Good Morning on this Sunday to all of you beautiful people around the world. (Well, and a good evening as the case may be)
I love following all of the lives of people that I have met through blogging. As we each post funny little cartoons and cute cat photos on Facebook and Twitter, it makes me smile that we all share the same human nature for chuckles and sighs, pretty photos, and uplifting quotes.
What do you do on Sundays? Do you go to church, or mosque, or temple? Do you sleep in late or wake up really early? Do you follow a set routine and stick with the tried and true or have a once a week complete deviation?
I certainly know right now my brother is on the slopes of Aspen (hi Andrew!), and my friend is on slopes too, but in Whistler, Canada. Another wonderful blogger friend is trekking through Myanmar. Robyn and her husband Dave are ambling along the Turkish Black Sea coast in search of fresh local menus to write about in their New York Times articles.
Patrick shuffles right into the kitchen...seemingly on auto pilot...
...for the morning waffle routine.
Occasionally, we might have a deviation. It might be crepes, or french toast or...this time, Buckwheat Pancakes.
Delicious, hearty, wholesome buckwheat pancakes are one of my favorite breakfast options.
Any berries or fruit, honey or jam, sausages or bacon taste good with these thick but still fluffy pancakes.
Houston is at its finest right now. Bright blue skies, crisp cool days (that means NO humidity), and beautiful soft winds that sweep through the house.
Reserved for Sunday, is fresh hot strong coffee made in our little silver Italian coffee pot brought back from Florence 7 years ago. Dark Verona coffee is packed and pressed into the little insert cup. As the stove top flame heats up, the pot gurgles and then spits out beautiful strong scents of coffee.
It makes just enough for two small cups, so we steam hot milk to round out the heavy notes to create a smooth creamy cup.
So have a wonderful February Sunday morning, whatever breakfast choices you have at your home. Whether you're crunching through snow, or it's summertime where you live, or it is pre-humidity luxury weather here in the deep far south.
Hearty and Thick Buckwheat Pancakes...for Sunday mornings
INGREDIENTS
- Vegetable oil for coating the pan
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (can sub with buckwheat flour for a 100% buckwheat pancake if you wish)
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups (475 ml) buttermilk
METHOD
1 Heat a well-seasoned griddle, cast iron skillet, or stick-free pan on medium heat. The pan or griddle should be ready for the batter as soon as it is mixed.
2 Whisk together the dry ingredients—the flours, sugar, salt, baking soda—in a large bowl. Pour in the melted butter over the dry ingredients and start stirring. Beat the egg with a fork and stir it into half of the buttermilk. Add the buttermilk/egg mixture to the dry ingredients, then slowly add in the rest of the buttermilk as needed to get to the right consistency for your batter. Stir only until everything is combined. Do not overmix. A few lumps are fine.
3 Put a small amount (a half teaspoon) of vegetable oil (or butter) on the pan or griddle and spread it around with a paper towel to coat. Ladle the batter onto the hot surface to the desired size, about 4-5 inches wide. (A 1/4 cup measure will ladle about a 4-inch pancake.) Reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the pancake to cook for 2-3 minutes on this first side. Watch for bubbles on the surface of the pancake. When air bubbles start to rise to the surface at the center of the pancake, flip the pancake. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until nicely browned.
4 Keep your pancakes warm on a rack in the oven set on "warm," or stack them on a plate and cover with a towel as you make more. Spread more oil on the pan as needed between batches of pancakes.
Serve with butter, maple syrup, honey, fruit, james...enjoy!
Yield: Makes 14 to 15 4-inch pancakes, serves 2-3.
Sarah, one day I am going to visit your house, I would like to have a cup of coffee with you very much! Butifule post!
ReplyDeleteNow, I can see why so many bloggers get together at those conventions. Indeed, wouldn't it be fun to gather and meet everyone, discuss food endlessly, and drink delicious cups of coffee.
DeleteWhat a perfect Sunday morning---buckwheat pancakes, biscuits, waffles--- you name it---are my favorite!
ReplyDeleteMe too, never would I skip breakfast. Dinner...perhaps, but never breakfast.
DeleteYour pancakes look wonderful. That first picture of your towering stack of pancakes is making my mouth water! Pancakes are the ultimate Sunday food. They are just special enough to reserve for once a week, but just easy enough to make every week. And your buckwheat version sounds fantastic. Yum!
ReplyDeleteI remember the first I had buckwheat pancakes was back in college in NYC. I thought I was some sort of health guru. I loved them.
DeleteI'm in awe. The imagery is beautiful...but that you actually get up int he morning and have the where-with-all to prepare such a feast??? Love..love..love!!!
ReplyDeleteTruth be told...when I married Patrick, I told him my grandfather made brkfst every weekend for my grandmother. He said he would do that and he does! I don't even make the coffee!
DeleteIn this house, Sundays are lazy days. After church we hibernate indoors to escape the crowds that congregate in all open spaces. The weather has been lovely, crisp winds and blue skies. I sense hints of spring in the air. Before too long we will be complaining about the heat and hiding inside for different reasons.
ReplyDeleteI know, Loree, I'm trying to be upbeat because I am an expert whiner during the hot humid months coming up.
DeleteSundays for me are all about being lazy, catching up with friends, going for walks and discovering new places and pockets of the city, and of course working on my site. And perhaps this coming Sunday will be about the pancakes!
ReplyDeleteOur Sunday routine is always the same...church, then the men all go home and I meet a girlfriend for coffee. When I come home, it's brunch...usually waffles. But today it was pancakes, too! But ours were cinnamon-pear-pecan. Yum. Now, I need to try yours! I don't think I've ever made buckwheat pancakes! They look delish.
ReplyDeleteCinnamon Pear-Pecan! That sounds delicious.
DeleteSunday's are usually quiet days. My husband has had a resurgence in his desire for something with red sauce - which he is remembering fondly from Sunday's with his Italian grandparents. So - I have been trying to oblige this bit of nostalgia. Yesterday it was lasagna. In terms of breakfast - I have only recently come to pancakes - I'm not sure why it has taken me so long - because I really do like them!
ReplyDeleteGood for your husband! I've been craving a good lasagna lately too...something really thick with ground beef in it...
DeleteLovely pancakes and gorgeous photography! I cherish my Sundays. Sundays are restful and relaxing. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteOh Sarah... your photos and words are so transporting... I can almost smell the coffee! You have such artistic creativity and soul to capture and share beautiful moments... so exquisitely! Thank you for sharing such beauty!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like absolutely the best breakfast in the history of breakfasts :D
ReplyDeleteCheers
CCU
Shhh...can't let Patrick hear that....that medal goes to his waffles. Yep. Shhhhh.
DeleteThat sounds like a lovely routine. I get up later than on work days at around 7am. For some that might still be early but I can't bear to waste any of the two free days of the weekend. Adriano and Dario continue sleeping so I have the house to myself for a while and I usually spend it on the computer catching up on emails and visiting blogs.
ReplyDeleteIt must be nice to return home from your walk to the smell of cooking pancakes.
Oh gosh yes. When I time it just right...walking in the house...coffee brewing...highlight of the weekend indeed.
DeleteI am obsessed with pancakes and these buckwheat beauties look so good! We've been drinking smoothies for breakfast the last couple of weeks and I'm just about sick of it! :)
ReplyDeleteMy son loves when I make smoothies. I just always feel I need that crunch of bread, or pancakes, or waffles, or crepes!
DeleteYour photography is absolutely dreamy! I want to jump INTO my screen and join you. For pancakes! Our Sundays involve church...and I prefer to be quiet at home after which does not always happen. I'd love to know which part of H-town you are in. We are soon moving from the 'burbs to Tomball/Rosehill area. :) Love your blog to the moon & back!
ReplyDeleteThank you Vava...we are in the Sugarland burb! My daughter's college roommate is from the Tomball area.
DeleteOh, yum! I just want to dive into that fluffy shortstack. Though I don't cook with it often, I love buckwheat's nutty, wholesome flavor. Thanks for sharing your lovely, syrupy Sunday morning, Sarah! I'm glad to catch up on all your delicious news.
ReplyDeleteFrom another Houstonian, your photos are fabulous! They make me want to make those pancakes for sure. Yes, it's wonderful in our city right now, with this fabulous weather, wish we could have it all the time, don't you? So enjoyed seeing this post.
ReplyDeletexx's
Oh, yes indeed...I wish it were this fabulous all through July and August. No air conditioning...no heater...wonderful breezes Loving it.
DeleteBeautiful!!!!
ReplyDeleteI adore breakfasts on weekend.. May be thats the only day I an really eat my breakfast without multitasking...LOL
This looks perfect!
Pancakes are a favorite food of mine…your buckwheat version looks delicious! My husband is the pancake/waffle guy when our kids come to visit! Love the photo of the stack…gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThose are some hearty pancakes - they'd definitely power me up for a Sunday full of chores
ReplyDeleteThese look and sound beautful! I'll have to bookmark them to make when I buy some buckwheat flour. I've neer used it before, but love experimenting with different flours. Thanks for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteToday happens to be Sunday (actually, technically, it's now the wee beginning hours of Monday... I should be in bed) and I had a lovely morning visiting a friend over a cup of tea.. we chatted for hours. It was perfect.
ReplyDeleteThen I went beach combing and picture taking.
It was a perfect Sunday.
But it would have been even MORE perfect if pancakes were involved.
There's always next Sunday....