Batter Up

Pancake House

Pancake House by Yoh Kakuda

There is a controversial Indian folk tale from 1899 that has been beloved by generations of children around the world. In more enlightened times it was also recognized as obviously, overtly racist due to its main character caricature tropes. Recognizing the historical significance and inherently good story, however, both HarperCollins and Dial Press released new versions of the story in the mid Nineties, incorporating new names, illustrations, and reframing the tale for future generations.

getting into gear

To summarize the story, a young boy in fine clothing is accosted by tigers while wandering the jungle. To survive, he gives each tiger one of his garments. The tigers argue and fight over the clothes, until, in a whirlwind of angry energy, they all melt into butter. The boy retrieves his clothes, collects the butter and brings it home to his mother, who makes delicious pancakes with it. The boy eats 169 of them – wow! It must have been on September 26, which is National Pancake Day, after all.

it won't make you cranky

Karakuri Creation Group artist Yoh Kakuda grew up with that story, and recalls it with some nostalgia. Kakuda, whose beautiful work is known for featuring animals and telling stories, often incorporates unexpected automated movement which bring the objects to life. Indeed, it was the magical whimsey of automatons which attracted Kakuda to the artform in the first place, so it comes as no surprise to find these mechanical movement in the work. Although it was crafted over a decade ago, Kakuda recalls a few details about the “Pancake House”.

courtesy of Yoh Kakuda

“I think I would like to create a fusion of automata and karakuri boxes. In addition, the theme of the work at that time was "sweets," and after much thought, I decided on pancakes as the motif. I think I started out with a sketch of sweets and a bear.

courtesy of Yoh Kakuda

It was probably the influence of the picture book that somehow made it into a tiger. There was a very popular picture book in Japan that made people think of tigers when they think of pancakes. (Although it went out of print due to racial discrimination issues. I didn't realize that issues when I was a child. It was one of my favorite picture books. I loved the delicious description of the pancakes.) It was also because my mother's zodiac sign was a tiger, to give as a gift to celebrate her 60th birthday.”

Geneva convention

Pancake House is more overtly an automaton than some of Kakuda’s later automated puzzle box creations, in that there is even a handle and crank to turn, a common feature on such objects. Kakuda combines the automaton mechanics with the puzzle box opening seamlessness, so that the box literally solves itself. He has also crafted non-puzzle box automaton which are objects of pure whimsey. Perhaps the best hybrids are seen in his later works, which hide the automated movements with secret mechanisms that only reveal themselves once found, and which are integrated into the solution to opening the puzzle compartment. Pancake House was the beginning.

stack attack

“This was the first time I tried my hand at Geneva gears. Geneva gears are capable of transmitting rotation intermittently. When the handle is turned, the tiger emerges from the pancake, and the drawer opens on the fifth (I think) turn. I wanted to open the drawer with a time delay after some action. It was hard to make Geneva gears. I made many adjustments to make it run smoothly.” The automaton functions perfectly as described. Turn the handle, watch the gears move, and be amused by the butter / tiger playing a game of hide-and-seek until, unexpectedly, the drawer pops open. It’s fun!

Flapjack Old Fashioned by Kayla Hasbrook

I’m toasting this old fashioned object about an old fashioned tale with an apropos Old Fashioned which is also perfect for National Pancake Day. The Flapjack Old Fashioned is the genius creation of California bartender and spirits professional Kayla Hasbrook. Imbibe magazine said it is like a “pancake soaked in booze” and I would modify that to a pancake soaked in syrup soaked in booze. Looks like it will be Pancake Day every weekend here at headquarters this fall.

making pancakes

At Pouring Ribbons, the New York City bar where she created the drink, Hasbrook used their house-made blackstrap rum, which she notes is not as sweet and has a more authentic molasses flavor. She also recommends using a wheated bourbon (such as Rebel Reserve) with a more bread-like quality, to amp up the pancakes with maple syrup experience. She doesn’t specify the maple syrup, but don’t use artificial stuff, and go for the grade “B” which is darker and richer in flavor. I also suspect that regular aromatic bitters like Angostura would be fine if you don’t happen to have cinnamon bitters. The cocktail, which is classically served from a diner syrup dispenser, is incredibly delicious, almost like a stack of buttery pancakes. It’s a perfect Old Fashioned for the autumn weather, or any time you feel like having pancakes for dinner. Cheers!

breakfast is served

Flapjack Old Fashioned by Kayla Hasbrook

1 oz wheated bourbon

½ oz Scarlet Ibis rum

½ oz Laird’s 7.5 year apple brandy

¼ oz (house) blackstrap rum

¼ oz maple syrup

1 dash orange bitters

1 dash cinnamon bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a syrup dispenser, and then a favorite glass over a large cube.

dig in!