A Griddle at Work
Last weekend, I attended the Epicurean Classic culinary event in St. Joseph. Wow…if you’ll pardon the pun, I was whisked away. The chefs were amazing, the food was spectacular, and the kitchen gadgets were dazzingly shiny. (Imagine four separate fully-outfitted kitchens al fresco underneath huge white tents — how great would that set-up be in your backyard?) Even the chefs were enchanted with the array of whizzing, whirring, and whipping accoutrements provided by Kitchen-Aid.
But you know what? Sometimes the simplest things are best. My mother and I had ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the stovetop grilling trays the chefs had been using and had decided to get a few of our own…but then my mother showed up with an old-fashioned griddle in hand. “I haven’t used this in at least 11 years,” she said, and handed it to me. “Found it when I was rummaging through my pots and pans yesterday. You might as well try using it.”
A new (to me) kitchen tool! I couldn’t wait to make pancakes the next morning. And was I glad I did — every single one of them turned out beautifully. (Before, I had been juggling two or three different-sized pans at once on various burners, and since pans and burners adhere to the Snowflake Rule — no two are exactly alike — I had gotten some burned pancakes, some perfect ones, and some probably-could-have-been-better ones.) Being able to easily handle flatbread-making is an even bigger bonus for anyone who’s going gluten-free and is therefore making the switch from puffy leavened yeast breads to flatbreads and quickbreads. Who needs a sandwich loaf when you can fry up a batch of tortillas, chapatis, or inerja at a moment’s notice?
The verdict: do yourself a favor and get a griddle. All you’ll need is medium heat, a bit of butter or coconut oil to grease your griddle, and a bowl of batter, and you’ll be turning out the most perfectly-hued flapjacks north of the Mason-Dixie line.
Enjoy!
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Tags: griddle, kitchen tools, pancakes
