Written by adam on Jan 13, 2007

Crepes, Waffles, & Pancakes!

Filed Under: Books
Tags:

Crepes, Waffles, and Pancakes!

Oh. My.

Kathryn Hawkins' cookbook dedicated to all things pancakes could be called an unhealthy obsession with the subject matter. It could be, but I wouldn't say so, considering my unhealthy obsession with all things related to Barbeque. I wouldn't want to call the kettle black.

What I would say about Hawkins' book is this: everything you never wanted to put on a pancake, and would you like some spinach with that?

The book starts gently enough. Basic recipes for pancakes, waffles, and crepes plus tips and tricks for thinning and thickening the batter or adding herbs and other flavors. There's a very handy section that decribes what each chemical does for the pastries, including baking soda and powder, yeast, all the different varieties of flour, and don't forget the milks.

After a beginning chapter of breakfast and brunch cakes, the book takes a sharp turn into freaksville with such dishes as Tex-Mex Chicken Waffles, Jambalaya Pancakes, and Red Beet Crepes with smoked salmon. While the Jambalaya variety intrigue me, the rest make me cry out for mama, wanting to know what the pancakes and waffles did to deserve such punishment from Ms. Hawkins.

Okay, maybe I'm being slightly unfair. I just felt like the freaky stuff was just a version of Iron Chef: Pancakes. If you are a traditionalist and want to stick with the super sweet and ultra fattening desserts and breakfast fare, then this book has a couple of chapters dedicated to it. And the teachable information is a good start for anyone wishing to expand their knowledge of quick breads and those things that make breakfast the most important meal of the day. Get to know how and why baking powder and soda do what they do. And learn what buttermilk brings to the party

But if you like salmon, perhaps you'd rather keep it on the barbie.