Day 2

I wanted to start today with the artwork of the original purposed cover for the Angel's Kiss, but it seems the scanner has a headache. And instead of continuing with more narrative, let's get started with the first recipe:

Puff Pancake. The very first thing I prepared for my new husband. He said his mom used to make a delicious pancake and unfortunately, she left this Earth when he was 40.  Maybe you'll like this, too, I suggested.....It was exactly the same as his mother's recipe.  My friend, Magi Durham Ziff, was the most magnificent Englishwoman, born in a pub, and introduced me to wonderful food as a teenager. Normally, it was close to impossible to find beef wellington and spinach salad in the boonies of Massachusetts in the early 70s. She shared this with me when I first moved to New York.

And look, here's the cover!

PUFF PANCAKE

3/4 cup of flour

3/4 cup of milk

3 eggs

Whisk together.

Melt butter in a 12 inch cast iron skillet.

Pour in batter, let cook a minute.

Place into 400 degree oven for 15 plus minutes.

It will get very puffy and golden.

It will deflate quite rapidly - but it's a beauty those first few moments!

I serve with lots of butter and powdered sugar.  Maybe a squeeze of lemon juice.

Maple syrup is always yummy.

Nutmeg or vanilla or cinnamon can also be added to the batter.

You may even sauté apples in the pan before you pour in the batter.

Just learned of this from the Huffington Post- Jan 25th:

Indulgent & Comforting Breakfast Recipes.

This recipe comes from The Essential New York Times Cookbook, and appeared in the Times in 1966. Forty years later, readers are still making the pancake with no less bliss. What keeps cooks faithful to one recipe is often some confluence of ease and surprise. A batter of flour, milk, eggs, and nutmeg is blended together, then poured into a hot skillet filled with butter and baked. Anyone confused? I didn't think so. The surprise comes at the end, when you open the oven door to find a poufy, toasted, utterly delectable-looking pancake. It soon collapses as you shower it with confectioners' sugar and lemon juice, slice it up and devour it. It's sweet and tart, not quite a pancake and not quite a crepe. But lovable all the same. Cooking Notes: Don't over mix the batter, or the pancake will be tough - a few lumps are fine. This is the moment to call your well-seasoned iron skillet into service.

Serves 2 to 4

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons (one half stick) of unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• Juice of half a lemon

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine the flour, milk, eggs, and nutmeg in a bowl. Beat lightly. Leave the batter a little lumpy.
2. Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet with a heatproof handle. When it is very hot, pour in the batter. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the pancake is golden brown.
3. Sprinkle with the sugar and return briefly to the oven. Sprinkle with lemon juice, and serve with jelly, jam, or marmalade.

I tried this…. But my recipe is richer, puffs higher and tastes better.