How to Make Good Pancakes

I love breakfast. I could eat "breakfast" for any meal of the day. I rarely have time during the week to do much, but on the weekend, I'll usually have pancakes or waffles or some such. And if you know me at all, you'll understand this is a Big Deal, because I don't cook much of anything.

For those who like breakfast as much as I do, tonight's post is something of a public service.

I've been going through a phase where, when I'm driving in the car, I flip between radio stations more than I listen to CDs or what not. (I keep meaning to get a new car stereo that will let me jack in my MP3 player, but I haven't got around to it.) Tonight, the afternoon team on one of the local stations was going on about pancakes.

...for the second time, actually. Last Friday, they spent my entire drive home from work (and presumably more) talking about how pancakes at home never turn out as well as what you can get at an IHOP, Denny's, Village Inn, or such. And they had countless people calling with their wide-ranging tips on how to improve one's homemade pancakes -- things from lemon juice to Cream of Wheat in the batter, to various mixing techniques, and a dozen other things I've forgotten. Basically, a raft of contradictory crap.

Tonight, the DJs took it to the source. They had reps in the studio from all three of the restaurant chains I mentioned, each offering their tips on pancake making. (Though stopping short of divulging any of their companies' actual recipes.) And while the Village Inn rep wasn't terribly helpful (she said they actually make their pancakes from scratch, and actually mixing up ingredients takes the whole thing across that cooking line I hardly ever cross), the other two reps actually agreed on some key secrets to making good pancakes.

Well, I came straight home and tried it for dinner tonight, and I'm telling you: they work! Best damn breakfast-for-dinner I've ever made in my life. So if you're looking to improve your pancake making, but aren't adventurous enough to do more than work with a premade mix, here's what you need to know. This is simple stuff, and it makes a major difference.

1) Stir up the dry mix before you add any water. Whisk it, or use a fork, so it gets sifted out finer than it comes straight out of the box/bag.

2) Use cold water -- as near to freezing as you can get. Don't take it straight from the faucet.

3) Do not overmix it. Stir it by hand, and use the bare minimum number of strokes you can. Like, mixing up some batter just to make pancakes enough for me, it didn't take more than about a dozen good strokes. More than 20, and I'd have officially been "doing it wrong."

That's it. No fancy secret ingredients. If you have pancake mix in your house, you can do this right now. And it's awesome.

So go enjoy your breakfast. No matter what time of day it is.