Fat? Check. Sugar? Check.

Yesterday evening I made blueberry pancakes. I had not done this before and procuring the ingredients took a certain amount of resourcefulness in both transatlantic translation and actual location of supplies. The story begins last May when I, a sceptical Englishman arrived for the first time upon American soil. I had been told by American friends and friends who had visited America that a delight to tantalise the tastebuds was blueberry pancakes and bacon with maple syrup. I have never been one to mix sweet and savoury much and the prospect did not fill me with excitement. Still I was in a foreign land and when in Rome... So on our first morning's breakfast in the hotel I ordered their blueberry pancakes with bacon.

I was floored; amazed and incredulous. How could my life have been complete before this moment? They were extraordinary. I had them for several other breakfasts during our stay. I was in love. Upon our return to London I sought somewhere that could fulfill this new need I had, one of which I had not previously been aware. Finally I found that that stalwart Soho institution Balans did a very good pancake and bacon. When I was working all those weekends last year it was my Saturday morning treat to have breakfast in Balans before work. Blueberry pancakes, bacon and maple syrup helped to preserve my sanity.

Now I was filled with a desire to make my own. What could be better now I have weekends again than to make Tinseltroos and me these moreish treats? OK so she won't eat the bacon but the rest has to be good enough on its own, no? After considerable research I settled upon this recipe. I'm not quite sure why I picked it over the others but there was something about it. It had the ingredient I'd never heard of (we don't have "corn meal" here) and it seemed somehow the most authentic, as if such a thing were possible. Further probing of Wikipedia showed me that corn meal is the same thing as polenta and that we do have. We tracked some down and some proper maple syrup and finally last night I cooked them. The recipe did not specify how many it was intended to feed so I did my usual America recipe conversion and halved the quantities. I got it very very wrong. In future, when we are both absolutely ravenous I shall quarter the quantities and we will be well satisfied. That said the pancakes were a huge success and you don't have to be clairvoyant to realise what we'll be having for breakfast this coming Saturday.