Tip - Pancakes

Published on 1/1/98     in the Baton Rouge Advocate

Pancakes still stack up
Thick or thin, plain or fancy, hot-from-the-griddle pancakes are a 
favorite around the world

Ah, pancakes. A towering stack dripping with maple syrup has been a 
favorite breakfast for generations of American families. Although 
pancakes are more of a weekend breakfast treat these days, they're as 
popular as ever.

The history of the pancake is long and colorful. 
Culinary historians believe that the very first pancake was 
made by combining water with a fistful of pounded grain. The 
resulting "batter" was poured onto a hot rock and "baked" in the sun. 
While this early pancake certainly did not resemble the tender, 
pillowlike pancakes we enjoy today, its cousins the tortilla, the 
Mandarin pancake and the Indian chapati have changed very little over 
the centuries.

Today, pancakes are enjoyed around the world. Pancakes are eaten for 
breakfast and dinner, as snacks and appetizers, in both sweet and 
savory forms. There are thin pancakes, thick pancakes, puffy oven 
pancakes and pancakes baked in special pans. There are oatmeal 
pancakes, cornmeal pancakes, buckwheat pancakes and wheat germ 
pancakes. And to celebrate pancakes, there are pancake festivals, 
pancake restaurants and community-fundraising pancake breakfasts.

Here in the United States, we prefer our pancakes on the sweet side, 
at breakfast time and hot off the griddle. And anyone who has made 
pancakes knows that homemade pancakes are worth the little bit of 
effort it takes to make them.

Homemade pancakes use ingredients you're likely to keep on hand -- 
flour, oats, baking powder, salt, egg, a little oil and milk. While 
they're not instant, pancakes take only 15 minutes from start to 
finish, and leftovers can be frozen and reheated in the microwave 
oven later in the week.

You can add flavor and nutrition without adding fat to your pancake 
breakfast with a few creative additions. Stir in pumpkin puree, 
mashed ripe bananas or a cup of your favorite berries to add moist, 
fruit flavor. Use low-fat buttermilk or skim milk in the batter to 
make lighter pancakes without affecting their flavor.