Cookin' With Leo

By Leocthasme

Well, It was still a warm winter day down here in West Texas, so I was enjoying a cool one out on the patio. And to my surprise Aztec Annie came fluttering about the nice warm area.
“Hey, is that you Annie”? I asked in amazement.
“Yeah, dat’s me”.
“Well, how come you came to visit me? And where is My Dear Sweet Italian Fairy Godmother’? I asked.
“Oh, she goofin’ off wid some Fairy Convention in South Sicily."
“South Sicily?’ I wondered out loud. “Well I guess it is South since it is south of Italy in the Southern Medeterrean, whereever."
“Anyway, I come by because I see you sittin’ all alone wid nottin’ to do, so I gonna’ give you a new way to make pancakes for all dem Super Bowl watchers you gonna’ have around here.”
“I don’t know if I was going to have a bunch of Super Bowl watchers around here, Annie, and they won’t want breakfast nor will I think about cooking it for them, the Super Bowl is in the evening anyway. “And, beside that America’s Team is a long shot to even be in it, so I ain’t looking for bowl watchers.”
“Well, whoever come by, dis is for snack time too, breakfast, dinner, supper, whenever, an’ dis way of makin’ pancakes come from my good fren, King Quetzacoatl”.
“Geez, Annie, that guy goes back to South American BC (Before Conquistadors) whenever that was. I have a hard time thinking you have been around that long”.
“Oh I been around long time. He the guy who put me in charge of protecting Fountain Of Youth from people who look for it”.
“Well Annie, I guess you are still doing a good job, nobody has ever found it yet.”
“Dem Spanish Conquistadoras couldn’t find their a-- tatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatata”.
“Yeah, Annie, I figured that last part out, glad you used your native language”.
“Yeah, an’ I gonna’ go now an’ you got new way to make pancakes”.
“Goodby, Annie”.

And with the breeze she was gone. But now I have a recipe for corn pancakes. As Aztec Annie tells me, they were made especially for King Quetzacoatl, whoever.

So let’s call these Corny Pancakes. In Venezuela they are known as ‘cachapas’.

And here is what you will need:

• 4 cups of corn: If using fresh corn steam it first and then cut it off the cob. If using frozen corn thaw if first. If using canned corn drain it well.
• 6 tablespoons ground cornmeal
• 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Butter to coat the frying pan
• Shredded cheese: Queso blanco, mozzarella, or Monterey jack, your choice

And here is how we do it:

In a blender or food processor place 3 cups of the corn, the flour, cornmeal, eggs, milk, salt, and sugar. Blend until smooth.

Now add the remaining cup of corn kernals whole.

Heat a large cast iron frying pan with enough butter to coat the pan to medium high. You can add 1, 2, or 3 spoons of batter depending on how big you want your pancakes. 1 spoon will make them dollar size, and, 3 spoons will make them about 5 inches round.

Let the pancake cook until the top seems dry, then flip and brown the other side.

If you top it with cheese do so while the pancake is still hot. You can also use syrup or jams to top the pancakes.

Probably enough batter to feed 6 or 8 hungry bowl watchers if you invited them.