For lovers of waffles and pancakes, it can be difficult to find a good cookbook on the subject. They tend to seem one-dimensional, as the recipes look similar from pancake to pancake with often only the add-ins changing from page to page. They also tend to approach these as breakfast-only foods, though there are lots of savory options for both pancakes and waffles. Crepes, Waffles, And Pancakes! hits the target on both these counts, however, and is a very well-rounded book (especially for what is essentially single-subject title) for it.
The cookbook starts off by giving the reader two basic recipes for “perfect batters”: one for crepe batter and one for waffle batter. These two make handy reference points throughout the book, as there are over 100 recipes and it saves the trouble of repeating the same ingredients and same instructions over and over. That said, most of the recipes do not use either of these two basics, but start over from scratch with different ingredients, different ratios and different flavorings. The recipes cover breakfast main dishes, specialty (regional/international) dishes, desserts and snacks. Breakfast tends toward maple syrup, fruit and sausage, while dessert leans to sweet sauces and decadent toppings. I particularly like the main dish section, which is the largest in the book, because the recipes in it are so creative with their use of fillings and toppings. Filled crepes play a big role, and waffles are used frequently as a base (think bread substitute) for saucy dishes.
I would estimate that about 40% of all the recipes in the book include tempting full-page photos. In addition to the recipes, the book covers all the basic and most common pancake ingredients – from leavenings to flours – in a fair amount of detail, giving the reader background that should help to improve all his or her pancake attempts. It also goes over equipment that pancake/waffle making requires and the technique for getting a good batter. The recipes are given in standard and metric measures.
What do you think?