Real pancakes, from a box

That's what she said.  And she meant it...without irony.

I suppose the phrase wouldn't have struck me if she and her troupe hadn't just spent the previous so many minutes trying to convince the rest of us that they were so much more advanced than us in every way: general sophistication, professional knowledge and the almighty and indisputable measurement of Twitter followers.  One even made a veiled comment on those of us sipping cups from a nearby coffee shop by calling a disaster when her ceramic travel mug from her favourite ubiquitous overpriced coffee house tumbled and smashed upon landing on the icy pavement.  Yeah, you know the type.

It's amazing how one little phrase, not intended to be heard by anyone other than the two who accompanied her, can not so much chink an armour, but tear a hole in dollar store tin foil.  No, I didn't buy their earlier assertions of superiority: her phrase simply confirmed my first impressions.

I know there are people who don't cook.  And I know there are people who think heating a frozen dinner and serving it in china serving dishes is counts as cooking, or filling frozen pastry shells with tinned pie filling is scratch baking.  I'm fully that there are those who, because of an accident of wealth, think their opinions are worth more than those who don't have the means to buy top end ingredients or eat at the finest restaurants.

I also know that someone's inability to make pancakes from scratch does not mean s/he is any less capable in areas that really count in life.

But really...these are pancakes.

Flour
Fat
Sugar
Salt
Eggs
Bicarb
Milk

The above is my version...I'm sure there are versions which don't use eggs, milk or other ingredients.  And I'm positive there are versions that add fruit, nuts, spices and other flavours or textures.

It's not as if you need esoteric equipment or source an ingredient that's only available in a remote region half a world away to make nummy nummy pancakes.  Heck, I'd argue using a box mix is probably a guarantee that you won't get nummy nummy pancakes.  Just pancakes.

But it was Pancake Tuesday and I was already in a pancakey-type mood.  Instead of either following Nigella Lawson's recipe or finding my lost recipe for blueberry buttermilk pancakes or even going back to my ricotta pancakes, I decided to trawl the web for something new.

With a small tub of cottage cheese in my fridge (why, I no longer remember), I decided to follow Whole Foods' recipe, but add a splash of vanilla to the batter.

Delicious, creamy and so easy to make.

No box needed.

Recipe: Fluffy Cottage Cheese Pancakes


cheers!
jasmine
 I'm a quill for hire!

A few days late, I bear cake

A belated happy 2013 to all--may it bring  you and yours laughter, opportunity, friends and whatever good things you wish for.

I know some of you have been wondering why my entries have become increasingly sporadic these past few months.  The last half of 2012 brought pervasive change.

While Hagia and Zeus are no longer padding around the house, two new companions have trotted in.  Those of you who follow my @cardamomaddict account know about Nigel and Rufus, but if you don't, here's a pic taken in October.

In the midst of those exits and entrances, my professional life has taken a twist, and I have hung out my shingle and started Peacock Blue Communications, where I help clients with the various stages and phases of planning and implementing strategic, integrated communications plans (think I can help you?  email me at jasmine{at}peacockblue{dot}ca and I'll be happy to chat with you).  I've been working with clients and networking (oh, the networking!) for the past few months.  I'm working on the website, but here's what I've got up right now at peacockblue.ca; you can also follow my PR, Social Media and issues/reputation management tweets at @pckblue.

While all of this was happening (and still is happening), I simply wasn't able to dedicate time to this space as I had done previously.  I've not been cooking as much as I had been, nor have I been exploring food and culture in ways I like, so I've not really had much to post about.  Retiring this blog crossed my mind.  But I'm a stubborn optimist who thinks that every hiatus is a brief one.

So while I'm not committing to fast and furious posting, I will keep this space alive, posting what I can, when I can.

While I've been mostly absent, I have had one constant these past couple of months...chocolate cake.  As my longer-term readers know, I pretty much lost my chocolate tooth a few years ago when my partner died.  Whereas my chocolate cravings haven't returned, this overwhelming craving for un-iced chocolate cake has taken hold.  I'm on my third cake (fourth, if you include brownies) and I think I've found a winner.

The recipe is from a long-neglected gift I received more than 10 years ago from Jo Walton (yes, that Jo Walton) who came to stay with me.  She knew I loved to cook and bake, and Cadbury's was (and still is) a favourite of mine, so she gave me a copy of The Complete Cadbury's Cookbook.  It's a lovely book, filled with chocolatey and cocoa-y merriments.  Why I don't cook from it more often, I don't know, but I think this recipe will become part of my regular repertoire

Devil's Food Cake

adapted from The Complete Cadbury's Cookbook (c) 1994

Yield: 1 20cm (8") cake

Ingredients
175g (300ml/scant 1.25c) plain flour (all purpose flour)
1tsp (5ml) baking powder
0.5tsp (2.5ml) bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
50g (105ml/7Tbsp) cocoa powder
Boiling water
1 pinch salt
55g (60ml/0.25c) soft butter
60ml (0.25ml) flavourless oil
225g (280ml/1c +2Tbsp) dark brown sugar
2 eggs
80ml (0.33c) yoghurt

Method
Preheat oven to 190C/375F. Grease and paper a high-sided 20cm (8") round cake pan (or two 20cm (8") regular or low sided pans). Set aside.

Seive together the flour, leavening agents and salt. Set aside.

Mix enough boiling water into the cocoa powder to make a soft, smooth paste. Set that aside too. 

Cream together the fats and sugar. Blend in the eggs. Mix the cocoa paste with the yoghurt and incorporate into the eggy-sugar mix.

Fold in the dry ingredients until the batter is uniform in colour and texture and you don't see streaks of unincorporated flour. Pour into the prepared pan(s) and bake for 35 minutes, or done.

The cake is done when an inserted skewer comes out cleanly, the cake has shrunk in at the sides a teeny bit (about 2mm/1/16th") and the top springs to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.

Ice, if you wish.


cheers!
jasmine
 I'm a quill for hire!

Happy Christmas!

Happy Christmas and a Jolly Holiday to all my friends, followers and fans.  I wish you all peace, love and laughter this holiday season.


cheers!
jasmine I'm a quill for hire!