When I meet someone new and they find out I like to cook, invariably the conversation usually leads to the million dollar question. “What is your specialty?” And that’s when I get stumped. When it comes to food, I can be counted on for a few things. Rainbow cake to mark the beginning and end of the school year. A bountiful seafood Feast for New Years’ Eve. The Feast of the Seven Fishes to celebrate Christmas Eve. A pitcher of Mom Juice at an adult-attended party. Having way more food than I actually need or will be consumed. And a Dutch Baby appearing on the breakfast table when we’re down the shore with my family.
I make it because I know my sister and brother-in-law are fans. My kids are recent coverts. The Dutch Baby’s appearance on a shore-driven weekend is one of those random food traditions that have crept in over the last few years. As for the answer to the million dollar question? I don’t think I have a specialty. Friends and family might have a favorite dish or two that I make (and that was actually a conversation that came up at our Rainbow Cake party this weekend), but I don’t think I make anything consistently enough to have a “specialty.”
Beyond being one of our family traditions, the Dutch Baby (sometimes also called an Oven Pancake) is also perfect for a summer breakfast with your kids. Or just you and a friend over coffee. The key? Make sure you have someone to share it with lest you scarf it all down yourself. It’s something that literally takes five minutes to whip together and throw in the oven. Even better, I bet you have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now. Once baked, it’s perfect with a little dusting of confectioners’ sugar, topped with sauteed apples or just as is. You know, with that scrumptious pool of melted butter right smack dab in the middle. Just begging for your spoon.
…