When I was growing up, a breakfast of pancakes was the reward for making it through Sunday mass. Upon returning home, our mother fired up the griddle – figuratively, it was an electric stove – and mixed up the pancake batter. When drops of water danced on the grill, it was ready.
Not just any pancakes, though, sourdough pancakes. She kept the starter in a corner of the refrigerator and brought it out on Sunday for the late-morning feast. No Bisquick for her, she made these from scratch. A key part of the process was taking a small portion out from the batter to save as starter for the next week’s breakfast. Bacon was the usual accompaniment. With six kids, the platter of bacon came to the table with the stern announcement of how many slices each of us was allowed.
Which brings us to the other end of the griddle spectrum – Blood Pancakes. A regular part of breakfast in Scandinavian countries, pancakes made with blood-infused batter are a component of a well-balanced meal.
“Like eggs, blood is high in protein, making it a simple source of the nutrient. In addition, blood is extremely high in iron, which can help stave off anemia (although it also gives it that metallic aftertaste). In addition to its health benefits, blood makes an excellent replacement for eggs in cooking, acting as a binding agent, and easily whipping up into a dense foam. Perfect for things like pancakes!”
Pig’s blood is typical, but the, umm, more adventurous use their own, or even menstrual blood.
Here’s how to do it (sorry, Mom):
When I was a bachelor grad student at the U of Portland in 1960 I would go to a little cafe on N. Lombard on Sunday nights before closing. It was owned by two little elderly Swedish sisters who took pity on a starving student and they would fix me whatever they had left in the kitchen which was often the last of their pancake batter. I’d go out smiling, stuffed to the gills and be out a buck and a half.