Small Things

Often it is the small things in life that we remember or crave. When I strolled into the kitchen this morning the early sunlight was hitting this bouquet of flowers that I had gotten from the farmer's market yesterday. My breath caught at the sheer beauty of the deep rich light playing against the petals, glass and leaves. Luck was there and I captured some of it. The other small thing is pancakes. One of the rituals of my Sunday mornings was my father's pancake making. Smells of bacon, eggs and pancakes cooking in cast iron frying pans always coaxed us out of bed and to the table. To this day my siblings and I use a cast iron pan to cook our pancakes. I found this egg beater at a flea market and it joined the Sunday ritual (my dad always used one).

So here's to the small things in life and a recipe that I use for the pancakes:

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten

In a mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add the remaining ingredients. Stir, starting at the center and gradually mixing in the dry ingredients to make a smooth batter. Cover the bowl and let it stand at room temperature for 1 hour, or overnight in the refrigerator.

Heat a heavy skillet or griddle and grease it lightly. Transfer the batter to a measuring cup or pitcher with a pouring lip, or use a ladle, and pour the batter into the skillet to make 6- to 7-inch pancakes, cooking only as many at one time as you have room for.

Cook the pancakes until bubbles cover their surface, about 1 minute, then turn them with a wide spatula and cook for 1 minute more.

Makes 12 to 16 pancakes.

I'll be having pancakes this morning topped by fresh organic peaches and drizzled with local honey.

Some mellow Stephen Bishop, "On and On"