Did You Have Pancakes?

Yesterday I had pancakes for dinner to celebrate Fat Tuesday, even though I don't participate in Lent. It's always been a tradition in my family and the extremely limited kitchen in my apartment wasn't going to stop me. But there were some issues to deal with.

Problem One: The only bowls in my cupboard are two small-ish cereal bowl. In order to make pancakes, you need a mixing bowl.
Solution: Appropriate the fruit bowl on my table and make it a mixing bowl.

Problem Two: I don't have a stove, just a single hotplate which produces very variable temperatures. On a good day, in a normal kitchen, I'm likely to burn a few pancakes.
Solution: Do a trial run last Friday and realize that it's best to set it on low.

Problem Three: I only have one fry pan and it is very little.
Solution: Make only two small pancakes at a time and become very skilled at prying them apart when the inevitably run together.

Somehow, despite all of this and having very little counter space to work with (and when making pancakes I need all the counter space I can get) I managed to make the most beautiful pancakes ever.

And, because they were banana pancakes, they made my apartment smell delicious all night.

English pancakes are completely different than their North American counterpart. They are very thin, like a crepe. They don't have any baking powder or baking soda in them, so they don't rise. Usually, they are served drizzled with lemon juice and powdered sugar, although the grocery store ads featured pancakes drizzled with chocolate sauce (Scottish pancakes are another beast all together- they look at lot more like the pancakes I'm used to).

And the day is known as 'Pancake Day' in the UK. The grocery store had a big sign directing you to the aisles that contained pancake supplies. I decided to make from scratch (there were already too many variables to deal with, using some crazy new mix was not going to improve my chances). While picking out flour, I found this.

I guess if betting on who would win a fight, you should put your money on Canadian flour over wimpy English flour? This was the only flour on the shelf with the word 'strong' in the name.