Basics

What seems so basic to some is like magic to others. Speaking to friends the other day the subject turned to food, as it inevitably does most times. And pancakes became a discussion point.

From when I was little I remember how to make pancakes, we used to do it all together for fun, and they are most kids favourite meal. We'd get a big bowl and the whisk out, some milk, flour and eggs and get going! It was a mess, but so much fun!
My friends, on the contrary, had no clue of what a pancake was made of, they always buy pre-mixed dry ingredients (E 2,05 per kilo) and add their own milk and eggs.
For Dutch pancakes all you need is milk, eggs and flour (E 0,98 per kilo)...a pinch of salt maybe.
So, it's the flour that is the secret ingredient?

I have made many different types of pancakes, that last ones were made of chickpeas and tofu, a bit of milk and an egg...not the best combination, but I had to cook lunch quickly and it was a healthy option.
Normally I try out different types of flour or combinations every time, like with bread.
Wholewheat flour, buckwheat flour, cornflour, oatmeal, etc. Sometimes with baking powder, sometimes not. Dutch pancakes traditionally have no baking powder in them, they are flat, like the country itself. Actually there is a saying in Dutch "As flat as a pancake!".
I prefer knowing what goes in my pancake and being able to have some fun and variety every time.

So my basic recipe for pancakes (Dutch ones that is):

For about 6 pancakes:
2 large eggs
150 grams of flour (whichever you feel like)
250 ml milk
a pinch of salt
butter or oil for baking

Just mix everything until smooth and bake in a large hot frying pan in a bit of butter or oil until the batter sets, flip (this is the fun part!) and bake till cooked through and golden brown.
Enjoy with powder sugar, jam, syrup, cheese, bacon....anything really.

Another basic in our house is tomato sauce, the simplest of all, but the best at the same time.
It's all about the garlic, the quality of your olive oil and the tin of tomatoes you're using.

For 2 servings:
1 big clove of garlic, finely sliced
3 tablespoons of good olive oil
1 tin of 400 grams poppa di pomodoro, best quality you can get. We love Mutti.
salt
pepper
peperoncino to your liking

Heat a saucepan and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and fry till light golden. Add the tomato sauce and stir well. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and peperoncino if you like a bit of a kick. Leave to simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes. You can add strips, tinned tuna, basil. Again all goes with this staple dish.
Just cook up some good pasta and keep a bit of the cooking water. Mix the water (about two tablespoons) with your sauce and stir. Mix in the pasta and serve hot! Nothing beats a good pasta al pomodoro in our house.
I notices I don't even have a picture of it as it's 'just' a basic.

Mutti polpa di pomodoro

Pink garlic

Yeast pancakes with honey