Fit For a Celebrity - What Do Famous Dads Eat For Breakfast?
On Father’s Day we have the opportunity to celebrate some of the most important men in our lives –Dads! Though the fathers in our family often have celebrity status, we thought it would be fun to look at a few other famous dads and see what they eat for breakfast. Read on to see what we found out:
Brad Pitt:
This super-star celebrity is a father to Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh, Pax, Knox and Vivienne, what a crew! Brad Pitt is known for his abs and spends a lot of time in the gym. Reportedly, Pitt eats a very healthy diet full of lean proteins and whole grains. One of his favorite breakfasts is six eggs and oatmeal porridge with raisins.
David Beckham:
A famous soccer player, model, and husband to fashionista Victoria Beckham, David Beckham has his kids' names - Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz -tattooed on his back. David Beckham also works hard to stay in shape and eats a very healthy diet. His favorite breakfast item is a tomato and cheese omelet. Yum!
Will Smith:
Will Smith is father to Jaden, Willow, and Trey, and keeps the family entertained with his jokes and musical stylings. Will Smith is another celebrity dad who has to eat a healthy diet to keep up his physique, but he and the kids like to eat chocolate for breakfast when wife Jada Pinkett Smith is out of town.
Will Ferrell:
You can bet his sons Magnus, Mattias, and Axel never stop laughing with father Will Ferrell around. And though Will’s famous character “Buddy the Elf,” from the movie Elf, enjoys spaghetti, sugared maple syrup, sprinkles, mini-marshmallows, Hershey's chocolate syrup, M&M's, and Frosted Chocolate Fudge Pop-Tarts for breakfast, in real life Will and the kids enjoy eggs and pancakes like the rest of us.
We think each of these celebrity dads could find something to fill their bellies at The Original Pancake House; hopefully they will stop by if they are ever out for breakfast in Denver. And if you need to treat your own dad to a breakfast out, we will be happy to serve him a meal fit for a king. From The Original Pancake House family, we would like to wish all the dads out there a very Happy Father’s Day!
What is Cherry Kijafa Sauce?
One of our favorite breakfast menu items at The Original Pancake House is our Crepes with Cherry Kijafa Sauce. Our version is filled and topped with Montmorency cherries simmered in our Kijafa sauce and lightly dusted with powdered sugar. But what exactly is Cherry Kijafa sauce? Let us tell you all about it!
Cherry Kijafa is a type of fortified cherry fruit wine that is produced in Denmark from cherries with added natural flavors. A fortified wine is a wine to which a distilled spirit, usually brandy, is added. Like a cordial, or sweet desert wine, Cherry Kijafa packs a punch with 16% ABV. Cherry fruit wine is produced from cherries, usually tart cherries that provide sufficient acid. Made in much the same way as a traditional grape wine, cherry fruit wines are often slightly spiced. This Danish favorite is exported to many countries in Europe and North America.
For our Cherry Kijafa Sauce recipe, we simmer Montmorency cherries in the Cherry Kijafa wine until the flavors of the wines are absorbed into the cherries and the sauce becomes thick and syrupy. Because Montmorency cherries are naturally tart, the sweet wine sauce balances the flavors so you have a lovely cherry flavor that is not too sweet and not too tart.
In our mind, you can’t find a better topping than Cherry Kijafa sauce! The next time you are out for breakfast in Denver, be sure to order the Cherry Kijafa Crepes. Your taste buds won’t be disappointed!
Celebrate National Egg Month!
Happy National Egg Month, Denver! The entire month of May is dedicated to nature’s own miracle food, the egg. At The Original Pancake House, we are excited to celebrate one of our favorite breakfast foods this month. Eggs are not only delicious, they are nutritious have many amazing noteworthy qualities wrapped in their shells. Here are a few fun facts about eggs to share with your family and friends next time you gather round the breakfast table.
Did you know?
Eggs provide high-quality protein, containing all the essential amino acids our bodies need in a near-perfect pattern. In fact, the quality of egg protein is so high that scientists frequently use eggs as the standard for measuring the protein quality of other foods …. now, that’s incredible!
Just how many eggs do we eat?
The average American eats 250 eggs per year, which translates to a total annual consumption of 76.5 billion eggs in the U.S. WOW!
And the grand prize goes to:
Harriet the hen laid the world’s largest egg in 2010, measuring a hefty 9.1 inches in diameter.
Where do chickens come from?
A hen must mate with a rooster in order to fertilize an egg. The eggs you buy at the store or eat in a restaurant are laid by hens that haven’t mated.
We are all the same on the inside:
An egg’s shell color doesn’t indicate the quality or nutritional value of an egg, but rather the breed of the hen that laid it. Hens with white feathers tend to lay white eggs and hens with red feathers tend to lay brown eggs.
Now for the fun part!
If all of these facts are making you hungry, join us for breakfast in Denver! We have a plethora of delicious, and nutritious, egg dishes to sample. Our customers love our eggs benedict, three egg omelets, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, and of course all of the delicious side dishes that accompany them. Happy National Egg Month!
What is a Swedish Pancake?
At The Original Pancake House, a Swedish pancake breakfast is one of our favorite menu items. Lacy and sweet, and served with lingonberry sauce and whipped butter, these pancakes are always a special treat. For those of you who have never tried a Swedish pancake, let us entice your taste buds!
Though called a pancake, Swedish pancakes more similarly resemble a traditional French crepe. They are very thin pancakes and are most often served folded or rolled with sweet toppings. Swedish pancakes are known for their richness. High in egg and butter content and low in flour, these pancakes are lighter, fluffier and airier than other forms of pancake. To make a Swedish pancake breakfast, we prepare the special batter, spoon onto a hot griddle into a thin layer, and flip, much the same way one would prepare a crepe.
Because Swedish pancakes are especially sweet, they are usually served with lingonberry, any other fruit preserves, or even yogurt. Lingonberry sauce is a traditional Swedish condiment as the berries are quite plentiful in the mountains and forests of the country. Lingonberry sauce is most similar in flavor to a cranberry – slightly sweet and slightly sour – and makes a great accompaniment to sweet Swedish pancakes.
The next time you join us for breakfast in Denver, be sure to try out our Swedish pancakes with Lingonberry sauce. We promise you will enjoy this special treat from a land faraway!
Crepes! Sweet and Savory, Crepes are Enjoyed Around the World.
When we think of Crepes, we often think of French cafes and light, rolled crepes filled with Nutella, bananas, and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Did you know that many countries around the world have their own version of a crepe-like pancake? Though many cultures eat their version of crepes for breakfast, some are more of a savory treat and can be shared at dinner. Here is a look into the tradition of crepes around the globe.
Italy:
Italians enjoy a version of the French crepe called a crespelle. Crespelle are usually made using chestnut flower as opposed to wheat flour and are often filled with savory stuffings such as cured meats, veggies, and Italian cheeses - kind of like a crepe pizza!
India:
In southern India the dosa, or large crepe-like delicacy, is made with fermented rice and lentil batter and is often served with spicy sauces. You will find a masala dosa on many Indian restaurant menus as it is a popular dish involving a dosa stuffed with potatoes and curry.
Malaysia
: In Malaysia they serve a unique waffle weave version of a crepe called a roti jala. These savory crepes are made with turmeric to give them a bright yellow color and unique flavor. The roti are often served as a side dish and are used to mop up flavorful sauces from traditional Malaysian dinners.
South Africa:
The pennekoeke is very similar to a French crepe and is enjoyed as a breakfast treat. In South Africa they fill their pennekoeke with cinnamon custard and a spiced crumble.
Somalia:
In Somalia the anjero, or a crepe-like spongy flatbread is served with most meals. It is made with yeast flour and has a bit of a sour taste, similar to sourdough bread. The anjero is used as a utensil to eat flavorful meats, potatoes, and stews.
It is amazing how many variations on the crepe exist world-wide. If these examples have your mouth watering, we’d be happy to serve you one of our homemade crepes next time you are out for breakfast in Denver. We have many variations of the traditional French crepe on our menu including Cherry Kijafa, Mandarin, Banana Praline, Seasonal Berry, and Continental Crepes. We recommend you try them all!
Hippity Hoppity, Easter Is On Its Way!
One of our favorite Easter traditions is to take our family out to a nice breakfast in Denver to celebrate the holiday. But, on the years that we stay home, we love to make a bunny pancake breakfast for our family and neighbors. Bunny pancakes, plus all the rest of the traditional Easter breakfast fixings, are an easy way to add a little hippity-hop to your breakfast or brunch spread. Here are a few ideas to bring the Easter Bunny to your breakfast table.
- Begin with your favorite pancake recipe and create batter.
- Determine if you have had enough coffee to have a steady hand when spooning out the batter. Bunny pancakes can be made either by dolloping the batter into a bunny face (circle) and ears (two ovals attached to the face), or by simply creating the bunny face and then adding ears using pieces of fruit once the pancake has cooked.
- When creating the bunny face, place two blueberries or chocolate chips in the liquid batter as soon as you have spooned it onto your frying pan. You can also add a nose and whiskers using various fruits and chopped fruit shapes. Get creative! If you are adding batter bunny ears, let the face (circle) set for a minute or two on the pan before you attempt to add each ear. Gently spoon batter into an elongated ear shape on each side and connect to the bunny face. Be careful when flipping!
- If batter ears sound too challenging, try using cantaloupe, pineapple, or bananas for the ears. Arrange your bunny pancake face on the center of the plate and add the fruit to create ears. Try using strips of bacon or sausage to create whiskers.
- Serve and enjoy!
If you are too exhausted after your Easter egg hunt to make your own bunny pancakes, join us at Original Pancake House for a scrumptious brunch. With almost thirty egg dishes, plus pancakes, waffles, and crepes, we have plenty of choices for a delicious, traditional Easter brunch. Happy Easter Denver!
Take our Customer Satisfaction Survey for a chance to win a FREE $50 OPH gift card!
Hello to all our Original Pancake House customers!
In an effort to ensure we continue to provide you with the best possible breakfast experience, we’ve put together a brief customer satisfaction survey. Please take a few minutes to tell us how we are doing. We know you are busy so as a thank you for your time, we’ll enter each respondent into a drawing for a FREE $50 OPH gift card! Just complete the survey and you could win free breakfast for you and your family! As always, we thank you for your continued patronage of OPH and look forward to seeing you soon!
Click HERE to take our brief customer satisfaction survey.
Wishing you a good day and full belly,
The OPH Staff
Winter Warmers – Breakfast ideas to warm even the coldest mornings!
When the barometer dips and the winds howl, you often need a good reason to jump out of bed on a cold winter’s morning in Colorado. Warm up your Denver breakfast table with a delicious meal to share with family and friends. After all, breakfast is still the most important meal of the day! Here are a few of our favorite recipes that will have you ready to rise and shine on even the frostiest mornings.
Heavenly Hot Chocolate
– For your kiddos, a warm cup of cocoa might be just the thing to jump-start the day. Simply add ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ cup water, ¼ cup sugar, and salt to a medium sauce pan. Whisk over medium heat just until beginning to bubble. Whisk in 3 cups whole milk and 1 ½ cups half and half. Bring mixture to simmer. Remove from heat; whisk in 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Serve with whipped cream! And for the adults and coffee drinkers in the house, mix hot chocolate with coffee for a delicious mocha!
Steel Cut Oats –
A piping hot bowl of oatmeal is always a comforting treat on a chilly morning. Simply prepare oats according to package instructions, add milk or buttermilk, and then top with a variety of delicious toppings. Some of our favorite toppings include sliced apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg, or cranberries and pecans, or banana, golden raisins, and dried cherries. It is always fun to play around with your favorite toppings to make the meal special.
Root Vegetable Hash and Eggs –
A warm veggie hash is always a great winter meal! Simply slice and dice your favorite root vegetables. We like sweet potatoes, yellow potatoes, beets, and a little onion and garlic. Season with salt, pepper and olive oil, spread evenly on a baking pan and roast in a 400 degree oven until veggies are soft. Serve hash with your choice of fried or poached eggs for a colorful breakfast treat!
Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and White Cheddar Cheese –
The smell of scrambled eggs cooking in the skillet will rouse even the sleepiest bear out of hibernation! We love to prepare classic scrambled eggs and add a little bit of spinach and white cheddar cheese to spice up this classic dish. And of course we always serve our scrambies with a thick slice of toast!
Of course, if the kitchen is just too chilly to make your own breakfast, come visit your friends at Original Pancake House! Join us at one of our two Denver restaurants to enjoy a variety of warming winter meals including our Green Chile Eggs Benedict, Cowboy Omelet, and of course our famous Apple Pancake! Stay warm, Denver!
Celebrate the Season with Special Holiday Breakfast Treats
‘Tis the season for family, celebrations, and of course many delicious, traditional holiday meals. Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, or Festivus, you are likely planning to join friends and loved ones for at least a couple holiday feasts. At Original Pancake House, we like to make the season bright with special morning treats. Here are a few holiday breakfast recipes that we like to cook for family and friends.
Christmas “Make-Ahead” Egg Casserole:
This breakfast dish is wonderful because you can prepare everything the night before and simply pop it in the oven on Christmas morning!
Ingredients:
12 large eggs
1/2 loaf day old bread (sourdough is best)
1 package Polidori Italian sausage
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions: At least 2 hours and up to 12 hours before cooking, assemble ingredients. Grease large casserole dish. Beat all 12 eggs until fluffy, set aside. Tear day-old bread into bite-sized cubes, set aside. Cook ground sausage, breaking up meat into small pieces as it cooks, set aside and let cool. Pour eggs and bread cubes into casserole dish, ensuring bread becomes submerged and soaked in eggs. Add cooled sausage and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover casserole dish and refrigerate overnight. On Christmas morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover casserole and place in oven, cook for 30 minutes or until eggs are set. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over top of casserole and return to oven for additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve warm with a side of salsa or hot sauce.
Overnight Egg-nog French Toast
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter (melt the butter while the dish is baking), melted
7 large eggs
2 cups eggnog
1 1/2 ounces rum (optional)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 loaf French bread, cut into 1 inch slices
Powdered sugar
Directions:
Beat together eggs, eggnog, rum, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Dip both sides of each slice of bread in this mixture and place them side by side in a greased casserole dish. Pour any remaining mixture over the slices. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake in 450 degree oven on bottom rack for 20-25 minutes (watch the bottom doesn't get too brown). Place on rack to cool slightly and dust with powdered sugar. Serve with Canadian maple syrup and the melted butter.
Gingerbread Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground dried ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/2 cups water
Directions:
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon in a bowl; set aside. Beat the egg in a separate mixing bowl with the vanilla and molasses until smooth. Whisk in the water until completely incorporated. Stir the flour mixture into the molasses mixture until just combined -- a few lumps are okay. Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle, and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry. Flip, and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.
Don’t forget to treat yourself this holiday season as well. Join us for the best breakfast in Denver and be sure to try our scrumptious holiday specials, which include Egg Nog French Toast, Ho! Ho! Ho! Pancakes, Holiday Link Sausage and Eggs, and the Holiday Plate.
From all your friends at Original Pancake House, we wish you and your family a very happy holiday season.
Tis the season for Pancake Cheer!
Join us in spreading the Pancake Cheer this holiday season! During the month of December, we’d like to share the joy our pancakes bring with you and your loved ones. Each week in December we will invite you to participate in our #PancakeCheer promotion on Facebook. As a thank you, by commenting and sharing on our weekly #PancakeCheer posts, you will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a one of four gift cards. The first three weeks of December, our fans have the opportunity to win $25 gift cards and the fourth week in December, we will give away a $50 gift card to one lucky participant.
Helping us share this message is as easy as…
- “Liking” and “Following” us on Facebook and Twitter
- Participate in our weekly #PancakeCheer promotion to be entered in to a gift card raffle
Happy Holidays!
Rules: One winner per gift card. Winners will be contacted via Facebook’s messaging platform to obtain mailing address information where gift card prizes will be sent. Gift cards are only redeemable at one of our two Denver restaurants. Contest begins December 1, 2014 through December 24, 2014.
Dish Up a Full Plate of Tradition This Thanksgiving
Tradition is delicious at Thanksgiving. With so many recipes to choose from, where do you start? We’ve got you covered with Thanksgiving classics –check out our collection of the top traditional Thanksgiving dishes you can make at home from main course, sides to dessert.
Turkey with Stuffing—
A delicious, golden brown, roasted turkey is sure to please any family member. Roast your turkey with all the stuffing fixings (celery, Challah bread, green pepper, mushrooms, pecans, etc) for about 60 to 75 minutes at least. Try basting the turkey in its own drippings for added flavor and to inject extra moisture into the bird. Pair with home-made giblet gravy for a classic meal ready to eat. It also makes delicious leftover turkey sandwiches. We find Alton Brown’s classic Turkey with Stuffing recipe a win-win!
Mashed Potatoes—
Nothing compliments tender turkey better than creamy, buttery mashed potatoes. Boil Yukon or baby red potatoes for about 15 to 20 minutes in hot water. Mash softened potatoes together with a little cream, butter, salt, pepper and a touch of olive oil (try a flavored olive oil for an added flavor dimension) thoroughly. An electronic hand mixer or even food mill works well to cream the potatoes to the desired consistency.
Cranberry Sauce—
Looking to top your tender turkey with a sweet sauce? Start by boiling fresh cranberries together in water with sugar and then simmering with a cinnamon stick, allspice and nutmeg. Once the berries are tender, some will have burst, add in a little orange zest and orange juice and let cool.
Green Bean Casserole—
This creamy yet crispy side dish is a classic component to any Thanksgiving meal. Add boiled, fresh green beans to a creamy mushroom and shallot sauce and place in a baking dish. Top with torn pieces of rosemary, olive oil, parmesan coated Italian bread and bake for about 20-25 minutes until bubbly and the bread topping is crispy and golden brown. Talk about a flavor explosion in your mouth!
Glazed Carrots—
One of the simplest dishes to make: cook julienned carrots with coconut oil until tender and browned on the outside. Toss in a water, honey, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper glaze for a sweet and slightly savory side sure to put a smile on all faces.
Pumpkin Pie—
Last but certainly not least, it isn’t a traditional Thanksgiving meal without pumpkin pie! A gingersnap and brown sugar crust envelops creamy, spicy pumpkin puree mixture. Process gingersnap cookies, dark brown sugar and ground ginger in a food processor and drizzle unsalted butter into the crumb mixture. Pulse until combined and press into a glass pie dish. Bring pumpkin puree to a simmer over medium heat in a saucepan and add in half and half, nutmeg and salt. Set aside to cool. Whisk brown sugar, eggs, and yolk until smooth into a large bowl and combine into pumpkin mixture thoroughly. Pour into pie crust and bake about 50 minutes. Not too sweet, not too savory, pumpkin pie is the perfect sending to a traditional Thanksgiving feast.
For a cornucopia of traditional Thanksgiving recipes, visit FoodNetwork.com.
We will be enjoying Thanksgiving with our families, and we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving too! The best part? You can still enjoy the flavors of the season by stopping by one of our two Denver locations to enjoy Sarah’s Pumpkin Pancakes or Cinnamon Almond Fresh Toast. Finally, we will be open Friday, November 28th serving up the delicious breakfast you’ll need to start your holiday shopping early.
Spooktacular Halloween Food and Traditions
With Halloween just around the corner, we wanted to share some spooktacular Halloween food traditions and customs associated with the frightful holiday.
Bobbing for Apples -
The tradition of bobbing for apples has been associated with Halloween for a long time. The Celts believed in the goddess Pomona and the apple was representative of her entity because when sliced open, the seeds formed a pentagram shape. Thus, the apple became an integral tool to determine marriages that occurred in the fall. Young, unmarried couples would bob for apples and the first to bite into one and retrieve it from the floating water or hanging from a string would be deemed the next to marry. Today, bobbing for apples carries a much different meaning and is often played at Halloween parties and other social gatherings. If you’re not up for a game of bobbing for apples, simply stop by one of our two Denver restaurants and experience our delicious Apple Pancake made with oven baked granny smith apples and cinnamon glaze. All the deliciousness without the work!
Pumpkin Carving—
We use pumpkin in our popular Sara’s Pumpkin Pancakes but the yummy, round, orange squash wasn’t always used in cooking and certainly not for carving and Halloween decor. Historically, the Jack-O’-Lantern has an interesting past…and it all starts with a man named Jack. Legend has it, Jack tricked the Devil to win money to live a rich and pleasurable life. However, the Devil sought revenge on Jack for tricking him and after Jack’s death, the Devil sentenced him to walk the Earth forever armed with only a lantern made from a carved turnip. The practice of carving root vegetables eventually found its way to carving pumpkins and the snaggle-toothed Halloween Jack-O’-Lantern was born.
Trick-Or-Treat—
A Halloween highlight for the young and young-at-heart is trick-or-treating - what could be better than dressing up and going door-to-door to receive sweet treats?! However, the practice of trick-or-treating didn’t always have a happy ending. The custom is actually two-fold. The act of dressing up originates from the Celtic tradition that celebrates the end of the year, where it was thought the dead and living would overlap on Halloween. Dressing up like evil entities was thought to defend individuals against the ghosts that would roam the earth on Halloween night. According to the Smithsonian magazine, the act of requesting food door-to-door is recorded as far back as the November 4, 1927 issue of the Backie, Alberta Canda Herald. The practice stemmed from children who were poor who would go door-to-door begging for food, money, or other items and if the residents refused to give them anything, they would find themselves victim to a prank from the begging children—hence the phrase “trick-or-treat.” If you’re looking for a treat without the tricks, we would love to invite you in for a great Denver breakfast. Treat yourself to a delicious Dutch Baby Pancake or Bacon Belgian Waffle in honor of National Pork Month!
What Halloween trick-or-treats does your family participate in? Let us know your family fun Halloween activities and food offerings on Twitter @OPHDenver. Happy Halloween!