A Bit of History:
People have been eating pancakes since prehistoric times, when they ground together various grains and fried the mixture over an open flame. The Romans mixed together milk, flour and eggs into a something they called Alita Dolcia or `another sweet` but it wasn't until the Middle Ages that a recognizable pancake was developed.
My history:
Pancakes to me were Sunday mornings: Mom would mix all the ingredients together and the kids would help. Once we were old enough, we could drop silver dollar pancakes from a spoon on to the grill.
Later on, Mom got the idea to have summer pancake parties in the afternoon for brunch. Mom prepared the dough the night before and would be the one flipping over the cakes. Guests would bring different kinds of berries and fruit, which we'd top with syrup and whipped cream.
Later on, I would serve pancakes for my children's sleepover guests in the morning.
Fat Tuesday:
Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras is a holiday I first leaned about from a college roommate. It's right before Lent and also called Shrove Tuesday. Since eggs and fat were both forbidden during Lent, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday was a great pig out day.
Here's a simple recipe for you to have your own pre-Lenten feast.
Basic Pancake recipe:
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
Mix all ingredients together. Pour one tablespoon at a time onto a hot buttered grill. Flip when golden brown. Serve hot.
Variations: Add vanilla. Add one grated apple.
Fruit toppings: any berry, strawberries applesauce, and kiwis.
Tips:
• For fluffy pancakes, separate eggs and whip up the whites. Mix yolks with rest of the ingredients and gently fold together.
• Whip up the eggs separately and then add to the milk and flour.
• Make sure the grill is hot before frying up the batter.
• Make sure the beaters are clean and dry before beating the whipped cream. Add a bit of sweetener to the whipped cream.
Reference: Foodline Pancakes
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