My editor, Peter Gethers, insisted on only one thing when he asked me to write this book: that I include the recipe for these pancakes. The ricotta causes them to burn more easily than other pancakes, so you need to cook them over medium-low to medium heat. If there are any pancakes that don't need maple syrup, these are them.

　　

Ingredients

makes twelve 4-inch pancakes

　　3 cups pancake batter (such as Aunt Jemima frozen batter, thawed, or scratch batter)

　　Zest of 2 lemons, 2 limes, or 1 orange

　　2/3 cup fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese

　　Peanut oil for the griddle

　　Butter for the griddle and for serving

　　Warm Grade B maple syrup for serving

　　

Step 1

Stir the pancake batter and citrus zest together in a bowl.

　　

Step 2

Ever so gently fold in the ricotta cheese, taking care not to destroy its texture.

　　

Step 3

Prepare the griddle.

　　

Step 4

Drop the pancake batter on the griddle according to the instructions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on almost the entire surface of the pancakes.

　　

Step 5

Turn and very gently tap the pancakes with a metal spatula to make them uniform in thickness.

　　

Step 6

Cook until the second side is golden, about 2 minutes, and serve A-side up.

　　

Nutrition Per Serving

Per serving: 141.7 calories

　　54.2 calories from fat

　　6.0g total fat

　　1.4g saturated fat

　　35.8g cholesterol

　　266.2g sodium

　　17.5g total carbs

　　0.0g dietary fiber

　　0.8g sugars

　　4.2g protein

　　#### Nutritional analysis provided by [TasteBook

　　using the USDA Nutrition Database]( )

　　From Eat Me by Kenny Shopshin Copyright (c) 2008 by Kenny Shopshin Published by Knopf.Kenny Shopsin is a self-taught chef who has developed his own inimitable style: He colors outside of the lines and then uses the crayons in his pancakes. He lives in Greenwich Village.Carolynn Carreño is a James Beard Award–winning journalist and the coauthor of 100 Ways to Be Pasta, Once Upon a Tart, and A Twist of the Wrist. She lives in Los Angeles and New York.