Pancakes and Waffles

Alston ( Muffins, Tea Breads and Coffee cakes ) adds to her repertoire of grains cookbooks with this broad-ranging yet compact selection of recipes for the simple flour-egg-and-water staple of most world cuisines. For such a short book, the more than 50 recipes are pleasingly varied. They span all meals of the day and including such ethnic varieties as Passover apple matzo brei, rum raisin pannekuchen and Korean scallion pancake with bean sprout salad. More familiar pancake territory is covered in recipes for standards--buckwheat, silver dollar, and Maine blueberry buttermilk pancakes. The final chapter on syrups, sauces, and toppings also roams, moving from garnishes like fresh applesauce and brown sugar syrup to exotica: cilantro sour cream and hot cranberry kissel. While Alston relates none of the interesting history of her subject, her tips on ingredients and measurements are useful, and her avoidance of chatty introductions is refreshing. Diverse but navigable, the book succeeds at what it is meant to be: a cheery winter gift volume. Illustrations not seen by PW. (Feb.)