I hope everyone celebrated National Pancake Day, Week, and Month a few weeks ago!

~Happy Pancake Eating~

Pancake Project #2

Pancake Project #2

When life gives you pancakes…make macaroni and cheese!

I might be one of the only pathetic people I know who didn’t grow up addicted to macaroni and cheese. Something about the fact that this cheese looked like pixie dust and not like the cheese on my beloved grilled cheese sandwiches made me quite skeptical of its ingredients, even as an eight year old. My sister, on the other hand, found mac and cheese to be that magical bowl of happiness that most kids thought it to be. I wholeheartedly wanted to love it—as all of my friends did—but for some reason, every time I would take a taste from the melted, fresh hot pot of perfectly cooked macaroni and cheese, I would be left feeling utterly disappointed.

Nonetheless, I didn’t give up hope. The phenomenon of taste changing over time kept my expectations high that one day the golden bowl of cheesy noodles would be appealing to me. When I was a little girl, I hated peas; now, I find them to be delightful little vegetables. When I was younger, I salivated at a shiny strip of perfectly seared bacon. Today, that same bacon makes my stomach churn. Alas, I am still waiting for that majestic day when I will take a spoonful of macaroni and cheese and feel that coziness you get when you take a scrumptious bite of something you love…Still waiting…

I have one significant memory worth sharing that I will forever associate with a glistening scoop of mac and cheese. My friend Katie and I started getting to know each other my senior year of high school. Katie made one of her talents abundantly clear to me from an early moment in our new companionship: “I am the best boxed macaroni and cheese maker in the whole world,” she told me with complete confidence. I would be lying if I said I didn’t take that comment as somewhat of a jest, before I quickly realized she was one thousand percent serious. I’ve never met anyone prouder of their mac-and-cheese-making skills—correction—boxed mac-and-cheese-making skills.

So, as a tribute to Katie and in an honest effort to create macaroni and cheese in a way that makes my taste buds sing with delight, I decided to try something outrageous, daring, and potentially disgusting: macaroni and cheese pancakes.

My plan: Make a noodle-y, cheesy pancake, topped with more cheese. Pay tribute to the boxed macaroni and cheese by using the boxed recipe, and thus saving myself time, money, and a whole lot of energy!

My method:

I made the pancake batter: Again, if you don’t have the time to make your own, it’s no problem using a store-bought mix with this recipe (organic is best)! Also, I, again, used the whole wheat batter and milk in place of water in the mix for that special fluffiness.

Then I made the boxed macaroni and cheese (Annie’s brand). This recipe couldn’t be easier! Also, I kept about a spoonful of the cheese sauce in a separate bowl to be used later…

Next, I spooned some of the supposedly delicious macaroni and cheese into the pancake batter. Yes—noodles and all! I bet you’ve never had noodles in your pancakes before.

I cooked the one-of-a-kind pancake and topped it with some of that extra cheese I had set aside. Talk about a twist on the traditional maple syrup drizzle!

My Verdict: Let’s just say that tonight I ate the most macaroni and cheese I’ve ever had in my life. I’m starting to wonder if I’m onto something…Maybe I like food better IN pancakes!















What I would do differently: First, to make the picture more dazzlingly appetizing, I would have added scallions on top of the cheese. I could have easily done that with this recipe; however, with 21 credits of school work, making a trip to the grocery store is not a priority. Also, I think making a decadent béchamel sauce for the top of the pancake would have really stepped it up a notch (or ten). But, again, time is my enemy. So I went with the powdery stuff.

The coming attractions? No foretaste on the upcoming pancake this time. Why? Because I have no idea what I am going to do next…

~Happy Pancake Eating~

Pancake Project #1

When life gives you pancakes…make spaghetti and meatballs?

Spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread has been a staple mid-week meal at my house for years. From little on, my sisters, my dad and I considered it my mom’s cop-out dinner. Meatball night was mom’s way of saying, “Sorry. I didn’t have time for dinner today guys.” So, to pay tribute to my mom, my first pancake challenge is her signature Italian meal…and one of America’s favorites.















My plan: Make the pancake into “garlic bread,” topped with meatballs, marinara sauce, and cheese.

My method:

I made the pancake batter:

• If you don’t have the time to make your own, it’s no problem using a store-bought mix with this recipe (though I would stick with the tasty fresh/organic variety if you can)! I used a whole wheat pancake, but white, of course, would taste just fine. Did I mention I’m a bit of a health nut?

• Also, I always opt for milk over water when making pancakes. It adds that fluffiness that makes you want to eat ten of them.

• Time for the crazy part! I added some freshly grated cheese, parsley (other herbs would work splendidly), a little bit of onion salt and a touch of garlic powder.

I heated the olive oil (I use extra virgin olive oil) in a nonstick pan with freshly grated garlic on medium heat. I added the pancake batter over the garlicky oil in the pan just before the garlic got too brown and toasty.

I plopped the scrumptious-looking garlic pancake onto the plate, topped it with my meatballs (I used meatless meatballs, since I don’t eat dark meat; but you can forget that tip, you meat eaters out there) and poured on my irresistible marinara sauce. I finished it off with some parmesan cheese and a little sprig of parsley (for the pictures, of course).

My Verdict: AMAZING!


I almost couldn’t believe it. And neither could my second, third, and fourth opinions in the house. The pancake was the most delicious garlic bread I have had in quite a while. Remember my obsession with the pancake’s fluffy texture. Well, combine that heavenly aspect of the pancake’s texture with the perfectly seasoned garlic notes in its taste, and you have, well, an unexpected masterpiece. Would I make this again? You bet. Forget traditional garlic bread. This is tasty, innovative, and quite good-looking! I think my father would agree—he wiped the plate clean.

What I would do differently:

Honestly, not a whole lot. It really was that good. I think Boca di Beppo could make some boo coo bucks with this Italian dish. Maybe next time I would add some veggies on the plate to make the healthy meal look more convincing. There is also one more trick I would like to have done to incorporate spaghetti noodles, but I’m reserving that antic for my next surprise recipe. How could I resist leaving you in some suspense?

The coming attractions? I’m thinking of an all-American classic. C’mon. That narrows the list more than you think…