I like surprises. Musical surprises. Every now and then when i listen to the music on the radio i am astonished and/or taken aback. What a lovely tune – i think. It is going to be a hit for sure. And then a DJ makes me aware of the fact that those gems are … “oldies but goldies”. No way, i think. It cannot be. How come i have not “bumped into” that beautiful song so far

Bobby Womack is not with us anymore but his song from 2012 is new to me, somehow.

In my music library there are lots of “new discoveries”. 

Well, i am not about music this time. Not about the bravest man in the universe. I am about the greatest man in the universe. Oh, no. I am not the greatest. I am barely the second greatest. I have flaws. One of them is making pancakes. I am the last person in the world. Even if the batter is prepared accordingly to the greatest recipes in the universe, i fail. Maybe the first and the last pancake could be regarded as a well-done pancake. However, what is in between hardly reminds food. It has holes, it is not even round, it is not even even. Who makes the best pancakes in the universe? Who is the greatest in the universe? Of course, my mom. I keep asking her how she does those round and yummy bastards. To my surprise it appears i obey all the rules my mama says. So how come they are not what they should be? Damn you delicious pancakes.

I could go on and on about my failures in the kitchen. It is so hard to copy the taste of my mom’s cooking. Long time ago i gave up. Yet another flaw. I am not the greatest. My meatballs will never taste the same. Do not even let me start with a pork chop! I made a peace with it. I decided to cook things my mom has never tried. To avoid comparisons and more failures. Who wants Ossobuco (veal shank)? Alla coda vaccinara (beef tails)? Risotto? Asian? Been there, done that.

When i am visiting my folks i can ask for everything. My last wish was tongues in horseradish sauce. Fingers licking good! Geez, i got so hungry. Let’s get back to my pancakes before i eat my laptop.

Today i have tried for the zillionth time. I did not expect anything. My pancakes are going to end up in belly anyway. And if anybody asks, i will say they were good, round, even, delicious and the greatest. My-mom-can-learn-from-me that good! Ha!

In my childhood home there were always two kinds of pancakes – with apples (folded like an envelope) and with cottage cheese (rolled). When i was a kid i hated the latter. With apples? I could eat and eat. Now, when i am wiser, i mean older, i like those rolled ones better. Sometimes i add yogurt to the cottage cheese, sometimes some fruits. Today cottage cheese meets with strawberries and 2 teaspoons of honey. When i was done with frying them i just splashed a huge spoon of natural yogurt next to them.

When was the last time i helped myself with a nice glass of fresh and cold milk? In 1984? Homemade pancakes accompanied by a nice glass of milk? So yummy! Maybe i am the greatest? 

You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You get what you need