You don't have to serve these pancake with syrup. We heat them up in the toaster oven and eat them like a flat muffin.

I can trace the inspiration for these blueberry ricotta cornmeal pancakes back 25 years when I lived in Chicago and worked for food publicity maven Marian Tripp.   She was well-known for creating fantastic publicity events that the food media actually wanted to attend.   How?  She insisted on spectacular venues and always had a great news hook.  She was genius at spotting upcoming trends and upcoming people.

One of her favorite places was the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago behind Water Tower Place.   It was the site of the exciting launch of Uncle Ben’s Boil-in-Bag Rice.   Susan Weaver was a young chef there at the time and created a glamorous Asian/Spa cuisine luncheon using the bagged rice.  Anything Asian was big news , Thai food was just coming around.  Hard to believe now,  I know.  I remember admiring the shy chef, thinking she was about my age.

A few years later into the 90s, that same Chef Weaver moved to Toronto and became the first ever Four Seasons Hotel female executive chef.  From there she went to the fabulous 57 57 restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel in New York.  I took my Jack Daniel’s  buddy Lynne Tolley to the restaurant for breakfast once while we were in town for the Beard Awards.  57 57 was THE place for hobnobbing with the fancy suits over Chef Weaver’s famous lemon ricotta pancakes.   Lynne and I loved them.

Of course, back in Nashville,  I was up to my elbows in Martha White self-rising flour and cornmeal, my two favorite ingredients for great pancakes and corn cakes.

Today Chef Weaver is back in Chicago and a partner at Lettuce Entertain You.  Nice career.

And I’m still thinking about those pancakes.  Here is my recipe inspired by Susan Weaver with a little Martha White thrown in.   Serve them with syrup and butter, or even better, they make a perfect toaster oven snack that sure beats a muffin.   We love these.

Blueberry Ricotta Cornmeal Pancakes

1 egg

1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1/2 cup self-rising cornmeal mix

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 to 1 cup milk

Zest from one lemon, optional

1 to 1 1/2  cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Beat the egg with the oil and ricotta cheese in a medium mixing bowl.  Add the flour, cornmeal and sugar.  Stir in 3/4 cup of the milk, adding more as necessary for a creamy pourable batter.  Stir in the optional lemon zest.  Stir in the blueberries.  Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, spoon the batter onto a hot greased griddle.  Cook on the first side until the edges look dry and the top is bubbly.  Flip and brown on the other side.  Makes about 14 pancakes.

Time to put the roasted chile to use.  First, real chile rellenos.  Sounds so much like a project that most folks only order them out.  Too bad as they’re really easy to do.  Besides, the Mexican restaurant versions are often a disappointment.  Last motorcycle trip into east Tennessee R.B. ordered them in some little town and wound up with a relleno made with a green bell pepper filled with grainy, unseasoned ground beef.  What, no cumin?  No chile powder?  More evidence of the Nutcrackerization of food and culture in America.

If you can’t buy them fresh, you can order the real deal from Hatch, New Mexico or substitute the usually available Anaheim chile or poblano pepper.  You might even find a little tub of Hatch chile in the freezer section.

No need to special order the fancy tumbler-style chile roaster. Any old gas grill will do.

Peeled and roasted Hatch chile.

Don’t forget to wear disposable gloves while peeling.  Watch where you put your fingers.

Now for real chile rellenos at home.  They’re just stuffed peppers, usually with cheese, coated with a stiff egg white batter and fried.  We used a combo of Tennessee self-rising flour and self-rising cornmeal to give it a little crunch, leavening and salt.  Worked like a champ.

Fluffy egg white batter coats the chile perfectly before frying. The stem makes a convenient handle.

Frying operations can be simple. Three in three out, don't crowd the pan, don't leave your post.

Real Chile Rellenos

Whole roasted and peeled green chilies

Cheese cut into long thin strips that will fit into the chilies.  Use  Jack, cheddar, or Mexican melting cheese

Batter:

4 eggs, separated

2 tablespoons self-rising flour

2 tablespoons self-rising cornmeal mix

Beat the egg whites until stiff in a medium mixing bowl.  Beat the yolks in a separate bowl.  Fold the yolks, flour and cornmeal into the whites.

Heat about 2 inches of oil in a wide high sided skillet to about 375 F.  Cut a slit in the chilies and fill with cheese.  Dip each chili into the egg white batter and carefully place in the hot oil.  Fry a few at a time, do not crowd the pan.   Cook until golden brown, turning once or twice, about 10 minutes.   Serve immediately.   The batter can be doubled.  This amount will coat about 8 chilies.

If you’re not up for frying or need a great pot luck casserole inspired by Min’s grandmother Johnye, use the same batter over diced chile, cheese, and optional meat and throw it in the oven for half and hour.  We even added leftover meatballs.  We say we don’t make this often enough every time we have it.   With a freezer full Hatch chile, you can make it anytime.

More exciting Hatch recipes on the way!

Rellenos the easy way "en casserole."

Cheater Chile Relleno Casserole

1 1/2 cups chopped green chile

1 1/2 cups leftover cooked meat (brisket, chicken, hamburger, pork), optional

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 cups grated cheddar or Jack cheese

4 eggs, separated

2 tablespoons self-rising flour

2 tablespoons self-rising cornmeal mix

Heat the oven to 350 F.  Grease a 2 quart baking dish.  Layer the green chilies and  meat in the dish.  Sprinkle with cumin and the cheese.  Beat the egg whites until stiff.  Beat the yolks in a separate bowl.  Fold the yolks, flour, and cornmeal into the whites.  Spread the batter over casserole.  Bake about 30 minutes or until puffy and golden brown.  Makes about 4 to 6 servings.

Wish I could stop fretting about mac and cheese.

A while ago I wrote the post Macaroni and Cheese Once and For All.   Who was I kidding?   I’m still futzing with the recipe.  Now I’m streamlining it even more, using less white sauce and blowing off the breadcrumb or cracker crumb topping completely.   And don’t be fooled by fancy mac and cheese recipes with too many cheeses.  You don’t need four cheese mac.  A good cheddar works just fine.   Really, just one cheddar.

The critical components are easy to remember when you’re in the store without a list.  I like even amounts that are easy to remember like my  Three Pound Bag French Onion Soup.

Streamlined Mac and Cheese 2010

1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated (4 cups)

4 to 6 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

1 quart milk

1 pound pasta, cooked al dente according to package directions

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Heat the oven to 350 F.  Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain, and pour into a buttered   9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Make the white sauce while the pasta is cooking.   Melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Stir in the flour and cook a minute or two.  Add the milk and cook over medium heat until slightly thickened and bubbly.  Remove from heat and add 3 cups of the cheese.  Stir to melt.  Season with salt and dry mustard.  Pour the sauce over the pasta.  Cover lightly with foil.  Bake  about 20 minutes.  Add the remaining cheese and continue to bake about 10 minutes.  Serve immediately.  Makes about 8 servings.