Nothing to do but eat

If you read Irish blogs much you may see a theme of complaining about the weather. It seems no matter how long we live on this

Atlantic

blasted island of rain, we just never ever get used to it, and therefore eternally live in hope. This means either Irish people are very optimistic or very, very stupid, as we will never face up to the fact that the weather here is just crap. Sitting in my living room now I have the fire on, it’s been raining buckets for tow days and it’s early June. Hopes of walks and running my lazy boys are gone out the wet window so the only hope for the day was to make a huge, unhealthy and delicious Sunday brunch.

I know it’s not a food photograph as we know it, I literally snapped this as I sat down, which always feels silly but it comes with the blogittory. The pancakes are from Jamie Olivers Happy Days with the Naked Chef and I’ve been making them for years. They are the typical light, fluffy, American style ones that you can hardly find in

Ireland

. Streaky bacon is cooked in the oven and tomatoes are doused in olive oil and balsamic and roasted alongside. The smoothies are made in the blender from frozen strawberries, bananas and pineapple juice. Get all this on the table with a fresh crusty loaf of bread and a pot of strong coffee and the Sunday papers and suddenly the rainy day becomes the perfect day for eating and lazing and snoozing. As long as you can get someone else to do the tidying up….

Pancakes

USA

Style

You will need

3 large eggs separated

115g plain flour

1 heaped teaspoon baking powder

140ml milk

Pinch salt

Whisk up the egg whites in a large bowl until they form soft peaks.

Combine the remaining ingredients in another bowl and whisk to make a thick batter. Fold the egg whites into this and your batter is ready, it will be full and fluffy.

Heat a good non-stick frying pan and add a tiny bit of butter, you can make them without butter I just find them softer and better with it. Pour on some batter and swirl it gently around, don’t have it too thick or the pancake will be gooey in the middle. Flip it over when bubbles appear all over the uncooked side. Continue to cook until golden then move to a warm plate in the oven. Continue until all the batter is used up. Pile with bacon and maple syrup and gorge yourself.

Comments

[Val]

Hi Jes
We did have lots of sun for a whole week so there was no cooking or blogging. It's back to rain now I'm back to the stove. Where in the world are you?
Val

[Jes]

Those pancakes look fab! I just made some sortof like those this morning. You guys have buckets of rain while we are in a severe drought--I'm jealous! Send some our way!

[Patricia Scarpin]

I love how fluffy they look.

[Lorraine@italianfoodies]

Val. The gods must have heard us with the day we had today!! After 21 sorry 31 years I'm still not used to it!!:)

[Freya]

A great photo and an even better breakfast to wake up to!

[Sarah Bell]

That looks like a good hangover cure!