a recipe for delicious living
Buttermilk Pancakes...With or Without Berries
(May 18, 2006)
Rita asked Lauren:
...submit your question to Lauren!
I'm the unmarried mother of a twelve year old boy and a seven year old girl. I work
two jobs to pay my bills and I'm worried because I don't think I get to be with my
kids enough. I really love your "message" about cooking and making time to sit
together at the table but, to be honest, I just don't know how to do it. I'm so
tired when I get home after work (which is usually between 5:30 and 7 pm) and on the
weekends, I work on Saturday, home at about 4 pm. Sunday seems to be my only day
when I'm not pulled in all these different directions. Sometimes I think it's just
too late (for me as a mother) to begin to make homemade meals a regular part of our
life at home. And yet, when I write those words, I want to cry. My mother loved to
cook and, although she had the support of her husband, my father, she also worked
and managed to "make it work" for us. I guess I'm getting worried since my son is
starting to have a "snippy" attitude and I'm afraid that, when I'm at work, he
might be hanging around with the wrong types of kids. I just don't want to wake
up one day and kick myself for not being able to "do it all." I'm writing to you
because I've started to feel that this is a really important time for my kids and
for my relationship with them. I don't want us to lose each other because of my
outside commitments. Thanks so much for your time.
Lauren says...
Ok, let's start at the top. First of all, the very fact that you've written me this
heartfelt note says that you're ready to make some changes at home. And, for the
record, it's never (ever) too late to make positive changes. Although being a
single, working parent can, most definitely, be a challenging scenario; it's
certainly not one that deems you destined to end up feeling filled with private
regret.
I'd like to address that phrase "doing it all," which seems to leave so many people
(primarily mothers) feeling hopelessly inferior. Here's the truth: You're a mother and you
work. So, by definition, you (like most parents) need to accomplish things in more than one
aspect of life. If you loved playing a sport or reading books, if you wanted to fit in a
daily time to meditate, if you had a sick parent that needed you or if you simply felt
it was a priority to get your nails done each week, and if you were also a mother who
worked, then you'd also need (or want) to find a way to make that third, fourth or fifth
aspect fit, as well. So, as a whole, dimensional person, it's normal and healthy to
want (and need) to "do" more than one thing. And because it feels better to do things well,
without interpersonal sacrifice, I'd like to talk about a very valuable skill that can
help that to happen. It's called Multi-tasking.
Why not shift your mindset? Think of cooking and meal time as a perfect opportunity to
satisfy several physical and emotional needs with one activity.
Because being worried that you don't get to "really see" your kids enough can interfere with
your ability to feel good about your outside commitments and accomplishments, my best
suggestion is that you make the most of the time that you DO spend with them at home.
Why not use meal time, a time that's built into the system of life, to not only satisfy
physical hunger, but to also get a good glimpse into your children's thoughts while also
reaffirming your place as the devoted leader of your unique and private tribe; your family.
I know, from personal experience, that this can help to reduce inner conflict as a working
mother.
Having said this, there is not "one right way" to incorporate home-cooked, shared meals
into your home. For one family, dinner time is the best time and for others, breakfast
works better. One family might be able to swing family meals several times a week while
others can only manage to fit it in once. The amount of meals or time of day is much less
important that two things that are crucial to making this dimension work. One is that you
cook happily, with a loving, nurturing spirit and the other is consistency. If you choose
to make Sunday breakfasts "your time" to connect over a thoughtfully prepared meal, when
done consistently, your family will most definitely find true comfort in knowing (and
trusting) that Sunday is always coming.
Speaking of Sunday mornings, if you really want to get a huge nurturing bang from time spent
in the kitchen, you must try my Buttermilk Pancakes!
Buttermilk Pancakes...With or Without Berries
Yield: about twelve 3 1/2-inch pancakes
If you like pancakes, you'll adore these. Tender and truly ethereal,
I can't count how many times I've made them and each time I hear the same words from
those at the table: "These are the best pancakes I've ever had." And feel free to use
this same size batter to make three crisp standard-size waffles, using a half cup
of batter for each. This could vary, though, depending on your particular appliance.
I've written this recipe requiring the use of buttermilk, since, hands-down,
buttermilk makes the best-tasting pancakes with the lightest, most tender texture.
If you don't always have liquid buttermilk in the house, I suggest keeping a supply
of dry buttermilk in your pantry, so you can just reconstitute it. This recipe
doubles perfectly.
- Suggested Equipment:
- Triple-mesh wire sieve
- Batter whisk or a wide blending fork
- Electric griddle (optional but helpful for maintaining correct temperature for cooking pancakes)
- For the pancakes:
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- 1 extra-large egg
- 2 tablespoons flavorless vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, cooled to just warm
- 1/2 rounded cup plump ripe blueberries (optional)
1) To assemble the batter: Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar and sift this into another bowl. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg, vegetable oil, water and melted butter. Gently stir the wet ingredients into the pancake mix, using a batter whisk or a wide blending fork, until thoroughly mixed, being careful not to overwork the batter.
2) To cook your pancakes: Heat a nonstick griddle or a large nonstick skillet and, when hot, brush the surface lightly with vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, pour or ladle several 1/4 cup portions of batter onto the hot surface, leaving 1-inch of space between them and, if desired, scatter several of fresh blueberries on top and cook over medium-high heat, until bubbles appear on the surface, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a thin wide spatula, flip each pancake over and cook on the other side, until golden, about 1 minute. Remove the pancakes to a warmed platter and repeat with the remaining batter. Serve pancakes immediately after the cooking, in individual stacks, with softened butter and warmed pure maple syrup.
- Timing is Everything:
- The night before: Combine all of the wet ingredients except the melted butter and refrigerate the mixture, well covered. Measure your dry mix and place it in a covered bowl on your counter. Put your griddle on a turned off burner and put a small covered bowl containing a little vegetable oil next to the stove, with a pastry brush.
- In the morning: Remove the wet ingredients from the refrigerator. Melt the butter and, when just warm, add it to the buttermilk mixture. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, using a batter whisk (be gentle, but no dry pockets should remain). Leave the bowl of batter covered, at room temperature, until you're ready to cook. When ready, ladle the batter onto a hot, greased griddle, as directed.
For pancakes on busy weekday mornings, do this:
Questions for Lauren Groveman's Kitchen:
Lauren Groveman recipes have been featured in many national magazines and local newspapers. Her books "The I love to Cook Book: Rediscovering the Joy of Cooking for Family and Friends" and "Lauren Groveman's Kitchen, Nurturing Food for Family and Friends" are available through Amazon.com. Lauren hosts an hour-long, "live" weekly radio show, Food Family & Home "Matters," on 1460 WVOX.
For in depth information on Lauren Groveman as a writer, teacher, TV & radio host, as well as her recipes and cooking tips visit her website at www.laurengroveman.com
Lauren is a Larchmont resident. She is happily married and blessed with three wonderful children.