Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes.

WARNING: You'll never make American style pancakes the same way again, these are that good.

We all have a pinterest account now. There is no denying myself the nifty and uber-convenient recipe wealth of that website. But some of the recipes seem too good to be true. Thus, I've begun experimenting. I found was this amazing trick to take the classic pancake breakfast up a notch.

I love breakfast food. I can never decide whether to make french toast, cinnamon rolls, pancakes or a million other things. This recipe takes pancakes and makes them cinnamon-y delicious.

Make the traditional pancake batter. I just use bisquick, but this pancake recipe does well if you don't have a pre-made mix.

Pancake:
1 1/2 c. flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 c milk
1 egg
3 tbsp butter (melted)

Literally, whisk the wet with the dry and you have batter.

To make this special, you must make a swirl mix.

I never make more than 4-5 pancakes at a time. The recipe above will make 12-15. Adjust accordingly.

Melt 3 tbsp butter and mix in 2 tbsp brown sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon, this will make enough drizzle for the 4-5 pancakes. For a larger batch of batter , melt 1/3 cup of butter, 3 tbsp brown sugar and tsp cinnamon.

Pour your pancakes and immediately drizzle some of the swirl mix on the top of the batter. Once the patter makes bubbles, the pancake is ready to flip. The swirl mix with sizzle a bit and might run off a little in the pan but don't let it freak you out. Some of it will caramelize and some of it sinks into the batter for a gooey surprise, just like in a cinnamon roll.

For the kicker, throws it over the top, a cream cheese glaze.

Again, I make enough for a small batch of pancakes. Not because it makes sense, but because if I made more, I'd eat it ALL.

2 tbsp butter (melted)
4 tbsp cream cheese, cold
3 tbsp powdered sugar
dash of vanilla or maple syrup

Melt butter and whisk with softened but cold cream cheese. Add powdered sugar and dash of maple syrup or vanilla. Voila.

Stack the pancakes with dollops of the cream cheese mixture between and top it with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Cooking tool kit...on the go and Banana Bread

Next blog: all about weirdly awesome Bosnian products!

Clearly I travel a lot and I have cooked in many kitchens. My last post alluded to the tragedy of parting with one's kitchen. We had become such good friends! But in the rational world, I had to leave behind the kitchen and the toolkit I had built there. I gave my good friends my must haves. You know, Ikea mixing bowl, spring form pan for cheesecake, hand mixer. All of those little essentials that do not travel well. Heartbreaking, but I have some tricks to help you weather the traveling storm.

First, this all depends on how you prioritize your cooking. I love to bake so I need at least one metal cake pan, spatula, a mixer, and measuring cups. Those are a must. But you have to be flexible with your concepts of the rest of your utensils. I love to make muffins, so I purchased a silicone muffin "pan".

I love Ikea tupperware because it is a packing material in itself. Use it to hold and organize products in your suitcase and once you arrive, send it to the kitchen. The largest size tupperware can be a mixing bowl or storage or a great tote for a brown bag lunch at work. I always thought I needed a round bowl but honestly, I have started to prefer the square. Anything in the corners you can get out with a spatula and pouring batter is so much easier out of a corner (silver lining, stuff, I know).

For cooking, a medium size non-stick skillet is pretty important. It seems like an unnecessary weight in your bag, but you will never regret it when you are making eggs or a comforting grilled cheese sandwich.


In addition, you need a recipe book. Not one of those full of recipes, unless you have a favorite. I am talking about a homemade one with all of your own recipes. My moleskin has so many simple recipes that make me feel like am home. Banana break, pancakes, chocolate cupcakes, my Grandma's potato soup recipe. It beats emailing people for their recipes all of the time, and where ever you travel you can add local recipes that you love.


As for ingredients, I always carry a few because you can't be sure when they will be available. Always always always baking powder. I learn that lesson over and over again. Baking soda is available in ever country I have lived in, but not baking powder. I learn that lesson over and over, which is why by boyfriend is bringing some with him when he visits. Another hit or miss is brown sugar. To get an idea of the ingredients that will be available, look up recipes for the local cuisine. Here in Bosnia, baking soda is the only other major baking component besides butter. They don't get much crazier than that. Finally, semi-sweet chocolate chips. Sounds silly, but it is difficult to find semi-sweet chocolate in Europe. Just trust me on this. You will be so happy that you have chocolate chips and brown sugar to make choco-chip cookies. It will remind you of home and nothing is better than food to take you home.

You're reward for getting through this is a banana bread recipe. I have no idea where it is from, my mom always used it and I make it when I want my apartment to smell like home.

Ingredients:
1c sugar
2c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 c butter
4tblsp sour cream
2 eggs
3 bananas (browned or ripe)
1 c nuts (optional)
1/2 c choco chips (optional)

The procedure is simple.
1. Mix bananas, butter, eggs and sour cream.
2. Add flour, suga, and baking soda
3. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips
* Because this recipe will make two loaf pans of batter, I like to do half and half. One loaf has nuts and the other has nuts and chocolate chips. If you want both to have chocolate chips, use one cup.

Bake until golden brown on top at 350 degrees.

And for my single dwellers tip, take half of the baked goods to work or freeze it because you don't want to eat all of it by yourself and regret it later. Great in muffin tins for a quick breakfast. Enjoy!

Sarajevo! A new frontier

If you haven't noticed, Sarajevo isn't on the worlds' fastest growing cities list. People aren't pushing and shoving in the airport to get through immigration and settle down here.

Well, I am, at least for a little while.

I have been to Bosnia two times before. Now I have moved and settled in an apartment about 20 minutes from city center. It is a huge change, but not as big as you may think. It's just that, change.

I am learning here.

Of course I have an internship, working on finding a job and living in a country where the native language is completely different from my own. There is a lot of learning going on.

My kitchen is a brand new experience too. I am very lucky. I have a nice big fridge, an oven and a stove top. Things are good. The downside is that leaving London, I also left my kitchen that was stocked with flour, sugar, spices and the other basic ingredients any cook needs. With a new kitchen, I've had to rebuild, restock, re-organize.

Another change is that I don't have anyone to cook for, which, for lack of a better word, sucks. I love to cook for my friends, for my family. I am just one person and I cannot eat the food I cook for people all on my own. As a consequence, I have to plan a lot more. The food I cook has to be adaptable and can be used to make many different meals.

Last week, I roasted a chicken and two pounds of vegetables (onions, potatoes, carrots and mushrooms). From that roasted chicken and veggies, I made four different meals. First, I kept the drumsticks and made easy meals to pull out of the freezer. Just drumsticks and veggies. The second meal was a soup. I poured frozen peas, two cups of chicken broth, roasted veggies and shredded chicken into a plastic bowl. This is a pretty tasty soup to begin with, but you can add cream or a cheese once it is thawed for a little more flavor.

I also made corn and potato chowder. I chopped roasted carrots, potatoes and chicken and let it simmer with two cups of chicken broth, one cup of cream and a can of corn. I topped it with pan toasted croutons and parmesan cheese. Delicious!

Finally I put aside red onions and mushrooms to make my own creamy mushroom topping for my own version of mushroom bruschetta.

This is how I feed myself when I am living on my own. This is how I keep myself from eating out or out of a cereal box every night.

What's more. I have a pretty demanding palette. I like variety and spice and flavor. Bosnia has great food, but it doesn't live up to those standards and if I eat Bosnian food all the time, I'm going to have to buy new pants. All of this means that I will be learning how to make the foods I crave. Pad thai, why not. Coconut curry, sure. But I draw the line at Sushi. I don't trust myself with sushi.

If you have any tips or tricks or recipe suggestions, bring em on! This food blog is about to get interesting.

Taste of Maine

Let me start by saying, Maine is awesome. I love everything about the time I spend there, mostly in the Bar Harbor area and around Acadia National Park. The scenery is majestic, people are friendly and the food is insane. The routine and vibe of the island is comforting and when I travel there with my adopted parents, Richard and Lorraine, we always know where we want to go.

We have a must dine list. The Quietside for pizza and ice cream, the Asticou Inn for a sunny day luncheon on the patio, Jordon Pond for a late and lazy afternoon, Jordan's for an All-American pancake breakfast, Abel's for a lobster pound. Life is simple and good in Maine. I attribute my happiness there to the company and the food. I can't say no to the delicacies of the island, and after this post, you won't be able to either.

 First up, Jordan Pond. Famous for their Popovers, Jordan Pond is an institution in the middle of Acadia National Park. The restaurant looks over the pond which provides the island with most of its water.

Popovers are a crowd pleaser. The batter is simple (eggs, milk, flour, baking soda and salt) and bakes quickly into a hallow, fluffy and chewy delight. We tear a chunk off of the side and slide small slabs of butter and jam and seal the hole while the butter and jam melt inside. Generally they sell them in sets of two and almost every dish on the menu comes with a popover. You can find the recipe here (http://www.food.com/recipe/jordan-pond-popovers-360513)

Lorraine and I love the lobster stew there. I can't speak for her, but the first time I had the stew was on a rainy afternoon and we were tired of being in the house. We made our way to Jordan Pond to sit and drink hot chocolate, intending only to eat popovers, but the lobster stew sounded so good we had to try. Now I can't get enough. That recipe is simple too! Chunks of lobster, cream, butter and some lobster broth. Top with oyster crackers and you have amazing comfort food.

Richard doesn't enjoy seafood. But he tells me the grilled ham and cheese is good. After seeing it though, it looks exemplary as well. (He doesn't get excited over food as I do.)

The Asticou Inn is another island institution, although it is a tourist treat more than a local favorite. Most of the people I've dined with there are not from the island. It is delicious nonetheless clad with creative twists on island favorites. Start with a bottle of wine to sip on the sunlit deck and nothing can go wrong. We started with a little cheese platter that had Brie, smoked cheddar and some other treat.

Lorraine and I typically coordinate our orders to maximize utility (i.e. we figure out two things we would both like to try and split them). This visit we tested the lobster roll (yum) and the shrimp po boy (double yum). My apologies for the haphazard photo. We were so excited to taste, we forgot to take a snap shot. By these time we remembered, this is what was on the plate. :) Their fries are the thinnest little trinkets filled with the powerful flavors of truffle oil, parsley and parmesan. This meal could only be made better by one thing, dessert. I will not be challenged on this point, creme brulee is the best and the Asticou delivers.

Creme brulee is not the easiest dessert to make. It requires patience and a great understanding of how eggs and cream work together. I've only ever made it once, and it wasn't great. What's more, I don't like to make it because I end  up keeping it all for myself! Some things are too good to share. Places like the Asticou have a practiced hand.

Enjoy the island and the food!

Baked cheesecake!

Now, I love cheesecake, but I very rarely make it. I'm not sure that my self control (and ego) could take the failure of eating an entire cheesecake by myself. That's why I have a 24 hour rule. I only make cheesecake if I know I will give it to someone (for their birthday, for no reason at all) within 24 hours. This is pretty easy to do, as most everyone I know will take a cheesecake.

The recipe I use is very easy and never fails. And it is easy to adapt to your needs. This cheesecake was made for a good friend on his birthday and he loves blueberries so I dropped a few in. You can also puree or reduce some fruit in simple syrup to give it your own spin. The possibilities are endless, but for now, cheesecake with blueberries.

A quick note on the ingredients, as always. Cheesecake crust is the main trouble here. If you are dedicated to the notion of graham crackers to make the crust, order them online because you really don't find them in Britain or Europe. I use plain digestives cookies, but you can also use Oreos or ginger snaps--- oh ginger snaps would be good!

Ingredients for crust:
2 cups of cookies/biscuits/Oreos, processed to crumbs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup), melted
A splash of vanilla

Ingredients for filling:
16 oz/ 500 grams of cream cheese
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 pint sour cream
1 lemon, zested
1 teaspoon vanilla

Recipe:

1. Combine cookie crumbs, butter, cinnamon and vanilla until evenly moistened. Use coat the pan evenly with the crumbs and pat down with hands. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to firmly press the crust. Don't forget to coat the sides of the pan as well, about 5 centimeters or an inch up. Put in the fridge until ready to use.
2. To make the filling, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs one at a time until combined.
3. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the mixture is creamy.
4. Add the sour cream, vanilla and lemon.
     *The filling is very thin, but don't worry. It is supposed to be the consistency of cream.
5. Bake for 45 minutes at 325 degrees. Allow to rest in the pan for 30 minutes in the pan before putting it in the fridge. Allow it to set for at least four hours before serving.


Enjoy!

Baking in review

This year has been a whirlwind. The only constant has been my baking. Everything else in London was up in the air. I found comfort in baking. When I was stressed from exams, I baked. When we had birthdays in the group, I baked. And when we left each other after one of the best years of my life, I baked. My last baking project in London was chocolate chip cookies.

I baked chocolate chip cookies in the middle of dissertation madness. We had to have a break from writing, researching, and cursing the gods to enjoy chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches. The rest went toward getting Luuk to Washington DC without starving because I wasn’t sure he was going to make it… (That story is for another time and place).

Here is the list of recipes this year and the many memories we made!!!

Yannik’s Birthday—Double Chocolate cake pops

Richard’s Birthday—Pumpkin Pie

Aurore’s Birthday—White Chocolate Almond Cupcakes

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hugo’s Birthday—Cheesecake

Dominik’s Birthday—Blueberry cheesecake

Study session—Pumpkin Bars

Rebecca’s Birthday—French Silk Pie

Josh’s birthday—Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes with Ganache

One of my favorite memories was my first night out with Rebecca and Pamela, and that amazing chocolate cake from Waitrose. There is absolutely nothing wrong chocolate ganache cake shared between three friends.

Other great memories that I find bittersweet are the times when others have pirated my baking skills—a sacrifice I am willing to make for my friends to gain favor with our professors.

Aurore’s birthday is a for instance. The next morning was a rough one. We had a great night, but Yannik and Aurore has an early meeting with our professor to review their presentation for the next week. They had nothing prepared. Nothing. So they bribed her with a cupcake I baked. I gave Aurore two gifts—birthday cake and that meeting. Because I love her, I let it slide.

A few short weeks later, I was hoodwinked again! It is a tradition I carried over from the family and undergrad. I bake pumpkin chocolate chip cookies to take to the last day of class every Christmas. But this year, we had a lot of fun the night before our 9am class. Very few of my classmates showed up, I won’t name names. It wasn’t until the afternoon seminars that the cookies came out and yet again, my cookies were pirated to gain favor with a preferred professor of the program. That was worth it though. I would bake thousands of cookies just to see Aurore take credit for them because it was so hilarious.

Any other stories are welcome but the reminiscing is getting in the way of my packing. I’m off to a new city. Off to new beginnings, new people, and new opportunities, but I will never forget the people I met, the lessons we learned together and the comfort I found in taking care of them by cooking and baking.

This is why I bake—to see the look on Hugo’s face when he eats cheesecake. Luuk’s smile after chocolate ganache anything. Or the glee on Deborah’s face when we make cake pops together.

I’ll miss these people and baking for them. 

Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes with Ganache

When invited to a friend's birthday I ask, "What's your favorite?" Usually I mean cake, but sometimes I get a savory request. Not this time though. I had full creative freedom. Actually Josh's response was, "You totally spoil me. And you totally don't have to bake me anything by the way... But, I do like EVERYTHING cakey. Seriously, I genuinely can't think of anything of that 'genre' that I don't love."

Challenge accepted. I thought, how can I combine cake and cheesecake? Well, why not layer the two?Behold, Chocolate cheesecake cupcakes with the most amazing Chocolate ganache frosting. So so so easy, I promise. 

This recipe was so successful, everyone ate it before I could get pictures! So I promise, the next go-around, I will update with pictures. Enjoy!

For the Cake mix:1 cup all purpose-flour1/2 cup of cocoa1 teaspoon baking powder3/4 cup sugar 2/3 cup milk, room temp1 egg, room temp6 tablespoons butter, softened

1. Cream the butter and sugar.  2. Add egg.3. Separately, mix the flour, cocoa, and baking powder 4. Add half of the flour mix to the butter mixture.5. Add the milk until combined.6. Add the other half of the flour. 

Creamcheese filling:

5 oz cream cheese, softened1 tablespoons white sugar 2 tablespoons brown sugar1 tsp vanillaCombine with an electric mixer. (Yes, it really is that easy). 

Chocolate Ganache

1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips (Nestle choco chips work great)3/4 cup heavy cream2 tablespoons espresso

1. Heat over a double broiler and whisk until the chocolate is melted, and the mixture is smooth and thick. (Also, very very easy). 

To put it all together:

1. Line cupcake tins with paper or if you want to make a cake, butter a pan and dust with powdered sugar. 2. Fill the liner or pans halfway with the batter and spread evenly. 3. Put in a layer of cream cheese filling.4. Top with thinly sliced almonds (if you wish). 5. Finish with a top layer of the cake mixture, spread evenly to make sure none of the cream cheese shows. 

Bake at 350 degrees until a knife comes out clean. About 20 to 25 minutes. 

Allow to cool then spoon ganache over the top and tilt the pan to allow it to spread evenly and smoothly. 

Keep in the fridge until ready to serve! 

Pumpkin bars with Cream Cheese frosting

It is exam time in London. We're cramming every last piece of information into our brains until the moment we let the flood gates open. Every student has their coping mechanism to get through four weeks of monogamy with nothing but the books to keep them company.

My coping mechanism has been baking and I have to say, it is working for me. Today I wanted some comfort from home. Every recipe I make has a memory and when I think of pumpkin bars, I think of Aunt Lori. She makes them better than anyone. So I thought, why not? My friends will love them! I took them to study group and they did!

The tricky thing about pumpkin in Europe is that it really is an American ingredient. Every now and again a boutique bakery will have a pumpkin flavored something, but it is rather rare. At home, I can get canned pumpkin year around. Here I have a few options. I can order normal Libby's Pumpkin from Amazon like the good little American I am. I can get a pumpkin and roast it myself, which isn't too bad actually. Or I can get pumpkin puree from Whole Foods. Every option will work for this recipe. The main consideration is the liquid content.

Canned pumpkin has more oil so it keeps cakes moist. If you roast your own pumpkin, it is important to season and oil it very well to retain the moisture. Pumpkin puree from the store is just roasted and mashed pumpkin so it needs to be seasoned and it has a lot of water, so cut back on the wet ingredients until you know you need them in the recipe, you may find that the puree makes the batter too loose.

Other than that, the recipe is very easy. This is the first time I've made this recipe and I have a few observations. Make sure you are using a larger pan, around 13 x 9 inches. If you are using smaller pans, back in shifts. If there is too much batter, the cake won't cook evenly and the cake won't turn out light and fluffy.

Ingredients for cake:
15 oz of pumpkin
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup of vegetable oil (sunflower oil works well too)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for cream cheese frosting:
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup of butter (softened)....1/4 cup for thinner/healthier frosting
2 cups confectioner/ icing sugar
1 tsp of vanilla
Also calls for 2 tablespoons of milk. You do not need milk if only using 1/4 cup of butter.

Recipe:

1. Combine eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until well mixed.
2. Add baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Gradually add the flour, half a cup at a time until incorporated, but don't over mix.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.
5. For the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until combined. Add vanilla. Then gradually add sugar. If too thick, add milk slowly for consistency.

Voila!!!! Enjoy!

Sarajevski Sahan, oh yea

Admittedly, the cuisine of the Balkans could be a bit iffy for the untrained traveler. But there are a few things about Balkan, particularly Bosnian and Serbian cuisine that you have to remember.


First, it is based on the basics that Russian, German and even English cuisine is based on. Meat, Bread, and a few basic veggies. I can speak far more to Bosnian cuisine because I've had more traditional food in the country than I have in Belgrade. So I'll stick with it here. For more information on the food I had in Belgrade, wait for a new post sometime next week.

Secondly, the veggies are fresh. The meat is very good quality. Third, the food doesn't have the preservatives that our Western cuisine does. So don't feel so guilty about the calories. Yes, it is a heavy cuisine culture and you WILL be full. But enjoy it! It is proper home cooking.

The food in Sarajevo is honestly my favorite, with Polish Pirogi in a close second. This food is simple, rich, and based on simple ingredients. My favorite is Sarma, cabbage leaves pickled in vinegar wrapped around a mince meat filling. The mince meat is ground beef or lamb, onions, carrots and a bit of rice. These little bundles of flavorful joy are boiled in a soup of water, tomato puree and onions.

This cooking method is also used for Sogan Dolma, or Puntene Paprike. The difference is that Sogan Dolma is onion stuffed with the meat mixture. And the Puntene Paprike are stuffed bell peppers.

To serve, place the cabbage bundles, the onion or pepper in a bowl (when served all together it is known as Sahan), pour the broth over the top and a dollop of sour cream. The cream seeps under the surface of the liquid tomato and is perfect to soak up with bread. Amazing.

Something you may not expect is that Sarajevo is a dessert paradise. The Baklava is amazing of course. But the sweets culture there goes along with the coffee culture.

Starbucks will never make it in Sarajevo because Turkish coffee or traditional coffee is the best and far too popular for a frappacino to beat.

Everyday I tried a different sweet. Proper and thorough research for you folks. You'll see my absolute favorites in the next post. The loppsided tower of sugar above was part of this research. Can you guess what it is?

Yup, marshmallow. I've never had freshly made marshmallow and it was exquisite and painful at the same time. Pure sugar, fluffy, gooey sugar. It was amazing for about three bites and then I had enough. Thank goodness I had a large coffee with it or I'd never get rid of the taste. Yikes. My suggestion in Bosnia is to stick with the cakes and fruit and steer clear of this dish or the custards. While the custards are tasty, they are sitting out for most of the day and build a thick film sort of like pudding does when it is in the refrigerator. It isn't texturally pleasant AND may not be stored properly. 

Egipat Baklava -- Old Towne Sarajevo

Bosnian food is amazing and I intend to spend the next couple of posts proving it. But of course, my most obvious (and delicious) starting point is the desserts.

There are many to choose from so I split them into two categories: traditional and continental.

Traditional desserts in Bosnia are gooey, savory and rich. Bosnia is my baklava paradise.

Baklava can be made with any type of nut, but every region, country or family has its variation. Baklava in the Middle East or Greece uses a combination of nuts, mainly walnuts and pistachios. Bosnian baklava is generally made with walnuts.

Egipat in Old Towne Sarajevo is known in guide books as the place to get ice cream, especially in the hot summer. But their gateaux and baklava are amazing.  Their baklava uses walnuts that are very finely ground. They layer the phyllo and nuts very thinly and because the syrup is soaked up into the phyllo, it stays gooey, moist and decadent.

When I make baklava, I use what I have or what sounds good. Always with walnuts mixed with almonds, pecans, or pistachios. The mix can also include dates, raisins or anything else I suppose. I've added the basic recipe, feel free to play around.

Baklava from Egipat, Old Towne Sarjevo

Ingredients:
Phyllo dough (store bought)
Nuts
1 tbsp Cinnamon
1/2 nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup melted butter
1/4 cup of sugar (for a different flavor, use brown sugar instead)

Simple Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 tblsp lemon juice (can use fresh orange juice)

Recipe:
1. Thaw the phyllo dough. Begin by buttering/ greasing a cake pan. Layer five sheets of phyllo dough, by brushing each layer with melted butter. Sprinkle the mixed nut filling. Then repeat. It is up to you whether you want more phyllo or nut mixture to come through. I like to keep the layers consistent. The top layer should be 8 phyllo sheets thick.
2. Cut into equal portions with a very sharp knife. Back at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
3. While in the over, prepare the syrup by bringing the water and sugar to a boil, until the sugar is dissolved and add the honey and lemon juice and reduce. Take off of the heat and put aside to cool.
4. Once out of the over, pour the cooled syrup evenly over the hot baklava and allow to cool and set for at least four hours.
5. Do not heat before serving! Keep it cold and gooey!
 

My Old Dutch-Holborn

My Old Dutch

020 7242 5200

http://www.myolddutch.com/Contact/Holborn.aspx

 It's tough to find a cheap dinner in London, especially in a place that has delicious food. But we've found it in My Old Dutch on High Holborn.

My Old Dutch is known for its traditional Dutch pancakes, which are more like crepes than American pancakes. They serve a variety of sweet and savory, making the decision on what to get more perilous. I choose a sweet and a savory and when the waitress come to take my order I say the first I can think of.

The sweet variety is best for breakfast. The first time we went, I had the very simple and delicious pancake with butter and maple syrup. My friend Rebecca ordered her pancake with apples and vanilla ice cream and Richard had apples with bacon and maple syrup.

The pancake is thin but it is amazing how full I was, and I couldn't finish it.

Their savory plates are delicious as well. My favorite so far is the Ratatouille with creamed spinach. The ratatouille has massive chunks of vegetables and a nice zesty sauce. The spinach is wonderfully creamy. They fold the pancake over to keep it from running out. A lovely combination of cream and zest.




My friend Aurore ordered a Smoked Salmon and Mushroom in a creamy dill sauce number that was also very good. Finally, Rebecca ordered an asparagus, olives, spinach and mushrooms.

All day Monday, all pancake dishes are 5 pounds. There are multiple locations but the Holborn branch is in the best company with the historic Princess Louise just across the street.