File photo
Try fresh fruit, such as berries, instead of the usual
syrup to top off a pile of pancakes.

National Pancake Week from Feb. 9 to 15 approaches, with International Pancake Day adding panache on Feb. 11. The latter event coincides with Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Tuesday.

"Shrove," or "shriven," means to receive absolution and refers to the custom of going to confession on the day before Ash Wednesday, or the start of Lent. Shrove Tuesday traditionally is associated with festivities, as on Mardi Gras in France and in Southern America.

Locally, the Portuguese heritage group at Waipahu Cultural Garden Park hosts a Shrove Tuesday malassada sale from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 11 at Hawaii's Plantation Village, 94-695 Waipahu St. While they're not pancakes, malassadas are bits of fried batter; cost of the confections is $5 per dozen. For information, call 677-0110.

In Buckinghamshire, England, Shrove Tuesday witnesses a pancake race that started 552 years ago. Each woman competitor wears hausfrau clothing, carries a griddle, flips a pancake and dashes from the marketplace to the parish church. The annual race starts at 11:45 a.m. and ends with a shriving service.

In an international staging, the women of Liberal, Kan., challenge the women of Olney, England, in a 48th annual competition on Feb. 11. Five thousand Kansans witness their end of the International Pancake Race. The record is 58.5 seconds over the 415-yard course.

Meanwhile, consumption of plain pancakes has increased 35 percent the past five years, according to MRCA Information Services, a Chicago-area market-research firm.

In the pecking order of American breakfast foods, pancakes are more popular than waffles, French toast, omelets, croissants, doughnuts and muffins, but not quite as popular as cold and hot cereals, eggs, toast and bagels, says MRCA.

Americans enjoy pancakes on weekdays (49 percent) almost as much as weekends (51 percent), and gobble them mostly for breakfast. No group loves pancakes more than kids 12 and younger, who wolf them down an average of 22 times a year.

Fixing up a batch of pancakes can be as easy as following the instructions on a Bisquick box. Three alternative recipes follow for those fluffy, golden rounds of cheerfulness.

To punch up the healthful goodness of standard batters, supplement with whole grain flours, wheat germ, skim milk powder and fresh fruits, such as banana and cranberries.

Or for a savory breakfast treat, try one of the vegetable-based versions.

12 ounces cooked sweet potatoes
2 eggs beaten
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon maple extract (optional)
2 teaspoons canola oil

Preheat nonstick griddle or skillet. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Drop approximately 1/4 cup mixture onto griddle. Turn pancakes when edges are dry and bubbles form in middle. Makes 4 servings.

1-1/2 cups fresh corn cut from the cob OR frozen kernels, thawed
1/2 cup flour
4 green onions, minced
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
White pepper to taste
2 or 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 cup egg substitute

Spray skillet or griddle with nonstick coating and heat. Ladle 2 or 3 ounces of corn mixture on griddle and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. When bubbles appear on surface and edges dry out a little, turn to brown other side. Keep each warm on heated plate while others are cooking. Makes 16 pancakes.

1 pound jicama, peeled and shredded
1/2 pound white potatoes, peeled and shredded
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup egg substitute
Pinch black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil

Stir in egg and egg substitute and season to taste with pepper.

Heat nonstick skillet or griddle. Add oil, rotating skillet so oil covers bottom. Pour off any excess. Spoon batter onto griddle to form 3-inch pancakes and lightly brown each on both sides.

Remove to a heated platter and keep warm until ready to serve. Makes 16 pancakes.