During the time I spent travelling, I kept these wish lists.  Items on my lists fell into two general categories:  things I wished I had the money to buy, and things I was going to do/eat/see when I got home.  Because a year is a long time to spend on a $25/week budget and away from creature comforts like hot baths and lit candles.

Though a lot of the rest of the context has faded for me now, I distinctly remember noting that I wanted to try making carrot cashew pancakes when I got home from a year-long adventure in Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and India.  I had found a little expat-owned cafe on a side street in Thailand, and on the menu were carrot cashew pancakes.  (I always loved finding little expat culinary establishments – the food was usually a little different – a little more like home – than the ten cent bowl of street vendor noodles I typically dined on).

I’ve been making carrot cashew pancakes every so often through the years since then.  Here they are:

Here’s what you need:

1 cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 tsp. melted butter or oil

1 carrot, grated

Dash of cinnamon and cardamom

A handful of cashews

Here’s what you do:

Some days, I’m not much of a dry-ingredients-in-a-separate-bowl-from-the-wet-ingredients type of gal.  You can do that here if you want, but I’m gonna say:  combine all the ingredients except the cashews.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat and melt a good dollop of butter in the pan.  Once the butter has started to crackle from the heat, ladle in some pancake batter (how much depends on how big your pan is and how big you want your pancakes).  When the pancakes start to bubble on top, sprinkle a handful of cashews over the batter and then flip to cook on the other side.

Serve with some maple syrup.

Recipe source unknown (other than in my big purple binder of scribbled recipes)