Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Seltzer Water Pancakes

I love Pancakes.....I love Pancakes period....So when I saw this recipe...I had to include it in this blog!

In a taste test of seltzer pancakes versus plain water pancakes, the seltzer pancakes were noticeably more fluffy! Just like using seltzer water in tempura batter makes a light and airy batter, when you add seltzer into pancake mix, tiny bubbles of air are infused into the batter, and expand when heated. (Pro tip: Make sure to keep the water cold, as there are more bubbles in cold seltzer than room temperature.)

With this knowledge, putting together a diner-style pancake recipe wasn't hard. I started with my favorite thin pancake recipe, food director Rhoda Boone's buttermilk pancakes, and I swapped in some seltzer water for a portion of the buttermilk, then added a little more flour to give Rhoda's thin and crispy pancakes a little extra body to showcase those bubbles and rise in height as they cook.
3. Use a Griddle to Cook Your Pancakes
At every diner, pancakes are cooked on a super-hot griddle, giving them a nicely browned crust and a quick rise in height. You can't install a diner-style griddle in your home kitchen, but a two-burner griddle allows you to turn your stovetop into a diner-style cooking surface, and cook more pancakes faster than you could in a single skillet. If you don't have a griddle, a cast-iron skillet is your next best choice for the best pancakes crust.
4. Pour Them Out by the 1/2 cup
For true diner-style seltzer pancakes, you want them to be as big as your plate, which means you have to pour out 1/2 cup of batter onto your griddle for each pancake. If you want smaller pancakes (which are easier to flip) you can use a 1/4 cup measure instead to pour them out. At The Greeks, Koutsouris makes dozens of pancakes in the course of a busy Saturday, but for a group of four friends (or family), eight pancakes should do it, so I've designed my recipe to make eight plate-size pancakes.

5. Think Beyond Maple Syrup
Before you douse these cloud-like confections in maple syrup, you might want to try doingsomething different..Replacing Maple Syrup with Grape or Strawberry Preserves or Jelly.There's only one way to make fluffy pancakes, but there are lots of ways to top them.

Here is the actual recipe for Diner Style Buttermilk Pancakes-

INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup cold seltzer water or club soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more
  • Pure maple syrup (for serving, but optional...See Above..)
DIRECTIONS: 
  1. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Using a fork, beat eggs, buttermilk, seltzer, vanilla, and 3 Tbsp. melted butter in a medium bowl to incorporate eggs. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and whisk to combine (batter will be slightly lumpy).
  2. Heat a large griddle or 2 cast-iron or nonstick skillets over medium; brush with butter. Working in batches, scoop 1/2-cupfuls of batter onto griddle; cook until bubbles form on the surface and pop and the underside is golden brown, 2 1/2–3 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until golden brown on the bottom, 2–2 1/2 minutes more. Transfer pancakes to plates or a platter and brush tops with butter. Serve with maple syrup alongside.
Don't Sweat The Technique- 

Cooks' Note-
To feed a larger group, double the recipe and keep pancakes warm in a 250°F oven between batches. If you don't have a griddle or 2 skillets, use 1 skillet to cook the pancakes.
ENJOY!  EAT WELL MY FRIENDS!
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Food Safety Tips
Protect yourself against food-borne illnesses.


1. Use a "refrigerator thermometer" to keep your food stored at a safe temperature (below 40 degrees fahrenheit).

Cold temperatures slow the growth of bacteria. Ensuring that your refrigerator temperature stays at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of food-borne illness. You can buy a refrigerator/freezer thermometer at appliance stories, home centers (i.e. Home Depot), and kitchen stores including online ones, such as Cooking.com.

2. Defrost food in the refrigerator, the microwave, or in cold water... never on the counter!

Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter for longer than two hours because, while the center of the food may remain frozen, the outer surface may enter the Danger Zone, the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly. If you’re short on time, use the microwave or you can thaw meat and poultry in airtight packaging in cold water. Change the water every half-hour so it stays cold and use the thawed food immediately.

3. Always use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/fish and cooked foods/fresh produce.

Bacteria from uncooked meat, poultry, and fish can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. An important way to reduce this risk is to use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/ fish, and cooked foods/fresh produce.

4. Always cook meat to proper temperatures, using a calibrated instant-read thermometer to make sure.

One effective way to prevent illness is to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, and egg dishes. The USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures are as follows:

* Beef, veal, and lamb (steaks and roasts), fish - 145 degrees fahrenheit

* Pork and ground beef - 160 degrees fahrenheit

* Poultry - 165 degrees fahrenheit.

Cook meats like roasts and steaks to lower temperatures, closer to medium-rare, so that they retain their moisture. It is recommended that those who are at high risk for developing food-borne illness (i.e. pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, or certain chronic illnesses) should follow the USDA guidelines.

5. Avoid unpasteurized/raw milk and cheeses made from unpasteurized milk that are aged less than 60 days.

Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized (heated to a very high temperature for a specific length of time) to kill harmful bacteria that may be present. These bacteria, which include salmonella, E. coli and listeria, can cause serious illness and sometimes even death. The bacteria in raw milk can be especially dangerous to pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses. Raw milk cheeses aged 60 days or longer are okay, since the salt and acidity of the cheese-making process make for a hostile environment to pathogens.

6. Never eat "runny" eggs or foods, such as cookie dough, that contain raw eggs.

Even eggs that have clean, intact shells may be contaminated with salmonella, so it’s important to cook eggs thoroughly until both the yolk and the white are firm. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160 degrees fahrenheit and you can use an instant-read food thermometer to check. Eggs should always be cooked fully and those who are at high risk for developing foodborne illness (pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems or certain chronic illnesses should follow the USDA guidelines. If you can’t resist runny eggs or sampling cookie batter, use pasteurized eggs. They’re found near other eggs in large supermarkets.

7. Always wash your hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds before handling food and after touching raw meat, poultry, or eggs.

You can pick up a lot of bacteria out in the world, so it’s important to always wash your hands before you eat or prepare food. You should also wash your hands after touching any uncooked meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, as the bacteria from these foods can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. Use soap and warm water and wash thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.

8. Always heat leftover foods to 165 degrees fahrenheit.

The USDA recommends heating all cooked leftovers to 165 degrees fahrenheit in order to kill all potentially dangerous bacteria.

9. Never eat meat, poultry, eggs, or sliced fresh fruits and vegetables that have been left out for more than two hours or more than one hour in temperatures hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you leave perishable foods out of the refrigerator or freezer for more than two hours they may enter the Danger Zone—the unsafe temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly.

10. Whenever there’s a food recall, check products stored at home to make sure they are safe.

You should discard any food that’s been recalled because it’s associated with the outbreak of a food-borne illness. But, according to a survey conducted by Rutgers University during the fall of 2008, only about 60% of Americans search their homes for foods that have been recalled because of contamination. For more information on food recalls, visit the website Recalls.gov






Cavier & Vodka
Courtesy of The Lady (Bug) of the Household