Friday Food 02-10-23

Once in a while I have the urge to drift back in time and have breakfast at a sort of old fashioned "CAFE" (see that in neon).   That means "Paul's Country Kitchen", which used to be the Two Sisters Cafe, in Placentia.  Since it changed hands there is new paint and some decor, but basically it is the same cafe it has been for the thirty plus years I have lived here.   And is so much like cafes I have visited across the country and, of course, during my childhood all those years ago.  My favorite in Portland, OR, was Buttermilk Corner in downtown, a rare, but wonderful treat.  

Paul's serves the usual cafe breakfasts.  This time I had two enormous pancakes, two over-easy eggs, two slices of crisp bacon, and about three cups of coffee w/cream.  I can never finish the pancakes which cover the standard dinner plate and they always ask if I want a takeout box and I want to say in a shocked tone " doggy bag pancakes -yuck!", but I just say "no thank you".  They are very good, but I doubt that would carry over into my microwave!  Besides I would have to provide the syrup.  

                                 

Their indoor sign is painted on fabric, but not quilted.  

Somehow it FEELS like a quilt and makes me feel at home. 

Just below this lovely sign is a large crock pot with water. 

And in the crock pot are a bunch of long-necks (as in beer) topped with spouts which are filled with delicious maple syrup and kept warm to top your delicious, enormous pancakes.  So clever.

Of course, there is inflation.  Never thought I would pay this much for a pancake breakfast.  But it was worth every bite.  

Meanwhile, out in the parking lot are perfectly trimmed Bradford Pear trees in full bloom.  Gorgeous. 

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Friday Food 03-12-22

I have recently read a number of posts about the joys of living alone!  But nobody seems to think cooking for one person is easy or fun.  I mostly just buy groceries I have always used and each evening I open the frig and think up something to eat.  Very simple meals and sometimes just one thing - I am fond of broccoli and can cook it quickly in the microwave.   But sometimes I linger in the "day old or dented" section of the market and see if there are any bargain treats.  Which led me to purchase for 50Cents:

I am familiar with cake in a mug, but how could pancakes be "in a mug"? Of course, they cannot, this is more like a cupcake.  It tasted okay, very light and fluffy, I topped it with a little butter.  But it won't be on my grocery list in the future.  It may be tasty, but just look at all the strange ingredients used to keep it fresh.  

   Real pancakes - shaped to fit my pan. 

I do enjoy breakfast at a restaurant, but since the Covid lockdown I  rarely eat out.  I do get a craving for pancakes and I make them using this recipe for "Pancakes for One", which is sort of "Pancakes for two if they are not very hungry".  I make six pancakes and frequently eat only four, putting the other two in the frig and try to reheat them later, but they are sort of tough and soggy reheated. Half the time I just make four and pour the rest of the batter down the garbage disposal.  Sometimes I pig out and eat all six!  Recipe: 

 1 large egg, 1 Tablespoon oil, 3/4 cup milk.  Mix together in small bowl.

 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, a pinch of salt.  Stir together in a medium bowl.   

           Add the liquid ingredients and mix, leaving some small lumps to make the                pancakes a bit fluffier.  Heat a frypan and coat very lightly with oil.  

         Use about 1/4 cup per pancake.  Turn when bubbles pop on the first side. 

I top with maple syrup or sometimes raspberry jam and plain yogurt.   Makes a meal. 

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Friday Food 05-22-20

I don't always eat breakfast, I know the health gurus say it is the most important meal of the day, but I just don't wake up hungry.  And then I forget.  But I do love to go out for breakfast and I miss that in these Virus days.  These images are from the Original Pancake House in Placentia in January 2019.  I had met my friend Carol there for the usual great breakfast.   At the next table were several young people who were all tall and skinny and eating massive amounts of food.  Just look at the stack of eight large pancakes - a side dish!.

  

My choice is always the Dutch baby which is cooked in a hot skillet and popped into the oven to finish.  It is served with lemon edges and a bowl of powdered sugar. 

Carol likes the corn pancakes (I think) and we split a side of bacon.  

The boy on the left and the girl on the right are together with another girl seated off the right of the picture.  The woman and man in the middle are at the next table.  I suppose the three young people are sharing the eight pancakes and each has an individual serving of eggs and whatever.  

Last week I was overcome with a yearning for a Dutch baby, so I called the restaurant for takeout.  By the time I arrived my food was ready and I raced home so it wouldn't get cold.  It was very good, but somehow not the same as eating at the restaurant.  And it is expensive - coffee, Dutch Baby, side of bacon, tip = $20!  

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Friday Food 12-28-18

Eating breakfast out is a special occasion for me, maybe because I am such a night owl that breakfast is usual brunch or lunch at my house.  As a child my mother was gone by the time I was ready for school and I wouldn't eat until lunchtime at school.  But I actually like breakfast foods, just not before 9am!  Recently my friend Carol and I met for brunch at 10am at the Original Pancake House in Placentia.  It used to be located in Yorba Linda, but the building was re-purposed and the restaurant had to move.  It took them over two years to find a new location, refit it, get approvals from the city, and reopen this fall.  It is a different space, but with the same white chairs and tables and wall decorations.  I heard someone complain that they were using the "same old furniture", but I rather like having it more like the old place.  My go-to order is always a Dutch baby - oh-so-good. 

Carol had corn cakes and an egg.  We shared an order of bacon - crisp. 

Here is the fresh Dutch baby before I started garnishing it. 

Here is the Dutch baby garnished with lashings of fresh lemon juice and spoonsful of powder sugar. 

I had to take a picture of the next table where they had a plate with EIGHT large pancakes.  This tall, skinny guy was sitting with two tall, skinny girls and they each had a plateful of eggs and meats.  AND the pancakes.  Maybe all they eat all day is breakfast/brunch and that keeps them so thin.  I didn't look to see if they had eaten everything, but I suspect they had.  The other two people in the picture were at the next table, I didn't check out their food. 

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