crm@duke.UUCP (Charlie Martin) (11/19/84)
I'm pretty sure that the pans you talk about are the same as the ones in Baden (southeastern corner of W. Germany, lovely place, go there on a vacation sometime...) that are used for Schnecken. That is, snails. Unlike the French, who remove the little buggers from their shells, saute' them, then have to cram them back in, the Badenzers pull them out, saute' them or (even better!) bake them with garlic butter, and serve them with toast in these little pans, one per slot. If you are seeing the pans as having raised bumps, maybe they're upside down. Make that: "serve them in these little pans, one per slot. They also serve toast with them." They can't get the toast in the little cups, I'm sure, since I always had to tear the toast to soak up the garlic butter. Ahh, Germany. The only country in the world where "to eat like an animal" has its own verb. -- Charlie Martin (...mcnc!duke!crm)
fons@mcvax.UUCP (Fons Kuijk) (11/22/84)
<smack smack> for the poffertjes-eater. In article <4056@cbscc.UUCP> jdd@cbscc.UUCP (Jim Doan) writes: >Well folks, I have a question that has been troubling me for a long >time. Today, I went to lunch at Tee Jayes Country Kitchen, and >I noticed that they had this antique pan on the wall for decoration. >This is an unusual pan because it has "bumps" or indentations in the >bottom. What bothers me is that there are 7 bumps, not 6 or 8, but 7. >I have seen pans like this before and they always have 7 or sometimes 11 >bumps (indentations) in the bottom. I ahve asked several waitresses >adn managers as to their purpose and no one seems to know. So I am >finally consulting the real source of knowledge. If anyone out there >knows what these pans are for, I would certainly appreciate finding >out. The pans are typically 9" in diameter, about 2" deep, copper >or brass, and have bumps about 2" im diameter arranged in the bottom >of the pan. Some people have sugggested a pan for poaching eggs, >some have said it is a muffin pan, but I really don't know. >Is there some significance to the bumps? > Well I collected all my dutch courage {:-)} to give you the one and only answer. It is a so called "poffertjes pan" used to make "poffertjes". Now what the hell are "poffertjes" one can hear you say. Well you could translate "poffertjes" with "small pancakes". It is a well know very old dutch delicacy. The reason for those indentations (as you call them) to be there, is that the liquid paste for the poffertjes is poored into these indentations. Poffertjes are served with some powdersugar and a slice of real butter. A genuine heineken goes very well with it! The reason for those pans to have 7 or 11 of those holes is merely the result of the best close packing. By the way, you can buy pofferjes in a genuine "poffertjes kraam" which can be translated with "pancake-booth" in which they have a very big cooker with about 50 rows of 20 poffertjes-holes. It is a breath-taking view to see with what speed the cook is turning the poffertjes with a fork if they are ready to be turned. It is great fun for children! So that is about the story. Do NOT believe anything about snail-cooking or so, because these pans do lend themselves for that sort of things, but are originally intended to be "poffertjes pans". If there is some interest I can even supply the recipe via mail or so. net adress : .....mcvax!fons