Pumpkin Pancakes

Every few months I refer back to a NYT article I mentioned a few months ago called “The 11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating.” I’m not entirely sure why I’m so obsessed with it. I think it makes me feel better when I can check off a few items on the list, feel good about my nutritional habits and then go back to eating ice cream and fantasizing about beer.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/the-11-best-foods-you-arent-eating/

Anyways, I can never check off ‘canned pumpkin’ because it is just not something I cook with unless I’m making pie at Thanksgiving. I assume I'm not alone here. However, the article says it’s very high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A so when I saw it featured in one of Trader Joe’s nauseatingly cute but apparently effective fall displays, I grabbed a few cans. From there it was a short journey to pumpkin pancakes.

Mix together 1 1/4 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt and about 2 teaspoons of any combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ground clove, and/or ground ginger depending on what you have. In a separate bowl, combine 1 1/3 cups milk, 3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin, 4 egg yolks, 1/2 stick of melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients. Finally, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer (or if you live in NYC sized apartment with your whisk) until they are firm or your hand is tired. Fold into the batter. Cook them up like normal pancakes and serve with maple syrup, a bit of butter and a sprinkling of good salt.

The Office Potluck

I work with people from all over Latin America and the Caribbean. My immediate cubicle neighbors come from St. Lucia and Guyana but this office has strong representation from Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Ecuador…and Brooklyn. You would be hard pressed to find a Subway sandwich or a deli bought cup of soup in our lunch room. At around 1:30 every day, the line starts to form as my colleagues wait to warm up their elaborate leftovers. There is always a bit of sharing that takes place in the kitchen – half an avocado up for grabs, homemade salad dressing passed around and shared hot sauce for the rice and beans days. For the most part however, we all settle down to our own lunches after a quick “buen provecho.” That is of course unless it’s the much anticipated once a year International Planned Parenthood Potluck.

Some offices do fancy holiday parties at midtown hotels with bacon wrapped scallops and mini puff pastries filled with brie. We do a potluck. Today that meant a spread that included roasted pernil, arroz con pollo, shrimp fried rice, roti, guacamole, empanadas, curried chicken, fried plantains and more. The dessert table continued the global taste bud extravaganza with torta de batata, flan and organic chocolate chip cookies. ( I did say Brooklyn after all.) Even with just a small taste of everyone’s dish, it’s impossible not to overdo it. Luckily I was able to skip one dish this year. The auditors who happen to be in the office today brought Cinnabons.