Blueberry Pancakes with Ricotta and Orange Zest

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and in the case of the above photo, I would have to agree with them. These pancakes were my everything yesterday late morning when I ate them minutes after having taken them off the hot pan and minutes before dashing to work and leaving Matt with all of the clean-up. (Thanks again, Matt!)

I knew I was pushing it when at 11:17, I was still in my pajamas, flipping pancakes, and in order to be on time to work, I would have to be in my car at 11:35, but I also knew that I really wanted these pancakes and that to eat a few before I left would keep me going well into the afternoon.

Oh, and I haven't even told you the best part. When I came home from the grocery store the other day, I found this container of organic blueberries that I had neither put in my cart nor, upon checking my receipt, paid for. In other words, these blubes were a gift from the universe! So, of course, I pledged right then and there to make good use of them. 

And boy did I! I mean, these probably aren't going to be your new standby pancake recipe that you turn to every Saturday morning, what with the separating of the eggs and beating of the egg whites until stiff, but I would definitely make these on special occasions and/or for dinner alongside some scrambled eggs. They're at once savory and sweet, light and fulfilling, good and evil (Evil because I guess, technically, I should have driven back to Glendale and returned the unpaid-for blubes?) (Was never gonna happen.)

Speaking of pictures being worth a thousand words, can we switch gears and talk about author photos for a few minutes? Thanks. See, during a recent trip to my local bookstore, I spied the exact copy of Amy Hempel's collected short stories as the one I have had on my bookshelf at home for at least seven years now. And what struck me was that the author photo was also exactly the same. In other words, Ms. Hempel hasn't aged a day in seven years! Therefore, what am I waiting for? Though I haven't finished writing the book yet, I need to lock in my author photo asap. I know, I know. Cue Carly Simon's "You're so Vain." (Pretty sure that song is about me though.) Also, who is to say that they will be selling copies of my book seven years from now? (But then again, the universe is sending me free blueberries, so...) 

Point being, if to choose an author photo is to convey a thousand words about myself, what do I want those words to say? Well, I've studied the field and narrowed it down to six specific categories. Thoughts? Favorites?

Blueberry Pancakes with Ricotta and Orange Zest via Nigel Slater's Ripe
8 oz. ricotta (about 1 cup)
4 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs, separated
zest of one orange
2 tablespoons plus a little extra melted butter
7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3.5 oz. (about 2/3 cup) blueberries

In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, sugar, and egg yolks together. Grate the orange zest into the bowl and stir it in gently with the melted butter. Add the flour and carefully fold in.

Beat the egg whites with a balloon whisk in a large bowl until stiff, then fold them lightly into the ricotta mixture. It is important not to knock the air out. Carefully fold in the blueberries.

Warm a nonstick frying pan over medium heat, brush it with a little butter, then place a heaping tablespoon of the mixture in the pan, followed by another two or three depending on the size of your pan. Let them cook for a minute or two until they have risen somewhat and the underside has colored appetizingly, then, using a thin spatula, flip them over to cook the other side. Nigel says to "do this as if you mean it," and he's right! Otherwise they collapse as you turn them. Cook them for a couple of minutes more, then serve immediately, hot from the pan. (Matt ate them with maple syrup, but they're amazing on their own!)