My holiday wish for all of you is to have this feeling.
I made pancakes this morning (well…) for breakfast (lunch). I’ve made pancakes from scratch many, many times before. I know the mix of wet and dry ingredients needed. I’ve got this.
So, when I go to ladle the pancakes onto the griddle, I notice they’re dry. Like, closer to soft wet dough than batter. “Nevermind, trudge onwards”, I tell myself, but I can’t shake the feeling.
I went and added in more buttermilk.
No measuring. No weighing. No idea other than, “this should be wetter”. Throw caution to the wind. And it worked!
I’ve improvised countless times in the kitchen. I’ve screwed up royally, and my batting average for fixing it is better than 50/50. But this pancake batter had me dancing a little jig in the kitchen. I’ve moved past recipes or ratios and get, really get, what the batter should be.
So, for all of you, I hope that your food turns out spectacularly this holiday season, and that you get that little twinge of wonder when you finally get a recipe.
(Pancakes – the first ones, I gave the better ones to the kid – with sausage, shallots, scallions, and reduced cream instead of boring old syrup.)
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Looks great. Getting the feel for what you’re fixing must mean you have CHEF POWER!!
Messing up – fixing it and accidentally end up with the most amazing thing you’ve ever tasted, is the best. Done it a couple of times before. I wish I could remember the improvised recipe.