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Back in the 1930's, my grandfather worked for the McCormick Line, which operated a fleet of steam schooners, which carried lumber and passengers up and down the west coast. Believe it or not, he served briefly on the S.S. Wapama, which used to be berthed at the Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco, and as of this writing in November of 2007, she faces a somewhat dubious future. My grandfather told me many stories about his adventures at sea, and he raved about the food served on board McCormick Line steam ships, as he said the food was delicious and filling. He especially raved about a breakfast that he called a "Steam Schooner," which was a favorite of crew of the S.S. Wapama. Special
tools: Frying pan, or griddle; I use George Foreman Grill
with griddle attachment Required
Ingredients for pancakes: Heat griddle, skillet, or George Foreman grill to a temperature of 375 degrees, grease with non-stick cooking spray, or olive oil. Surface is ready for pancakes when a drop of water dances and disappears on the surface of the griddle.
Photo: Here's the easy way to do it: just pour the mixed batter into a 1/4 cup spoon, and then pour the batter on to the heated grill. Make sure batter is well mixed, as pancakes don't taste good with lumpy batter! Mix Bisquick with egg and milk and beat until blended well and lumps disappear. I like to mix the ingredients together in a mixing bowl that has a pouring spout, as it makes the whole process much easier. I prefer my pancake batter to be a little on the runny side, so I add 1 tablespoon of milk to the recipe that Bisquick calls for. I like to do things the easy way, I'll tell you a really easy way to make perfect pancakes: When griddle is hot, pour batter from mixing bowl into a 1/4 cup measuring spoon, that has been pre-sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Then, pour batter onto hot griddle; if you're using a George Foreman grill, you'll be able to do two pancakes at a time, if you have a large griddle, you'll be able to do all four pancakes at the same time.
Photo: Golden brown pancakes, ready to take off the grill. The pancakes rise to a height of about 3/8 of an inch. Cook pancakes until edges are dry, and small bubbles appear as the pancakes rise to the height of about 3/8"; about 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Using a spatula, flip over and cook about an additional 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from heat, coat pancakes with butter or margarine, and place pancakes on a plate, in a stack of two. Reserve.
Photo: Johnsonville sausage and eggs cooking on the griddle, combine this with the smell of brewing coffee, and you have the perfect aroma for breakfast. Place sausage links on grill, and cook for about 4 minutes, then turn over. Place eggs on grill, and cook them according to your tastes. Refer to my article on how to cook eggs over easy, or if your preference is sunnyside up, cook for about 4 minutes. Remove from griddle and place on top of buttered pancakes. Place link sausages next to stack on pancakes, topped with eggs, and serve immediately. Use orange slices for garnish.
Photo: This is an authentic "Steam Schooner" breakfast, of buttered pancakes topped with fried eggs, and sausage links on the side. Not so authentic, to the McCormick Steamship Line is the orange slices served on the side. Editor's note: Back in the early 1980's, during the end of my Navy career, every once in awhile, particularly on Sundays, we'd be served a similar breakfast, except the eggs were scrambled, as always, and the sausage was in the form of a patty. Yet the scrambled eggs were place on top of the stack of pancakes, and the sausage was at the side. As per this recipe, syrup wasn't a part of the meal, but if was offered as a condiment, on the side.
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