Monday, May 11, 2009

A Homemade Life: Whatever you call it, we like it

Molly Wizenberg calls it a "Dutch baby" pancake. When I was growing up, we called it "hot oven pancake," which is boring, but probably what I will call it forever. I had forgotten how easy this breakfast is, easier than making pancakes on a griddle. Wizenberg's 2-minute recipe is right here, plus the amusing story of how she acquired it. She recommends topping the puffy popover-like item with lemon and powdered sugar, which I also endorse. Owen however complained that it was "wet" and "not sweet enough."

I said he could have some maple syrup if he wished. 

He replied, "That's what I was hoping, but doubting." 

I think this is it for A Homemade Life, which has turned out to be sweet and wonderful company in the kitchen.


10 comments:

  1. I love your blog and writing style. I have high hopes of mine being even half as good! That pancake looks intriguing and rather tasty.

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  2. It sounds like a shelf essential, yes? Okay, then. I guess it's off to Amazon for me.

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  3. In my finnish family we call it 'kropsua'. Although when i was in finland, no one knew what i was talking about - so it is probably influenced by a few generations in MN more than Finland. This is SO good in the morning - and with all of the eggs, it keeps me satisfied longer than pancakes.

    I love it with warmed jam. Even when this pancake is cold - it's great with some cherry jam!

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  4. In my family it was always "German pancake." But in the post-9/11 world, one may not wish to associate one's breakfast with old Europe. When I was growing up, my mother served this often, in a tight rotation with French toast (old Europe again), soft-boiled eggs with thin strips of buttered toast to dip in the egg yolk, baking-powder biscuits, and Cream of Wheat. All simple dishes, but really satisfying. The German pancake was invariably served with lemon juice and powdered sugar. Yummy.

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  5. melvil, i want to know about the thin strips of toast- do you mean she'd cut a single peice of toast into many strips? how narrow were they? and was it so that they'd fit perfectly into the yolk? very curious.

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  6. Melvil Dewey5/11/09, 2:44 PM

    The toast strips were about 1/2" wide. Mom would toast the bread, then butter it while it was still hot, then slice it into these strips that fit into the opened cranium of the soft-boiled egg. I say cranium because the eggs sat in the hollowed-out heads of these little wooden men, so it looked like you were dipping the toast into their brain cases. Each little man held a tiny pail of salt in one hand and a small spoon in the other. I still have the "egg men" in my cupboard--sometime I'll have to make this for my kids.

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  7. Melvil, I think the time to make these eggs for your kids is tomorrow. And then send a picture. I want to see one of those egg men!

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  8. The Dutch call them pannenkoeken. (See Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pannekoek)

    I've had some fantastic pannenkoeken at a Dutch restaurant in Rochester, MN.

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