French People and Francophiles - Do Not Read this Post

I don't get crepes.

I mean I get how they're made, but why the heck are people the world over so obsessed with them??

They're just watered-down pancakes, for crying out loud.

Thin and cold and weak and pitiful.
They never hold all that stuff you futilely try to cram inside them. Not even close.

It may sound like I'm a real uncultured American swine here. But you can keep your fruit-filled tissue pancakes. Give me a leaning-tower-of-Pisa slab o' buttermilk pancakes or a wagon-wheel-sized crusty Belgian waffle soaked in syrup any old day.

Crepes are for wimps.

And now, since you're obviously ready to load up the family van and careen to IHOP on two wheels (or else unsubscribe from my blog entirely) I will put you out of your misery.

Below is the best pancake recipe I have ever happened across.

You're welcome.

They're easier to make than they look. My baby sister and I (aka The Sticky Bandits) whipped these puppies out in half an hour flat. Get you some maple syrup and get to flippin.


"Instant" Pancake Mix
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Yield:
3 batches of pancakes

Ingredients
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (check expiration date first)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar

"INSTANT" PANCAKES:
2 eggs, separated
2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups "Instant" Pancake Mix, recipe above
1 stick butter, for greasing the pan
2 cups fresh fruit such as blueberries, if desired

Directions
Combine all of the ingredients in a lidded container. Shake to mix.Use the mix within 3 months.

Heat an electric griddle or frying pan to 350 degrees F. Heat oven to 200 degrees F.

Whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk in a small bowl.

In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter. Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined.

Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the pancake mix. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together. Don't try to work all the lumps out.

Check to see that the griddle is hot by placing a few drops of water onto to the griddle. The griddle is ready if the water dances across the surface. Lightly butter the griddle. Wipe off thoroughly with a paper towel. (No butter should be visible.)

Gently ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle and sprinkle on fruit if desired. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the griddle-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set.

Serve immediately or remove to a towel-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel. Hold in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes.

Yield: 12 pancakes.

Cooking with my Wi-Wi

If you haven't seen this You Tube clip from "Toddlers in Tiaras," then you are not living life.



Makenzie calls her pacifier her "ni-ni." Whenever it's not around she wails for it, screams for it, calls out for it. It's frightening, sure. Horrifying, absolutely. A good form of birth control? You got it! But overall, I find this little nightmare of a child downright hilarious.

So naturally, my Greenville BFF, my "Wingwoman," Mollye went from being my wingwoman to my "wiwi" pretty quickly.

Anyway, my Wiwi came over to cook with me tonight. Most of you remember, I hate and despise cooking. But we had actually had a BLAST! And what we made actually tasted so fab, I'd probably have eaten the leftovers had I not been going out of town tomorrow. Even more perfect - I'm going to Barrier Island (i.e. the BEACH) so seashell pasta just seemed perfectly apropos!

I'm sure posting the recipe is kind of violating some kind of bloggy copyright law, because I got it off another blog - but we added some of our own touches so I'm gonna risk it. I wish I had thought to take a picture, but we gobbled it up too fast!!!

Seashell Pasta Bake with Chicken, Spinach, and Tomatoes

1 lb. seashell pasta
1 pack pre-cooked chicken strips, chopped (you could use real chicken but why go to all that trouble?!)
1/8 c olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
5 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, including the juice (I used a can with basil included)
1/4 cup white wine (I might have added a little extra to make it saucier)
1/2 container ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°. Set a large pot of water to boil. Once it comes to a rolling boil, salt it and cook the pasta until just al dente. Drain.

While the pasta is cooking, set a large skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, heat the olive oil then add the chicken. Let the chicken cook 2 minutes and then add the garlic. Simmer with the chicken until it’s fragrant and begins to turn golden – about 3 minutes.

Add the salt. spinach, and white wine to the skillet and cook for an additional 3 – 5 minutes, or until the spinach begins to wilt. Add the diced tomatoes and juice. Let it simmer for 3-5 more minutes. Add 1/2 container of ricotta. Stir gently until it is all well combined.

Toss the contents of the skillet with the pasta and place in a casserole dish. Cover with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for 20 minutes.

Makes about 8 servings.

Now I know:
Friends make everything more fun. (Duh).