katherine lester

Anyone who has been tutored by Joe Boegner in the art of pancake cookery has learned from the best. As the designated pancake chef for the East Flint Lions Club, the Genesee Township retiree has been serving warm disks of batter and air for 35 years.

When he and fellow Lions are serving hundreds of hungry Crim Festival of Races participants every August, an experienced and steady hand is required.

"First, you need to whisk the batter each time before you drop more (batter) on the griddle," Boegner says. "That puts more air in it, which gives you a nice, light pancake."

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His other pancake maxim is to watch for bubbles breaking over the surface, flip it and then immediately transfer it to the plate of a waiting customer.

"People like to tamp them down with their spatula and keep flipping them. The less you touch them, the better."

As far as the batter is concerned, Boegner says the club has used a Gordon Food Service mix for many years. "You just add water and buttermilk. Of course, you need to add just the right amount of liquid."

Chef and New York Times food writer Mark Bittman makes the case for making batter from scratch, arguing that the most time-consuming step is cooking them.

"Pancake batter can be made from scratch in about the same time it takes to make toast," he says. "A mix saves all of about 30 seconds. I look at pancakes as everyday convenience food."

Bittman says it is no big deal to tweak the basic formula. Increase the eggs and sugar, and they're a little more filling. Separate the eggs and beat the whites, and you turn a pancake into something almost soufflelike, he adds.

Add cottage cheese, sour cream or yogurt, and you make the pancake rich and filling.

The basic pancake batter consists of eggs, flour, milk and baking powder for leavening. You can substitute some whole-wheat flour to boost nutrition; a little buckwheat flour is even better in that regard.

You also can add fruit. Bittman says ripe bananas work the best, although blueberries are a classic addition. Or incorporate peanut butter, chocolate chips or spices.

For banana pancakes, slice them and press into surface of cooking pancakes. Cook pancakes a little more slowly than you would regular pancakes as they burn more easily.

For whole-grain pancakes, substitute whole-wheat flour, cornmeal, rolled oats or a combination for up to 1 cup of flour and proceed with recipe.

If you like thick pancakes, reduce the liquid. Likewise, add more liquid for thinner pancakes. For cakier cakes, add more baking powder.

Basic pancake batter can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days. You can even mix just the dry ingredients together to store indefinitely. This, essentially, is pancake mix.

Be sure to preheat the skillet or griddle or the first batch will cook too slowly and be barely edible.

Bittman says that if a few drops of water quickly skid across the griddle and then evaporate, it's ready.

A well-seasoned cast-iron pan will need little or no butter or oil. With stainless-steel or aluminum pans, use plenty of butter; the pancakes will taste better.

All the recipes here are from The New York Times, except light 'n' tender wheat-oat pancake mix, which is from "King Arthur Flour Whole-Grain Baking Book" (Countrymen, $35).

Everyday pancakes

2 c. flour

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 T. sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 to 2 c. milk

2 T. melted and cooled butter

Heat a griddle or large skillet on medium-low. In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Beat eggs into 1 1/2 cups milk, then stir in 2 tablespoons melted cooled butter, if using. Gently stir this mixture into dry ingredients, mixing only enough to moisten flour; don't worry about a few lumps. If batter seems thick, add a little more milk.

Place a teaspoon or 2 of butter or oil on griddle or skillet. When butter foam subsides or oil shimmers, ladle batter onto griddle or skillet, making pancakes of any size you like. Adjust heat as necessary. Usually, the first batch will require higher heat than subsequent batches. Flip pancakes after bubbles rise to surface and bottoms brown, after 2 to 4 minutes.

Serve immediately or remove when second side is lightly browned. Pancakes can be held on ovenproof plate in a 200-degree oven up to 15 minutes.

Recipe should feed 4 to 6 servings.

Baked pancake

3 T. butter

1 c. unbleached white flour

1 T. sugar

1 t. baking powder

3 large eggs

1 c. milk

1/2 t. vanilla extract

Confectioners' sugar

1 or 2 T. lemon juice, optional

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put butter in a nonstick or well-seasoned 12-inch skillet and place in oven; remove when butter foams.

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, including a pinch of salt. In another bowl, beat eggs, then beat in milk and vanilla. When oven is hot, whisk egg mixture into flour mixture, but do not overbeat. Pour into skillet.

Bake 20 minutes, or until pancake is puffy and lightly browned. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, add lemon juice and serve immediately.

Fluffy and rich pancakes

1 c. ricotta or cottage cheese

1 c. sour cream or plain yogurt

3 eggs, separated

1/2 t. baking soda

1 c. flour

1 T. sugar

2 T. lemon juice

2 t. grated lemon zest

Butter or grapeseed or other neutral oil as needed.

Beat together the ricotta or cottage cheese, sour cream or yogurt and yolks. In another bowl, whisk together baking soda, flour, sugar and a pinch of salt. Beat egg whites until fairly stiff but not dry.

Heat a griddle or large skillet on medium-low while you finish batter. Stir flour mixture into cheese mixture, blending well but not beating. Stir in lemon juice and zest, then gently fold in beaten egg whites; they should remain somewhat distinct in batter.

Add about 1 tablespoon butter or oil to griddle and coat surface. When it is hot, add batter by the heaping tablespoon, making sure to include some egg white in each spoonful. Cook until lightly browned on bottom, 3 to 5 minutes, then turn and cook second side. Serve immediately.

Recipe should serve 4 people.

Light 'n' tender

wheat-oat pancake mix

3 1/2 c. rolled oats, old-fashioned or instant

4 c. whole-wheat flour

1 c. unbleached all-purpose Flour

3 T. sugar

3 T. baking powder

1 T. salt

1 T. baking soda

3/4 c. vegetable oil

For the mix: Grind the oats in a food processor until chopped fine, but not a powder. Combine the oats, flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl, preferably the bowl of an electric mixer.

Mix on low speed, and drizzle the oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of the mix in your hand; if it holds together, it's just right. If it doesn't, stir in 1 tablespoon of oil at a time, until it does. Store in an airtight container in the freezer.

To make pancakes: Whisk together 1 cup mix, 1 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup each yogurt and milk), 1 tablespoon orange juice and 1 large egg. Don't worry if the batter seems thin at first -- it'll thicken as it stands. Let the batter stand for 15 minutes before cooking.

Heat griddle or skillet until a drop of water sputters when you drop it on the surface. Lightly grease surface and pour on batter by 1/4-cupfuls. Cook pancakes until golden on the bottom, flip and cook till golden on other side.

Recipe should yield 10 3 1/2-inch pancakes.