It was just a couple of years ago that I started cooking. Like, actually cooking as opposed to just throwing big pots of pasta or chili together. In the past couple of months Anna has really gotten into cooking. She likes to help whenever possible. I’ve let her do some basic things like scramble eggs, but she has been itching to make her own things.

This morning she wanted to make “something brunchy,” and specified that it should not be something “boring like we usually eat.” So I told her, fine, find something to make and we’ll make it.

Anna went to the cookbook she and Carlo got for me (with an assist from my mom) the first Christmas after I got divorced. It’s actually a very useful cookbook, made all the better by the fact that the egg on the front looks like me:

She picked out a puffed baked pancake recipe. Luckily we had everything on hand, so we didn’t have to get out of our pajamas to make it. She began:

All I helped her do was to (a) get down and turn on the blender; and (b) move the heavy cast iron skillet in and out of the oven. She did everything else. 

For the first few minutes I was dubious:

But it came out like this!

The middle was a bit gooey after the called-for cooking time, but we stuck it back in for a few more minutes and it came out really nice. I’d say next time we’ll use less butter than it called for – and I’ll be sure to have some fresh berries and maybe some whipped cream around, as the syrup was a tad boring for something so fun – but otherwise it was all aces.

Anna: 30 years younger than me, but ready to lap me in the kitchen.