Homemade pear pancakes are very nice.

I hate to say it, but eating out can be exhausting. Finding the right restaurant, reading the reviews, getting there through rush hour traffic and finding a parking spot, deciding whether to splurge on the fish or play it safe with the chicken, then splitting the bill and calculating tip and finally paying...Yes, eating out can get old and tiring. Even on vacation.

Which is why it's nice to have a kitchen while on vacation. I know, it may not make sense to some people. Why work when you're supposed to be relaxing? But to me, nothing is more relaxing than a home-cooked meal. Eaten while in pajamas, freshly showered, feet aching from walking all day. For your next trip, I recommend renting a room or cabin with a stove. Stay in one night. If you're in a different country, go grocery shopping in town. (I've done this before and it's quite interesting.) You'll be surprised to see how nice it is to slow down, and even save a little money in the process.

In this particular case, I was lucky enough to be staying at my sister's house in Alameda, California, where she indeed has a kitchen. Even luckier that she has a husband who likes to cook and a daughter who likes to wake him up at 6 AM on a Sunday. And like any other reasonable, awesome person awake at that hour, he made breakfast. Pancakes. With pear slices stamped right in the center that made the pancakes look and taste as fun and bright as anything I would've ordered in a restaurant. But better, because they were homemade. And I was in my pajamas.



Pear Pancakes
recipe courtesy of my bro-in-law, Matt

4 Bosc or Bartlett pears
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup , plus more for drizzling
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter
Whole Wheat Pancakes batter + 1 tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Core pears with an apple corer. Starting at the bottom, slice pears crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick rings, and toss in a small bowl with maple syrup and cinnamon.

Heat an electric griddle to 375° or a heavy skillet until very hot. Brush with butter; wipe off excess with a folded paper towel. Place a few pear slices on the griddle, 2 1/2 inches apart. Let cook 1 minute. Ladle about 1/4 cup of the batter into center of each pear ring. Using the bottom of a ladle, gently push batter over edges of pears. Let cook until pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around the edges, about 2 1/2 minutes.

Using a spatula, turn pancakes over; cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute. Repeat with remaining pears and batter.

Serves 4.