Bring Back Pancakes from Scratch
BY ERIC GUIDO |
One of the first things I was taught when learning to cook professionally is the power of nostalgia. In fact, it was presented to me as more of an ingredient than a response from a client. It’s because of this that I will forever want tomato soup with my grilled cheese, or why a simple plate of Pasta Con Le Sarde will easily transport me back to happy childhood summers and the memories of running through sprinklers on hot asphalt. The same goes for pancakes. I could be in the fanciest restaurant for brunch, at the finest high tea, or just huddled up with a cup of coffee on a porch in Vermont, and what would bring me the most happiness is pancakes.
However, pancakes have changed quite a bit in our modern times. For me, and most other people who are my age or older, they were made from scratch. Of course there were pancake mixes in the early eighties, but you’d never find one in my house. Frankly, there was no reason for one because all of the ingredients you’d need were always right there in the kitchen. Pancakes represent my happiest childhood memories, with my mother at the stove, using a spoon to creatively pour the batter in a way that would cook up to represent shapes and characters.
When I was a teen and young adult, I would often make pancakes for guests – it didn’t matter if it was lunch or dinner. No one would turn them away. Admittedly, I went through some awkward stages, and I had just as many failures as successes while trying to get creative. Finally, the inspiration for the recipe that I still use to this day came from Vermont and Maine, while skipping between bed and breakfasts on vacation with my wife. Those rich, textural and fluffy buttermilk pancakes, served with fresh maple syrup and wholesome butter, brought me back to childhood. I stopped trying to reinvent the pancake and decided instead to go back to basics. Fresh, simple, flavorful, nostalgic…Perfect.
Today, I’m building happy memories with my own kids while serving up buttermilk, blueberry, banana, and chocolate chip pancakes, and I wanted to share a bit of the happiness with you.
video tutorial is packed full of hints and tips to cook the perfect pancakes from scratch." src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1591390156002-videocover_pancakes.png">
The video tutorial is packed full of hints and tips to cook the perfect pancakes from scratch.
Buttermilk Pancakes (serves 5)
The best way to measure your ingredients is by weight. If you have a scale, use it, but if you don’t, dry measuring cups will work as well.
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One of the first things I was taught when learning to cook professionally is the power of nostalgia. In fact, it was presented to me as more of an ingredient than a response from a client. It’s because of this that I will forever want tomato soup with my grilled cheese, or why a simple plate of Pasta Con Le Sarde will easily transport me back to happy childhood summers and the memories of running through sprinklers on hot asphalt. The same goes for pancakes. I could be in the fanciest restaurant for brunch, at the finest high tea, or just huddled up with a cup of coffee on a porch in Vermont, and what would bring me the most happiness is pancakes.
