National Pancake Day, September 26th
Pancakes are a staple of American cuisine,
and as Wayne Gruehn, feature editor of the Elm in 1954, reports in his article 鈥淗ow
to be a cowboy,鈥� pancake mix and instant coffee are absolutely a necessity for 鈥渜uick
meals on the range.鈥�
Meanwhile, Helen Avalynne Tawes, of Crisfield, Maryland, has a simple, universal recipe
for 鈥渉ot cakes,鈥� or pancakes. The ingredients are pantry staples, but the facing page
includes additional comments. 
First, the recipe is for thick hot cakes, but she much prefers them thinner. Second,
part of the appeal of pancakes is their eye-catching appearance, and the trick to
achieving that is maintaining the perfect temperature of the griddle. Third, 鈥渘ew-fangled鈥�
aluminum pans are wholly unsuitable. Stick with the old-fashioned heavy cast-iron
pans. Fourth, baked, not fried, but bacon grease is the real magic. And finally, make
the batter the night before and refrigerate it for optimal results. 
On this, the auspicious last Friday in September, or as some would call it 鈥淣ational Pancake Day,鈥� do enjoy a stack of comforting pancakes.
