Pikelets, (Photography & the best cooks)

l to r: My great Grandma, Bessie Pearl, unknown woman, my Grandma, Phyllis & my Mum, Karyn - Scarborough 1957

I think the thing I love the most about this picture is the unknown woman. Don't get me wrong, - I am enamoured by Grandma's hair and how grumpy Bessie Pearl looks (apparently she was quite the grump!), by Mum's doll and the gum trees in the background make me almost able to SMELL this photograph... but the unknown woman - who is she? What or who is she looking at? She looks so caught in a moment in a way that doesn't happen in photography anymore. We all get to pose, as we always have, but if someone doesn't look good, if they blink or look away or make a funny face we can simply take another photo. The instantaneous nature of photography now makes us all look perfect. Our lives can always look fun, together, and somewhat glamourous. I do kinda miss the mishaps of film photography. The truth that is there... - Maybe I will go buy some film....!

This week I made Pikelets. Pikelets are super Australian - they are like mini pancakes, but not as sweet. And for some reason they are more of an afternoon tea kind of thing. You can have them for breakfast if you want (we did!), but in my childhood they were always afternoon tea. My Aunty Claire is the one I remember making us pikelets the most. When we would go and stay at her house with our cousins, for some reason I have great memories of how awesome her pikelets were. Mine definitely don't live up to hers! It is so funny, how that works... How can something that is SO simple be that much better or worse depending on who makes it? It doesn't make sense! I guess this is where the love, and the knowledge comes in... if you measure everything perfectly and don't know that a batter is meant to be smooth, or lumpy, or whatever - you can't adjust. This is what I LOVE about cooking. When you get to the point where you don't need too much instruction. That you can tell how something should be.. 

I hope one day my niece and nephew, (or any member of my family!) will remember something I make with the same relish that I enjoy thinking of my family's food. Imagine - leaving behind a legacy of food AND music! Appeal to the senses, Nerissa!! haha!

Pikelets

3 eggs

2 cups self-rasing flour

1 cup milk

2 Tbs sugar

60g (4Tbs) margarine, melted but not hot (I used butter)

~ sift flour, add sugar

~ beat eggs &milk, add marg. 

~ drop spoonfuls on hot pan (Grandma uses an electric fry-pan, I used a skillet on medium)

~ traditionally served with butter only, or jam & cream. We of course, used maple syrup!