Postmodern pancakes
The one time I went to Shopsin’s, I don’t remember what I ordered except that it was exceedingly normal. It was for breakfast, and I got potato shreds, some kind of eggs, and maybe some kind of toast, and probably orange juice.
Before I talk about Kenny Shopsin’s book, here’s the background, courtesy of Calvin Trillin. Shopsin’s is a NYC cult restaurant with an encyclopedic menu that is like a cross-section of the brain of eccentric and foulmouthed proprietor Kenny Shopsin.
Anyway, Shopsin has a book out now. It’s called Eat Me, and I think it’s a classic. The food is good; the language is colorful; and it has personality out the ying-yang. I have only one big complaint about the book, which I’ll get to in a minute.
Kenny Shopsin thinks about food a lot. He doesn’t seem to care about anything other than whether it’s fun to make and tastes good. Therefore he reminds me a lot of myself, albeit an older and more psychotic version of myself. To make crepes, he dips flour tortillas in eggs and cream. I tried this and it’s awesome.
Shopsin’s serves like six dozen kinds of pancakes. Here is a list of them, recited by Iris:
Postmodern pancakes are pancakes with chopped up pancakes in the batter. Looking at the current menu, it looks like he’s added a whole category of pancakes with candy bar chunks in the batter.
Which brings me to my big complaint. Kenny recommends Aunt Jemima frozen pancake batter. It appears that this is a wholesale product and if I want some I have to buy a commercial quantity. I could be wrong about this. Anyone seen it in a store? I totally want to try it.
Eat Me is not all breakfast. Kenny has many uncensored thoughts on burgers, sandwiches, salads, and other diner classics. This book is so much fun.
Comment by Wendy
I wonder what it says about you guys that Iris has an easier time with “chipotle” than “charoset”.
Posted on October 20, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Comment by Wendy
Also, for the last two days, I haven’t been able to get postmodern pancakes OFF MY MIND. I think I’m going to make them for dinner tonight. That’s really stupid, because a. they have almost zero nutritional value, and b. I don’t have the excuse (which I’m guessing was the genesis for postmodern pancakes) of having leftover pancakes to use up. I don’t even expect them to be GOOD. I just WANT THEM. This is not good, mamster.
Posted on October 21, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Comment by mamster
They have twice your US RDA of pancakes.
Posted on October 21, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Comment by Wendy
Nicole, Kathleen and I can report that postmodern pancakes, at least as made by me, are basically indistinguishable in taste and mouthfeel from classic pancakes. (Probably if I was still in college and in the zone I could write a thesis about that.)
Posted on October 23, 2008 at 10:57 am
Comment by chris
Have you taught that kid to read? How else did she manage to recite that long list?
Posted on October 23, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Comment by mamster
Iris can read, yes.
Posted on October 23, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Comment by dana
I think Iris’s recital is a postmodern masterpiece of poetry. I can see it in a gallery, looping while 5 second shorts of cooks making pancakes in different settings is projected on the wall.
Posted on October 25, 2008 at 8:31 am