Pancakes for breakfast (or lunch or dinner)

In this time of isolation, alone in a foreign city, I find myself longing for tangibles to connect me to my far-flung family. Food has always been a True North in our household, and pancakes reach back to my very beginnings. I think they may have been my first solid food. My children certainly shoveled fistfuls into their squawking mouths as infants. It is no wonder that, a few nights ago, I dreamt of pancakes—American style, not the flat Dutch crepe version.

Pancakes begin with proper ingredients. Sourcing these in locked down Amsterdam, where entering a grocery store is akin to walking into a biological disaster area, posed a challenge. I had yet to find two key items; American white flour and baking powder. The Dutch prefer spelt, consigning white wheat flour to small bags of super-milled pastry flour while baking powder doesn’t exist as Americans know it. I decided to walk a few blocks in my De Pijp neighborhood to Kelly’s Expat on Ferdinand Bolstraat. It is a grocery store of sorts, stocked with dime store candy bars, sugary cereals, deadly snack items, and odd condiments. I did perk up seeing packs of Cheetos. I inquired about flour and baking powder, and was told no, they do not carry them. I grimaced while asking, “What about pancake mix?” having never used a mix in my life. “Oh no,” the woman cheerfully replied, “we sold out of Aunt Jemima and Hungry Man the first day of the shutdown.”

A British man, in his early 60s, overheard my question, and addressed me with a slight sneer, “It’s easy to make pancakes, you know. No need for a box. That is if you know how to cook.” I mentally counted to 10, jaw clenched, and exited the store. The boulevard was sparsely populated, the weak sun warming only my too-long-cooped-up soul. What the heck, I thought, I’ll walk to Eichholtz Delicatessen on Leidsestraat. It was just under 2 miles, leading into the heart of the Canal District, passing the Rijksmuseum, bisecting empty canals, cobblestone streets, and sidewalks lined with display windows of fancy, closed shops, galleries, and what just a month ago were thriving restaurants and bars. I imagined I was in East Berlin, in the early 1960s, furtively trying to arrange an escape to the West. Or that the zombies had arrived and were eating any stray humans they found stupid enough to walk the streets. It was, though, pleasant to have no throngs of tourists snapping photos in inopportune places or dodging kamikaze bicyclists. I settled into my jaunt, dreaming of pancakes and people, a child of mine giving me a hug of thanks at the end of the meal. How I long for a hug.

Eichholtz is first off not a delicatessen. Rather, it is overflowing with all the American and British food items that substitutes simply can’t replicate. The sales help is always friendly and knowledgeable, knowing exactly what is available. And amongst stacks of colorful cereal boxes, steak and barbeque sauces, condiments, and molasses, I pulled out baking powder, baking soda, Crisco, and real maple syrup. “What about American flour?” I inquired. The man woefully shook his head. “Gone immediately. I do have Dutch, though, just as good. Very hard to find. We order it special.” I replied, “That’s a tall order given my husband’s family is in the flour milling business in America.” He promised I could return it if didn’t live up to its promise. I’m keeping the flour!

Pancakes to Devour

Makes 6 pancakes

1 scant cup flour 
2 teaspoons sugar
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg, divided
1 scant cup milk
1 tablespoon Crisco or other oil

Optional Blueberries, Butter for cooked pancakes
Not Optional Maple Syrup

Directions

1. Begin by assembling all your ingredients and utensils. Measure flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a cup and dump into a bowl. This is not rocket science. Pancakes are forgiving and I switch up my recipe all the time. You can see from my photos that I am using an actual cup to measure in and a cereal bowl for mixing. The key is that your flour and milk quantities are about the same.

2. Melt butter and let it cool slightly. Divide the egg, putting the yolk in the same measuring cup you used for the flour and the white in a clean cup. Use a fork to whisk the white until nice and frothy. Use the same fork and break up the yolk. Add milk to the yolk, blend, then add butter.

3. Pour the liquid into the flour bowl and use a large spoon to quickly mix. Do not overbeat the batter! Fold in the egg white. Batter should be slightly lumpy and have the consistency of a slightly thin cake batter. Add more milk if too thick.

4. Heat your skillet until it is quite hot. Coat with the oil. Adjust heat to medium high and spoon in batter to form pancakes. Do not over crowd. If using blueberries (I strongly recommend), scatter them on top of the pancakes. Wait until nice bubbles appear on the top of the pancakes, then flip. You may need to use the side of your spatula to cut apart pancakes if they have run together before flipping. After turning, let them cook an additional minute or two, being certain your heat is adjusted so they are browning but not burning.

5. Plate and either pat with butter or not. Pour on syrup and enjoy.

Title Photo: © smashingoats