Yesterday’s posts sparked a very interesting discussion on the subject of pancakes. Where did they come from? Who were the first to make them out of wheat? How did they spread? It’s my opinion that we’ll never have definitive answers to those questions, since pancakes are far too old. Pancakes (or something not entirely unlike […]
READ ONWhy can you roll up some kinds of pancakes but not others? That’s exactly the kind of question that I love, love, love reader Tori. Indeed, why are some pancakes thin and roll-able while others are fluffy and crumbly? Aren’t they made of the same things? It’s true, they are made of mostly the same […]
READ ONNo. Yes. Well…sort of, reader Alison. But all culinary roads need not lead to France, right? And anyway, crêpes are usually bigger. See? Not even close to the same thing.
READ ONLike most really good questions, that one is hard to answer, reader Dennis. Pancakes come from pretty much everywhere. However the stripe of filled and folded pancake that goes by the name blintz is thought to have originated in Central Europe…Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, that general area. Blintzes were probably a traditional food item in that […]
READ ONBlintzes are pancakes, but they can be so much more depending on how you serve them. Here is a basic recipe for the articles themselves, fillings will come later. 3 eggs 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) fat-free milk 5 ounces (scant cup) all-purpose flour, sifted 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar (optional) 1.5 ounces (3 […]
READ ONThese were requested long ago, and oh how I’ve been looking forward to making them. Blintzes remind me of my father’s mother — not because she liked to make blintzes, but because she enjoyed eating brunch in the kinds of places where blintzes were popular in Chicago in the 70’s: grand hotel dining rooms, old-school […]
READ ONIt was little Joan’s birthday this past weekend, and though she’s only four, she’s already into Barbie dolls (this compared to big sister Jo who’s six and digs cowboys and cowgirls). Mrs. Pastry and I have been trying to put off the Barbie thing, but when Joan asked not only for a Barbie doll for […]
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Ooh…ahh…are the kinds of noises people make when this torte arrives at the table. It’s a show-stopper of a presentation, particularly good for people like myself who stink at piping. And while those caramel-topped “fan blades” may look difficult to produce, they really aren’t provided you have an offset icing spatula, a chef’s knife and a little buttered parchment paper. But we’ll get to that.
READ ONI’ve had quite a few people email to tell me that their RSS feeds haven’t been working since the changeover to the new format. All I can say is: I’m not surprised. My old software configuration was so old and buggy it was practically held together by wads of bubble gum and bits of tissue […]
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