Why leave the house?

Today we start a new feature. Based on the trend (for better or worse) or making your home so great you never want to go out for anything (video games, netflix, etc.), we introduce: MYO Mondays. "MYO" is a term our mother would throw out when she was sick of cooking (and probably sick of us). We would ask "what's for dinner?", we'd get "It's MYO night".

Make Your Own, in case you haven't caught on, is an exploration of trying to recreate at home something you usually just go out and buy. This is not only trendy, but Homespun Urban: when you lived in a place where you couldn't go out and buy it at the corner bodega, you had to MYO. Now that you're urban fabulous, you can still impress yourself and friends with your skills. (And if you've seen "I Am Legend", you know that you just might need these skills in the future. In case you're immune from the zombies. Never mind. Go see it.)

Our first project: Pancakes.

I know you probably don't go and buy pancakes by the pound at the deli, but be honest: how many of us have that mix box in the cupboard? Mark Bittman says it best in his How to Cook Everything: "Americans must have been seriously isolated from the kitchen to ever let pancake mix get a foothold in the market, for it's ridiculously easy to make." (He says something like that- I'm quoting from memory.) He's right though: I made it this weekend, and here's the effort it took me:
1. melt butter in microwave.
2. put flour in bowl.
3. add baking powder, salt and egg.
4. mix with milk.
5. make pancakes.

I didn't time it, but my estimate was about 2 min., start to finish. Were they better than Bisquick? Maybe, maybe not. Was it just as easy? Yes. And now if you keep staples in your kitchen, you'll never have to run out in a snowstorm for that familiar yellow box. Sorry, General Mills. And don't get me started on that "shake and pour" stuff.