MOM'S PANCAKES

All through my childhood, Mom's pancakes were a staple of our breakfast fare. She made them without a recipe, mixing the ingredients, like all intuitive cooks, until they reached the "right" consistency, a state that only she could recognize. There were six of us in my family and Mom could only cook four pancakes on the griddle at one time, so we each had to wait our turn, which only made the pancakes more delicious. When it came to Mom's turn, she always ate her first pancake without syrup, saying she liked the taste and wanted to remember how the pancakes were without embellishment. We often had them served with fresh fruit - strawberries, peaches, or whatever was in season - piled on top.

After her children were all grown and left home, Mom had to quantify her recipe for just two, my dad and herself. This is the result. The secret to the recipe is beating the egg whites separately and folding them into the batter, making the result much lighter than if mixed as a whole egg..

I remember that when I was a little boy, Mom used to let me stir the water and sugar that, when caramelized, made our syrup. When we closed Mom's house and dispersed her furnishings among the family, one of the things I wanted most was her pancake griddle.

I remember fondly how when it was raining at Fire Island, the household would call for Mom's pancakes. Serve them with lots of soft butter, hefty real maple syrup, crisp bacon and, if possible, some cut-up ripe strawberries, which will soon be in season. This is guaranteed to take you back to 1955!

MOM'S PANCAKES

serves 2-3, but easily doubled



1 C flour

1 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1 T sugar

1 C milk

1 egg, separated

2 T vegetable oil

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

2. Beat together the milk, egg yolk and oil in a small bowl.

3. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ones and beat only until well combined (otherwise, you'll develop the gluten in the flour and the dough, and pancakes, will be tough).

4. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until they form peaks and fold them into the batter.

5. Saute the pancakes on a hot griddle or in a large skilllet, well oiled with vegetable oil (or bacon grease if you have it) until the tops of the pancakes begin to produce small holes. Flip the pancake over and saute on the other side until brown.

Believe me: these are the best pancakes ever!