Montauk Pioneer - April 5, 2009

To a foodie like me, having a food allergy is up there at the top of the most awful things that could happen to you. About a year and a half ago, I found out I was allergic to egg whites. It explained a lot of the symptoms I was having, but none of that was running through my mind when I heard the prognosis. My mind was screaming in protest, and the first question out of my mouth was, "Are you sure my test didn't get mixed up with someone else's?"

Now, I had been on Weight Watchers (WW) for about two years prior to this doctor's visit, and for those of you that don't know about WW, let me tell you one thing for sure - egg whites are on the eat-as-much-as-you-like list. I used to do the WW point system, and three egg whites were only one point, whereas ONE egg yolk was three whole points! (And when you're working with a max of 24 points, EVERY one counts.)

So I explained to my doctor about all of this, and about how over the past two years I'd been eating three egg whites for breakfast at least four times a week, she gave me a little shrug and said, "Well, you can eat the yolk." The weight watcher inside of me cringed. Cholesterol and fat, that's what an egg yolk is, I thought. I hadn't eaten one in years!

Well, after a few months of abstaining from eggs in its pure eggy form, I started to have unbelievable cravings. I would pass my favorite deli, where I used to get three egg whites, ham and cheese on wheat bread, and I swear I could not only smell them, but I could taste them! It was like my taste buds missed eggs, too. Whenever my dad would cook eggs, I would go upstairs and shut my door, open the windows, and try very, very hard not to think of the deliciousness going on in the kitchen.

It was getting bad. I was having withdrawals similar to that of a smoker denied their nicotine. So I had to come up with something that would ease my craving, but I still couldn't eat the egg whites. That's when my Chick In A Blanket was hatched.

A Chick In A Blanket is this: a giant pancake with an egg yolk in the center. I tried it one day, syrup and all, and it was cockadoodle delicious. I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. I love mixing sweet and savory, and it totally works here. This recipe is definitely not rocket science. It was the product of a foodie who wouldn't stand to be denied any food.

And for all of you who aren't allergic to egg whites (lucky!) try this with the whole egg too - it's probably even more delicious......just don't tell me about it!

For Homemade Pancakes (or you can use your favorite boxed mix)

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine egg and milk: Add to flour mixture, stirring only until smooth. Blend in melted butter. Take a 1-inch round (or larger, if you're using a whole egg) cookie cutter, spray lightly with nonstick butter spray. In a small skillet, warm 1 teaspoon of butter until it begins to bubble. Place the cookie cutter in the center, and carefully pour your pancake batter around the circle. After the pancake cooks for about a minute or two, add your egg, and sprinkle with a dash of salt. After the pancake begins to form bubbles on the top, remove the cookie cutter carefully, flip pankcake and let cook another 3-4 minutes. Top with your favorite syrup and maybe some breakfast sausages on the side. Recipe for pancakes serves about 4.