Sunday Brunch

Potluck-style Sunday brunch is a tradition I started in my fourth year of college in NY when I lived in what used to be an old sorority house which had this absolutely amazing old cast iron gas stove with an oven and a huge flattop griddle large enough for a dozen or so pancakes. It annealed our social bonds and created a great environment for the sharing of ideas. I've taken this tradition with me to Birmingham, AL, to help me forge ties with some of the local nerds and philosophers.

Okay, so today we had a festival for seven people. The keystone of the gluttony were pancakes from scratch. I used this basic metric that I've devised for two large servings:

1. Add 1 tbsp vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar) to 3/4 cup of milk (2%). Let this stand for 5-10 minutes to thicken up a little and get nice and frothy.
2. Then quickly whisk in (I used a hand mixer) the following ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp melted butter (non-salt)

So in this case, I multiplied all the proportions by 3 - which still ended up being a little much, these are BIG servings. I might need to redefine that recipe for 3 servings.

I would then quickly start cooking over a medium heat on un-oiled non-stick pans. When I got through half the batter, I added a half cup of thawed blueberries and blackberries -- the frozen ones are so much cheaper, last longer, and don't really affect the taste much in cooking.

Before cooking the pancakes we started preparing a quickly put together starchy side (just enough for 7 people, it was a hit):

1. Boil 7 unpeeled and cubed potatoes (one per person) 15 minutes.
2. Place on baking pan and mix in one can condensed cream of mushroom soup and about 4 tbsp sour cream.
3. Bake covered for 10 minutes at 350. Add about 1 cup mozzarella cheese, though I would've added sharp cheddar if I had it, and bake for an additional 7-10 minutes uncovered.

Verdict: Absolutely delicious. A bit too many pancakes for the group. All the potatoes were licked clean. I think I'd add a little more milk to the pancakes to make the batter a little less thick and the final product a little more fluffy. The potatoes turned out great, and were really easy to make. Some garlic and onions might be a good addition in future attempts.