Wednesday, February 6, 2008

the right way to start a new year.

Well, as I said, since getting back from Turkey I sure have been cooking an awful lot. I must say, it's been nice to have access to ingredients outside of those of Turkish cuisine. Sure, you can get some stuff there that is uncommon in Turkish cooking but man-oh-man they cost and arm and a leg!

Unfortunately, however, I returned to the US at the end of the fall season, which means I missed out on a lot of good summer foods that can't be found in Turkey [I'm not talking tomatoes and cucumbers here--my hankering for perfect salad produce was well satiated while I was there]. Instead, I was amidst lots of squash and potatoes. Good things, don't get me wrong, but things that I quickly get sick of.

Now, a North American winter is never a good time for most fresh produce [if you're up north and out east, that is], but one of my favorite things about this time of year is that it's citrus season! Unlike tomatoes and cucumbers, citruses are relatively resilient and the crops sent north from Florida are still good. When I was in college, my grandma used to send me a crate of Honeybell oranges from Florida every year. I loved it--grandma has always been a good and clever present giver--and there was no way I was sharing those delicious, juicy orbs with anyone.

But there's so much more to citrus season than oranges: grapefruits, limes, blood oranges, pommelos, tangerines--the perfect crops for breakfast ambrosias, pies, baked citruses, and southewestern feasts!

Then, of course, there are some fruits in season that aren't technically citrus but which I put in the same category, like kiwi and kumquat, star fruit and papaya. Also delicious alternatives in the winter.

I will admit, though, one of my all-time favorite winter fruits is not a winter fruit. You can find it all year long but its true season is March-July. Nonetheless, I have always associated it, ironically, with both the deep of winter and the deep of summer.

So, when the cold winter smacked my face this year, I broke my rules of eating seasonally...and I used a pineapple.

Yes, the pineapple. Most refreshing when chilled in the summer but sometimes wonderful in the winter, I desperately love the pineapple. I love cutting a quarter and eating it like a slice of watermelon, which always results in sticky face, sticky hands, and a satisfied tongue of tastebuds.

I woke up on New Year's Day morn intent on making pancakes. So, off of my cookbook shelf came my go-to pancake guide [thank you L. Montayne in 10th grade]: Pancakes A-Z. Flipping through the book, I came upon a recipe for baked pineapple pancakes and it got the seriously rusty gears in my brain a-turnin' turnin' turnin'.

I remembered that we had half a pineapple left in the fridge, but I wasn't really interested in a baked pancake--too pineapple-upside-down-cakey and too long to cook. So, I modified the recipe a bit, using another pancake batter from one of my favorite cookbook collections--The Best American Recipes series--and voila! Ten minutes later I had:


The Giant Pineapple Pancake



note: the batter recipe calls for buttermilk BUT there's an easy replacement: mix 1 cup milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice or white distilled vinegar. let sit for 5 minutes before using.

for the batter:

(this recipe is based on Marion Cunningham's Buttermilk Pancakes found in The 150 Best American Recipes)

1 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 lg egg
1 c buttermilk or 1 c milk mixed with 1 tbsp lemon juice (see above note)
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted


for the pancakes:

a pat of butter
slices of pineapple



directions:

1. make the batter

a. sift flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. add the egg and the buttermilk.
b. stir the ingredients together with a fork or whisk until all the flour is incorporated. don't overmix! the batter will be lumpy.
c. add the butter and mix it in quickly until just absorbed.

2. caramelize the pineapple
a. cut pineapple into triangles, cubes, lumps--whatever you like!--and set aside.
b. melt the butter in the pan. put the pineapple pieces in the melted butter and cook until they begin to caramelize.

3. make the pancake
a. pour pancake batter into the heated pan until it covers the pineapple pieces completely.
b. let the pancake sit, over medium heat, until the edges start to get pockmarked and the surface begins to dry out slightly.
c. flip the pancake and cook on the other side until lightly browned.

4. repeat the process or use the rest of the batter to make small regular pancakes
note: if making multiple pancakes, keep them warm in the oven. before beginning, preheat the oven to 200F and put an oven-proof plate or Pyrex pan on the rack. when a pancake is finished cooking, put it in the oven!

Great with a glass of oj and topped by maple syrup, jam, or lemon and sugar!





Ok, so, the pictures don't look so wonderful, I know. But trust me, these were great. I mean, I was tired and kind of not thinking very well, so it was amazing that these even came out in some edible form. Seriously, though, these came out better than I even expected. Delicious.






It was just what I wanted on New Year's Day--great tasting and so easy!
Try them out; hopefully you'll like them more than this punkmonkey kid did:






Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.

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