Crepes, Waffles & Pancakes!    by Kathryn Hawkins Order:  USA  Can Good Books, 2006 (2006) Softcover Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Hilary Williamson My pancake repertoire has been limited to a (delicious but simple) Irish buttermilk pancake recipe handed down through generations of my family. We make it every Sunday brunch on a traditional griddle. But now I can branch out a little - to other batters and other mealtimes - with Crepes, Waffles & Pancakes! From breakfast dishes to savories to desserts, it's full of color photos that make you salivate. In her Introduction, Kathryn Hawkins lauds the 'humble pancake' - which requires 'no great culinary skill' - and reminisces over her mother's masterful flipping technique. She also talks about global pancake traditions, as well as pancake variations around the world from Russian blinis to south Indian dosas. There's a chapter on the chemistry and methodology behind Important ingredients, one on Equipment, and another on preparing The perfect batter, leading into recipes organized under Breakfast & brunch, Main meals, Specialty, Desserts, Snacks, and Accomaniments. Here are some that appeal to me. For a hearty breakfast, I'll go for Deep-pan bacon and apple pancakes or Toasted waffles with poached apricots. For a main meal or entrée, how about Prawn and mango pancake baskets, Walnut crepes with waldorf-style chicken, Spinach pancakes with haddock or Wild rice pancakes with chicken? I have my eye on a few from the Specialty section for the holidays - such as Russian blinis (topped with sour cream, smoked salmon, and lumpfish roe) and Dosas with spicy potato sauce (loved these when I tried them in India). On to Desserts - Apple and pecan pancakes, Pumpkin pie plate pancakes, Lemon meringue waffles, or Chocolate waffles with pears. Yumm! The Snack section offers unusual dishes, like Crepe and fruit skewers, Pesto pancake crisps, Chickpea and sweetcorn cheese cakes or Toasted pizza waffles. Accompaniments - useful with more than pancakes - include savory and sweet white sauces, flavored butters, fruit coulis variations, sauces and relishes, salsas and chutneys. If pancakes are one of your comfort foods, as they are for me, then satisfy yourself and surprise family and friends with the many variations on this scrumptious theme found in Crepes, Waffles & Pancakes! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews