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Nothing says world peace like pancakes

Michelle Baker

It's not much harder to mix your own blueberry pancake batter from scratch, not too mention they taste oh so better.

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By GREG and MICHELLE BAKER

Tribune correspondents

Published: June 17, 2009

Name a food that dates back centuries and is still made today by almost every culture in the world.

No, it's not wine, ya drunks. It's pancakes! Glorious pancakes!

Whether they're called alita dolcia by the ancient Romans, crepes by the French or pannekoek by the Dutch, pancakes have been a staple for many, many cultures. And for good reason. Who can resist their light, fluffy, pillowy, sometimes sweet, sometimes savory ways? We Americans dig into millions of pancakes every year for breakfast and sometimes for dinner.

The modern American pancake was "invented" during the Middle Ages in Europe, but Aunt Jemima Pancake Flour changed everything with its 1889 St. Joseph, Mo., release of the first ready-mix food.

Yeah, it's pretty easy to grab a box of ready-mix pancakes but we, gentle readers, have all been fooled. It's not much harder to mix your own from scratch, not too mention they taste oh so better. Add some fresh Florida blueberries and you have quite an ancient feast on your hands — er, in your mouth.

The truth about pancakes:

Springfield, Mass., holds the world's largest pancake breakfast every May

The pancake was first featured in a cookbook in 1439

William Shakespeare made reference to pancakes in two famous comedies: "All's Well That Ends Well" and "As You Like It"

International House of Pancakes, aka IHOP, was opened on July 7, 1958 in Toluca Lake, Calif., by brothers Al and Jerry Lapin.

Visit the Sherpas at www.cooksncompany.com and www.culinarysherpas.com.

BLUEBERRY BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

1 1/2 cups of self-rising flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 ½ cups buttermilk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 vanilla bean, seeded (or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract)

4 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup fresh Florida blueberries

Sift flour, sugar and cinnamon into a large bowl. Add buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Mix very well until mixture is silky smooth. Batter should be slightly runny. Add more buttermilk if it is too thin, one tablespoon at a time. Fold in blueberries.

Bring a large non-stick pan to medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter. Using a 4-ounce ladle, scoop batter into pan — one ladle for each pancake. Do not allow pancakes to touch in the pan. Allow pancake to cook for 1 to 2 minutes. When bubbles have formed across the top of the raw side, carefully flip pancake using a rubber spatula. Add 2 more tablespoons butter. Cook another 2 to 2 1/2 minutes until both sides are equally golden.

Repeat until batter finishes.

Serves 4

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