Griddle

Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes

August 31, 2009 by Charles 2 Comments

From apples in pie, to peaches in cobbler, and from cherries in clafoutis, to bananas in pudding, certain fruits have their calling. With blueberries, they answer to pancakes. Nothing says pancakes, like blueberry pancakes. That is, unless you’re making blueberry oatmeal pancakes.

Replacing most of the flour with oats turned out to be a great adaptation for an otherwise classic recipe. I should have stopped there though. Once I had oats in my mind, I immediately thought raisins – another one of those traditional pairings. After dropping blueberries in the batter, I changed to amaretto-soaked raisins. It was not to be. Raisins and oats, I learned, are best left to cookies. But at least …

Buttermilk Plum Pancakes

August 24, 2009 by Charles 3 Comments

In feeding my clafoutis addiction, I got into the habit of picking a handful of plums and peaches every Saturday morning at the Farmers’ Market. The peaches, both white and yellow, would make their way into my Peach Italian Ice. The plums, I decided, would partner perfectly with pancakes.

Plums were first cultivated in China about 2000 years ago, but didn’t arrive in the United States until about 1880, when the renowned botanist, Luther Burbank, began importing Japanese plums into California. Indeed, at last count, California was home to nearly 200 varieties of plums. Unfortunately, most plums are characterized…

Almond Butter, Banana, and Membrillo Sandwich

May 24, 2009 by Charles 1 Comment

The PB&J Sandwich needs no introduction. Its ingredients and structure are tried and true. Add slices of banana, and the PBB&J Sandwich might merit a fleeting handshake. But the ABB&M Sandwich is all but unknown – a foreign dignitary of sorts, whose presence deserves a formal introduction.

Membrillo is Spanish for quince, a lumpy, yellow-green fruit that resembles a cross between an apple and a pear. The quince, born in the Caucasus, dates back to man’s earliest conquests and temptations. The quince started the Trojan War, after Paris awarded the fruit to Aphrodite for the hand of Helen of Troy. The quince is also said to be the apple that tempted Adam and Eve. Which may have been somewhat disappointing for Eve, since the quince is a hard and bitter fruit. Only a few varieties can be eaten raw.

In its modern form, membrillo usually refers to …

Banana French Toast

May 9, 2009 by Charles Leave a Comment

I don’t quite know what prompted it, but for an entire summer, my youngest brother had to have French toast before camp. What might have started as a special breakfast soon became the breakfast. Every day. And with time, his demands seemed only to grow. It had to have the crusts removed. It needed to be in the shape of a circle. It had to come with powdered sugar.

Sometimes we’d all have French toast, but more often than not, we were content with cereal. No matter. He stuck to his guns. And Mom faithfully complied, serving up French Toast, then rushing us all off to camp.

On this Mother’s Day, why not…

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

February 2, 2009 by Charles 4 Comments

Pancakes are universal – nearly every culture has a griddlecake of some kind. But not only are pancakes universal, they’re classical – literally. The Ancient Romans collected pancake recipes in the Apicius, their 5th Century cookbook.

From these early origins, the pancake has evolved into a quintessential American comfort food, a part of almost every family’s Sunday brunch.

This recipe …