soft and cushiony pancakes below

Apologies for the lack of an update last week, it's been a hectic time moving places and rearranging my life! Back in Oxford and I forgot how beautiful it is here. The old looming buildings I frequently thought outdated seem to beam at me every time I walk past, like old neighbours I forget to appreciate until years have passed. The face of the city is the same, the tress are the same, only nature stands still and tall through everything– heartache, joy, pandemics...

Food news of the week:
I have been making variations of the recipe below for my flatmates here, and they really enjoy the pairing with white chocolate and the (secret) use of cottage cheese, a clever, cheap ingredient. Stay tuned for that recipe coming later this week. That aside, I somehow managed to convince my pizza and burger-loving friends here to join in on Hellofresh with me, and I am pretty sure it's because of their white truffle pasta. The combination of truffle, rocket, white sauce and thick, chewy pasta is something everyone needs to have on a weeknight at some point. 

Science of the week:
Re-reading this has re-acquainted me with the beauty and danger of AI and its role in future generations. In allegedly free societies, algorithms may gain authority as we learn to trust them more and more, to the point where we gradually lose the ability to think for ourselves. We will have to find a balance between relying on AI for convenience, safety and knowledge, and just going for a walk to think about big picture things alone.
 
Insight of the week:
"The need to separate ourselves and connect ourselves with the environment (the natural and social world) is a primary need of all human beings"– Keith Haring. Having lived alone for quite a while, and thoroughly enjoyed it, for a long time I was reluctant to move in with other people, to potentially wake up to dirty dishes, or have my system messed up, and worse, not be able to walk around in underwear sometimes. I wonder if it's the same for any of you guys reading this, but I have a very hard time moving and re-adjusting to a new space, too. It's not traumatising or anything, but I almost feel reluctant to go against the grain, contrary to my occasional up-and-go demeanour. Well, so far, this co-habitation has been good for me. I only recently realised that living with people helps keep me accountable with certain habits, and I have started to embrace it.

Recipe of the week: 
Check out how little flour is in these? The OG ricotta recipe that takes little time and all the ingredients are silly cheap...

Whole Ricotta Pancakes (for 2-3)

250g ricotta (usually one normal tub from the supermarket)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tablespoon greek yoghurt (optional, but enhances flavour)

1 egg

2.5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

one teaspoon sugar

pinch of salt

Preferable toppings: greek yoghurt, fruit and honey/ butter and maple syrup/ squeeze of lemon, honey and frozen fruit/ nut butter and maple syrup/ the world is your oyster

Preheat your pan on medium heat. Mix all ingredients together, with the exception of the flour, in a medium bowl. This recipe can actually just be done with one bowl and a normal dinner spoon. Using a tablespoon, fold the flour in. If your batter looks too wet to work with, add another half tablespoon of flour. 2.5 tablespoons worked just fine for me, but adjust according to what you see. The batter should be pale and wet, with expected clumps of ricotta. It’s all good.

Butter your pan. Using the same spoon, dollop clumps of batter onto the pan. Make mini coins or large round ones. Whatever you fancy. Wait for bubbles to appear around the sides and in the middle. Once bubbles are visible in the middle, wait a little while longer, for at this point they are still pretty fragile. After around 4-5 minutes, check the underside. Yours might take a little shorter, so just check and see. Once you are able to slide your spatula under the whole underside of a pancake, do a quick flip and cook the other side. The other side takes shorter to cook, around 1-2 minutes. Layer the pancakes on a kitchen towel to absorb excess grease or moisture, or just serve immediately on plates.

Until next time,
Alex