STEEMIT CULINARY CHALLENGE #20 : The Two-Pound Post-Party Pancake of Regret RecoverysteemCreated with Sketch.

in #food7 years ago (edited)

We all do things we regret. That's what this pancake is about. Come into my post -- you won't regret it!

Note: The Steemit Culinary Challenge said calories was one of the criteria for judging. But it didn't say whether it was high calories or low calories. This entry, clearly, aims high! If you want a more healthy pancake, you might like my Wild Pancake made from Shrubs, Trees, Tubers and Weeds.

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Step 1. Wasn't it a party?

Let's just say, for the sake of argument, there was a celebration. Maybe it involved a lot of Liquid Sweater, a winter warmer ale, by Ex Novo Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon. A hearty dark beer full of malt flavor. For the sake of argument, of course.

Now it's morning - or mid-day, for the sake of argument. It's going to be a slow cleanup from the celebration. What to do? Well, let's see if there's any beer left in the bottles. Yep. OK, we are good to go.

Here are the keys to making a post-party pancake: it's easy, it doesn't require much precision or attention, it's slow, it's about the cleanup and moving on. All it really takes is beer and flour. But this was a big celebration and I've got some things in my pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to clean out.

I collected some different flours out of my pantry: sprouted spelt, buckwheat, and cornmeal. A jar of thick-cut oats and a jar of Plum Butter. I call it Plum Tar - it's 100% homegrown Italian prune plums, cooked down slow in a crockpot until it's thick as asphalt. So delicious! I have a slab of homegrown Pink Banana Squash that I put in the freezer after I used part of the 30 pound behemoth last fall. And there's a couple eggs.

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It's not hard to make these pancakes. I do cut the peel off the squash and separate the fibers with my fingers -- just mash it up. I do crack the eggs and put the shells in the compost bucket to take out back later. Then I just start mixing it up.

I am not about to measure anything. There was a party, remember. The ratios and amounts don't matter much. The goal is to get a thick pancake consistency in the batter - sort of like masonry cement for repairing a brick wall. It's a good idea to hold back some of the beer to add in, if the batter starts getting too thick.


Step 2. Cook Slow and Steady

These pancakes won't be light and fluffy. They are sturdy cakes meant to fortify! That's what it takes to move on from less-than-stellar decisions sometimes. Each person gets one big cake. I use my big No. 10 cast iron skillet on low heat. I spoon in a big spread of batter, cover the skillet, and work on the party cleanup.

I also work on getting something to put on top of my pancake. I have homegrown black raspberries still in my freezer. And I always have maple syrup. I heat the berries and mash them up a bit. And check my big pancake.

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These hefty discs won't have little bubbles on top when they are ready to flip over. They just look set and more dry. I flip them over. I stare at the intricate patterns for awhile - before I remember to keep moving and keep cleaning up my mess. Because I use low heat, I don't have to check the pancakes much.

That big bowl of ingredients made four giant pancakes. I keep them warm in the oven when someone else is around to eat these pancakes. Otherwise, I freeze them to use later. They are great to take on a long day-hike, especially warmed up by a fire!


Step 3. Enjoy Those Pancakes!

When it's time to eat, I start with the giant pancake naked. I top it with yogurt, the warm black raspberries, and maple syrup. I'm drinking strong black coffee - a couple cups. This pancake restores me. It smells like a cross between a bakery and a brewery. With fruit. It's even good for me, with the squash, plums, and berries. It's got plenty of protein, with the eggs and yogurt.

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Some folks say to live life without regret. I don't regret my celebration. I don't regret my Post-Party Pancake. Nobody ever has. When friends and family visit, this is the breakfast they ask for. Every time. It's different every time, too, depending on what I'm trying to clear out. If there hasn't been a party yet, I use a fresh beer and hang out with everyone while the pancakes are cooking.

Ingredients - amounts are freestyle
Flours and grains: sprouted spelt, cornmeal, buckwheat, thick-cut oats
Liquids: beer, eggs
Additions: squash, plums
Toppings: yogurt, black rapseberries, maple syrup


What Do You Think?

Which do you prefer -- light and fluffy pancakes or hefty hearty pancakes? Do you use beer in your pancakes? What do you like on top of your pancakes? I hope you get to have a two-pound pancake sometime. It will stick with you, for sure! But I hope that you enjoy a big pancake without any regrets being involved at all.



** Haphazard Homestead **

*** foraging, gardening, nature, simple living close to the land ***

All content is 100% Haphazard Homestead - photos and all!

I participate in Operation Translation. All my posts are available for translation under the rules listed on the linked post from @papa-pepper. Logo provided by @oepc85. Post goes 100% to Steem Power! Logo provided by @merej99

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@haphazard-hstead acknowledged and good luck!
This is the last entry acknowledged as of 12:23 am here.

EDIT : Congrats!

DANG, that's a heavy pancake. LOL Looks absolutely delicious though. When my husband and I had a deli we made a 24 inch pancake called "The Big John". We needed to use a pizza peel to flip it but that was Krusteaz. This actually looks good for you!

This 2-pound pancake isn't Krusteaz light, that's for sure. It takes a good dark, left-over beer. I seem to have a lot of left-over beer, lol.

Your deli sounds like a fun place, with a 2-foot pancake! I'd order one of those!

Those look like a serious cake. Breakfast after the debacle. Such a funny read as well. Really enjoyed it. And I imagine you could run all day on one of those. Thanks for sharing, and utilizing all that valuable leftover beer too. Full Steem Ahead on PartyCakes.

I don't know that I could run of these pancakes all day, especially right after I eat one. But I could sure walk all day with them, lol. They are long-lasting fuel, for sure. Don't let an open bottle of beer go to waste! ;D

That's a good motto, 'never waste a good old beer, and make sure you always have a foldable pancake in your pocket'. Maybe you should write a foraging post based on this premise ( :

It's not so much "foraging", I think. It's more like "rummaging" to see what's got to be cleaned up after the party and out of the refrigerator! But then I can take the leftover cakes out while I am foraging, for sure! : )

So glad I upvoted this, I knew it would be a winner, congrats

Thanks, @gringalicious! The only way to get pancake like this is to make it myself, lol. And I do tend to eat my regrets. ; )

Yes! Glad you enjoyed my heavy-duty pancake!

I enjoyed the pancakes, but mostly the story!! Well written!! Good luck on the SCC!!
(I never cooked pancakes, not a fan, but this with squash sounds nice and familiar to some of our christmas pastries!)

Glad you liked the story! You can't buy this kind of pancake at any restaurant, lol. And you only have to eat one, to be fueled for the whole day. Those Christmas pastries sound great -- squash is useful in so many kinds of foods.

Pumpkin or squash...hope they are the same species is great on soups too!!
I shared the recipe with that pastrie here. it's awsome, but it requires a lot of work.

The pumpkin and squash are the same thing. There are 4 species of squash, but they are the same for cooking. Your family sure gets a nice treat on Christmas night with your pastries! That recipe looks just great! Much lighter than my 2-pound pancake, lol! : )

Lighter?? NO way, it's fried too and takes a lot of sugar! Ahah :)

When I got to local market here they recommend one type of squach for soups (less sweet), but I don't really care.

haha -- OK, not light, but still delicious! ; )
And I think we agree that any squash is good for soup! No matter what the store says, lol!

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The pancake looks delicious! :)

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