Sometimes annoyances can lead to deliciousness.
10 Things I Would Love to Say to My Local Whole Foods, in Rhyme:
I hate that you have all the foods that I can never find,
but a trip to you to buy them, makes me lose my mind.
I hate when our past assures me you will have what I seek,
but then I arrive and lo, it's nowhere to be seen this week.
I hate that you are filled with shoppers who aren't nice,
so that I am glared and stared at, for trying to bag some rice.
I hate that you are crowded, carts blocking all the food,
and that when I leave you, I am always in a mood.
But mostly I hate that always, I discover some new treat,
that keeps me coming back to you, because I love to eat.
So yeah, I hate my local Whole Foods with a passion, yet I somehow find myself there at least once a month, looking for that one ingredient I couldn't find at any of the other three grocery stores I frequent. It usually feels like a trip to hell, but if I can manage to go when it's not too crowded*, then I usually have time to linger in the aisles and find cool foods I've never heard of or seen anywhere else.
*Pro tip: wait for a local sports team to be in the playoffs, and go then. I had many peaceful shopping trips this year thanks to Steph Curry.
One of those recent discoveries was an Icelandic yogurt called skyr. Skyr is a strained yogurt that, despite being fat free, still tasted slightly indulgent. It tastes milder than greek yogurt, which to me meant I didn't love it on its own, but I discovered it is excellent spread on toast with sea salt and fruit. I also, in my attempt to use up what I had leftover, discovered it makes an excellent base for pancakes, especially thin, eggy, crepe-like ones that really let the slightly sour note shine through. Top with maple syrup or fresh fruit and honey whipped ricotta, and they make an amazing addition to Sunday brunch.
Skyr Pancakes Recipe
Makes 8 pancakes (or 16 smaller pancakes)
5 oz. plain skyr (or thick greek yogurt)
4 eggs
2 tbs sugar
6 tbs flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
Heat a griddle to medium heat. Whisk skyr and eggs together until smooth, then add in the rest of the ingredients and whisk until combined.
Melt some butter onto the griddle, then pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle, and cook pancakes until bubbling on top, then flip. Cook a couple more minutes (pancakes might curl up at the sides while cooking the second side, but they will flatten out) then transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until all pancakes are done.
Serve while hot, with toppings of your choice.