SAVORY PANCAKES

Savory Pancakes

            Comfort food!  There are days, when the weather is unsettled and the constellation of events in your life is far from optimum, when nothing but comfort food will satisfy. Realizing that this may be a very individual matter, nevertheless – it is unlikely to be a stalk of celery, an asparagus spear or even a stalk of broccoli, unless you are a rabbit.

            Since we are talking here ‘real food’, chocolate or a bag of chips don’t count. Comfort food is by its nature defined by your background and experience as well as taste buds.  The Chinese probably have a favorite dumpling dish, Italians - pasta, Japanese – udon or soba noodles in dashi, Germans – a favorite sausage, French –cassoulet,  Vietnamese – the fragrant soup pho, Russians – borsch and herring etc.

            Up here in the Northeast we are more likely to think of fish or corn chowder, macaroni and cheese or baked beans with some accompaniment. For breakfast most people would consider pancakes, blueberry or any other kind, comfort food. They have the advantage of being uncomplicated, fairly quick, fresh off the pan and delicious.

            Fortunately the pancake format does not have to belong exclusively to breakfast. Instead of sweet flavors, savory pancakes can take a starring role in both dinner and lunch.

                                                Savory Corn Fritters

            In a bowl sift together 1 cup flour with 1 tsp. baking powder and ½ tsp. salt. In another small bowl beat together 1 egg, 1/3 cup milk and 1 Tblsp. melted butter. Stir the liquid in the flour mixture and then fold in 1 cup thawed/drained whole corn kernels and 1 tsp. finely chopped jalapeno pepper. Fry small pancakes in a heavy skillet in 1 Tblsp. canola oil until golden. Serve hot. For a variation, stir in 3 Tblsp. shredded sharp cheese, before frying the pancakes.

            Potato pancakes come in many variations and are good not with just grilled meats, but with an accompaniment of sour cream and smoked fish can serve for a meal.

                                                Potato Pancakes

             In a small bowl beat together: 2 large eggs with 6 Tblsp. flour, ¾ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. pepper. Peel 2 medium russet or Yukon Gold potatoes and coarsely shred them in a paper towel (make sure it is a brand that allows drainage) lined sieve. Squeeze out all moisture and place the potatoes in a bowl and mix in a shredded peeled medium onion. Stir in thoroughly the egg mixture. Drop tablespoons of the batter in 2 Tblsp. hot canola oil in a heavy heated skillet, slightly flatten them and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes to a side until golden brown. Serve hot, but the pancakes can be made ahead and reheated in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes to crisp them again.

            This type of potato pancakes can be also made with sweet potatoes (yams) flavored with cumin and cayenne.

            One of my favorite childhood memories has to do with very thin pancakes in envelope format filled with a cooked meat and bacon mixture, lightly fried golden brown and served with sour cream or spicy chutney. In German these are called “Komm Morgen vieder”, in Latvian“Nāc rīt atkal”,or in English “Come again tomorrow”. These thin pancakes are the thickness of crepes, but not as rich.

                                    “Come Again Pancakes”

            Pancake batter – lightly beat together 1 egg with ¼ tsp, salt, ½ cup milk and ½ cup water. When batter is smooth, beat in 1 tsp. sour cream. Pour ¼ cup batter in a little hot butter in an 8 inch pan, rotating the pan to spread out the batter evenly and fry for 2 minutes only on one side. Remove from pan and place 1 tbsp. meat mixture on the browned side. Fold the pancake around the meat as an envelope and place folded side down for the second browning when all pancakes are filled.

            Meat mixture: Fry until crisp 2 slices of bacon and drain on paper towels. Mix ¼ lb browned and drained ground beef with 1 medium onion peeled and finely chopped, ¼ tsp salt, the crumbled bacon, pepper to taste and 1 Tblsp. sour cream.

            When all the pancakes are filled, fry the pancake ‘pillows’ in batches in a small amount of butter, turning once, until golden. Serve while hot.

            While there is a person in our house who would insist that ice cream is the ultimate comfort food, savory pancakes will fill the bill for me any day.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

VALENTINE'S DINNER FOR TWO

Valentine’s Dinner for Two

            A long time ago (as told in any fairy tale) mothers used to tell their daughters that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. Thus: ”You better learn to cook, girl, or no one will love you!” Since that was a fairy tale long ago and these days men cook as well as women, this column is no longer directed only to the female of the species.

            Valentine’s Day comes this year on a Sunday and allows for more leisurely approach to a romantic dinner for two at home. This being Maine and February, the possibility of a snowstorm is another inducement for celebrating the day at home. Having set the stage on the table with some flowers and candles, the trick is to have a menu that does not overwhelm the cook at the last minute and yet looks elegant at the table.

            One of my favorite main dishes for such an occasion is Coquilles St. Jacques or scallops in a delicate sauce. It is an adaptation from an old recipe by Fernande Garvin’s “The Art of French Cooking” published in the late 1950’s, when Bantam books were sold at 35 cents and I was first learning to cook.

                                    Coquilles St. Jacques Parisienne

            In a heavy saucepan combine ¾ lb sea scallops, ¾ cup dry white wine ¼  tsp salt and a couple of shakes of cayenne pepper. Slowly bring to boil and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Reserve the liquid and cut the scallops in bite size pieces. Heat 2 Tblsp. butter in the same sauce pan and briefly sauté 1 finely chopped shallot, stir in 1 Tblsp. flour and slowly add the reserved cooking liquid and ½ cup milk, stirring constantly for 3 min. until the sauce thickens.  Add ½ cup coarsely chopped white mushrooms heating for 5 minutes, stir in the scallops and heat through. Stir in 2 Tblsp. grated Swiss or Gruyère cheese and mix well. Divide scallops between two buttered shells or individual casseroles. The dish can be made a couple of hours ahead to this point. Sprinkle each dish with 1 Tblsp. bread crumbs and dot with 1 tsp. butter. Broil until top is browned and serve hot with boiled fingerling potatoes or rice.

            If your love is more the carnivore type, steak with peppercorns may be more appropriate.

                                                Steak au Poivre

            Start with tenderloin, boneless ribeye  or even NY strip steak, depending on your pocketbook. Rub steak with salt and press into surfaces 1 Tblsp. green or pink peppercorns per piece. Black peppercorns are too strong, so use judiciously if only those are available. In a heavy skillet melt 2 Tblsp. butter and 1 Tblsp. oil until hot but not smoking. Add steaks and cook 3-4 minutes or more on each side, depending on thickness of meat and desired doneness. Remove to a heated platter. Pour off fat from the pan and add ½ cup Madeira (not sweet) or Ruby Port and  ½ cup beef broth, scraping the bottom of the pan until the crust has dissolved. Reduce the sauce to ½ cup or less and pour over the steaks on the platter. Serve with sautéed mushrooms and fingerling potatoes.

            Both of these dishes would go well with a simple salad and peas with pearl onions. As for the ‘finale’, Valentine’s day seems to almost demand chocolate. Here is a classic Chocolate mousse, which fortunately can be made ahead and stored cold until serving. This recipe is for 4 servings,

                                                Chocolate mousse

            In a heavy small sauce pan combine 1/8 cup strong coffee with 2 large squares of semi-sweet chocolate. Heat until melted, but do not allow to boil.  Remove from heat and stir in 3 tsp. sugar, stirring until melted. Add a total of 4 egg yolks, one at a time stirring thoroughly each time. Turn mixture into a serving bowl. In another bowl beat 5 egg whites until soft peaks form and then beat in 2 tsp. sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture thoroughly, divide in tall serving dishes and chill. Serve with a strawberry or couple of raspberries on top.

            Happy Valentine’s Day!

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)