Savory pancakes satisfy, especially when they're packed with corn and black beans
There's nothing wrong with serving straight-up breakfast-style pancakes for dinner, but through the years, The Washington Post's Food section has offered a number of savory renditions that I tend to favor for an evening meal.
Here, nubby corn kernels, black beans and scallions shore up the pancakes' heartiness, and sweet chili powder lends an orange hue plus mild heat.
The recipe comes by way of Ken Albala's scholarly volume “Pancakes” (Reaktion Books, 2008), and although it's slim on the shelf, it is mighty in its scope. While the pats of butter melt on your short stacks, feel free to discuss:
• The first recipe printed in English for pancakes dates to 1588, and, according to Albala, following the directions to the letter results in a hot mess.
• Queen Victoria's chef served pancakes in the royal household.
• Speaking of things British, a centuries-old women-only pancake race is held in Buckinghamshire, England. Once participants hear a bellringer's call, they must run with a skillet containing a hot pancake, flipping it three times along the way. The one who first reaches the bellringer, serves him that pancake and receives his kiss, wins. The race takes place on March 5 this year.