The FEVE in Oberlin Oh should be on your list of places to have brunch!

Insanely good strawberry cheesecake pancakes! Two cakes with homemade cheesecake chunks and fresh strawberry compote.

The chili rellenos scramble is roasted pablanos, quesso fresco, mama Maria’s salsa, mexican white onion and avocado served with yukon golds, salad and bread.

The brunch menu changes weekly! There is always a nice surprise at the Feve.

My little one loves pancakes. She is not a vegan and regularly extols the virtues and pleasures of butter, whipped cream and cheese.

I will let the photos speak for themselves.

Although I did not eat this meal the smells were intoxicating; partly due to my obsession with quality, fancy, organic, exotic vanillas.

Fresh quality ingredients are the key to the best dishes and I just try to bring out the best in creative combinations.

Hashbrowns

3-5 medium sized yellow organic potatoes

Peel and place in the food processor and shred, or grate on a hand held grater.

The most important thing is to make sure that the potatoes are thoroughly dried before you cook them.

I patted mine with a few rounds of paper towels then placed them into a hot skillet with about 2-4 tablespoons of butter.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon sugar (I used organic cane sugar)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Teaspoons of vanilla extract

Method

Place a pan to medium heat.

Combine the 4 dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt) in a bowl.

Add the buttermilk and vegetable oil and vanilla to your mixture.

Mix until smooth.

Now the pan should be ready for your batter, so spoon one pancakes’ worth of the mixture into the pan.

Flip [carefully] when you see bubbles in the middle of the pancake, or if the edges are looking stiffened.
Repeat until the batter is gone, and try not to eat them all while you’re cooking them.

These pancakes were so light and fluffy and they had a crispy “edginess”.

The most important component to every dish is the quality of the ingredients.

That sounds simple but great ingredients will define your skill level and turn even the most humble recipe into a masterpiece!

I am a huge fan of of Nielsen-Massey Vanillas and was buying them long before I could afford them!

The exquisite flavor turns plain old flour, butter, and sugar into gourmet goods!

My daughter is a huge fan of pancakes so this was a no brainer for us. We were eating out of the pan!

Check out this recipe courtesy of Nielsen-Massey.

Vanilla Maple Syrup

Featured in Nielsen-Massey’s A Century of Flavor Cookbook

Makes 1 cup

1 cup pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract

Combine the syrup and vanilla extract in a small saucepan and mix well. Heat until warm.
Note: Substitute Nielsen-Massey’s Mexican or Tahitian Pure Vanilla Extract for a change of taste.

Pumpkin-Ginger Pancakes

By Ellen Easton, Courtesy of Nielsen-Massey Vanillas

2 TBS. butter, melted
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk, room temperature
2 TBS. Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Walnuts, natural, crushed to tiny pieces
1/8 cup Ginger People crystallized ginger, crushed to dust size pieces
2 TBS. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Pumpkin Pancake Mix

Melt butter over a low heat. In a medium size mixing bowl, add next eight ingredients. On a medium speed, slowly add pumpkin mix, blending together until combined. It is OK if batter is a bit lumpy.

On a preheated hot skillet, place 1/4 cup of batter for regular size pancakes or one heaping tablespoon for mini pancakes, allowing room in-between each. When small bubbles appear on the top, flip over for 30 seconds or until cooked through. Remove and serve with slices of fresh pear and maple syrup.

Garnish: fresh sliced pears and maple syrup

About Nielsen-Massey Vanillas

Throughout its more than 100 year history, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas has earned its reputation as a manufacturer of the finest extracts in the world. The full line of Nielsen-Massey’s Pure Vanilla products include: Vanilla Beans and Extracts from Madagascar, Tahiti and Mexico; sugar and alcohol-free Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder; Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste; Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar and Certified Organic Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, Vanilla Beans and Powder.

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas recently introduced a new line of Pure Flavors: Pure Chocolate Extract, Pure Almond Extract, Pure Orange Extract, Pure Lemon Extract, Pure Coffee Extract, Pure Peppermint Extract, Orange Blossom Water and Rose Water. All Nielsen-Massey products are certified Kosher and Gluten-free. The company is headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois, with production facilities in Waukegan and Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.