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Guest Post: What Do Tour Guides Do During the Slow Season?

a statue of a person wearing a hat

Hi!  I’m Linnea, one of the guides for Cincinnati Food Tours and I love to talk about and make food!  In addition my passion for all things Cincinnati food-related, I also love to explore new recipes that either just peak my interest for unusual ingredients or explore a different culture’s cuisine.  Since my family spent fifteen years hosting exchange students from all over the world, I can make a pretty good Norwegian waffle topped with “brown cheese” as well as a crispy and moist Australian Anzac cookie.

Like many of us during this pandemic, I have been home a lot and for me that means more cooking at home.  On weekend mornings, I always want a special breakfast, usually one that is sweet and hardy.  I grew up with German parents who were both excellent cooks – our family dinners, especially around the holidays, were always special and included many friends who joined us for meals.  One of my favorite things as a kid would be my mom making breakfast for dinner.  German “apfelpfannkuchen” (apple pancakes) with tons of cinnamon and sugar were a particular favorite. Unlike traditional American pancakes, these are more crepe-like and much thinner.

On a recent Sunday morning, I was searching Pinterest and realized I had the ingredients on hand to make a “Dutch Baby” pancake –  those giant, fluffy ones that come steaming out of the kitchen puffed, golden brown and served with tons of powdered sugar and a lemon slice.  I had never made one but decided to give it a try.  After searching for a recipe that would incorporate some apples into the mix, I came across this one: Cinnamon Apple Dutch Baby Pancake.

a sliced banana on a plateAlthough the results are incredibly impressive, the process was surprisingly simple. I followed the directions pretty closely – the only deviation was using a hand mixer instead of my blender (which is stored in the basement and that is just way too far to walk in the morning).  I have an enamel-clad cast iron pan that worked beautifully for this recipe.  Be sure to eat hot out of the oven and don’t skimp on the cinnamon and sugar!

a pan of food on a plateAfter we enjoyed our Dutch Baby, I became curious as to how it came by its name and thought it tasted amazingly similar to my mom’s German apple pancakes.  After a little research, it turns out that the dish was first served at Manca’s Cafe in Seattle, Washington and that it origins came from the German pancake recipe.  Apparently, Mr. Manca’s daughter couldn’t pronounce Deutsch (the German word for “German”) and they became Dutch pancakes. Although Manca’s is long gone, the recipe lives on and it is delicious, easy and fun to make!

Do you have a favorite family recipe that reminds you of your childhood?