pancakes....another thing i love that starts with the letter p

while i wait at the bus stop traveling back and forth to campus i am trying to practice the art of constructive boredom.  what is constructive boredom?  it’s the moments in everyday life such as waiting for a bus, waiting in line, stuck in traffic, etc that we used to take to just catch our thoughts and day-dream.  now in the world of iphones, smart phones, ipods, tvs everywhere our brains never get a down moment to just wander, this isn’t good for you.  and as much as i love using the bus as a way to catch up on podcasts, i really try to just have some good ol’constuctive boredom time.  thus was born this concept for pancakes, prosciutto-goat cheese pancakes.

one thing i miss about pulling kitchen shifts at work was a cakes shift on the weekend.  all you are encharge of is pancakes:  regular, strawberry, chocolate chip and french toast:  regular, cinnamon raisin, and nutella french toast.  with every once in a while some fantastic special such as chocolate chip bread pudding french toast.  the classic order combination pancakes with a side of bacon.  think about it, it is a perfect combination, balance of protein and carbs, sweet and savory.  my thought process why not just put the savory into the sweet pancake.

the prosciutto i cut up into large pieces.  what i hadn’t considered is how much the goat cheese thickened the batter.  then came the debate about what to top the pancakes with.  just butter?  would syrup be good?  or something better than syrup but with a similar sticky texture……..how about a balsamic vinegar reduction sauce!  i will say this they were fabulously yummy but i think the balsamic reduction might have been a little too much for the flavor palette.

RECIPE:  Balsamic Reduction Syrup

*a typical reduction is just the vinegar slowly cooked down till it becomes think and sticky*

INGREDIENTS

2 cups balsamic vinegar

3 tbspn brown sugar

1.   combine all ingredients into a sauce pan heated at medium heat.  constantly stir till vinegar is reduced down from a watery sauce to a thick syrup consistency.