Renowned for their tasty and innovative pancakes, Bette's Oceanview is a Bay Area landmark. Blueberry, buttermilk, butter pecan, banana upside-down, fresh corn, apple brandy, chocolate and Chile cheese are just a few specialties of the house.Settle into

Being a former San Francisco resident I've had the pleasure of eating at Bette's Oceanview Diner. The only problem with eating Bette's cakes is your faced with the reality that you own pancakes really don't compare. Now, with this book in hand, I am delighted to say that this is no longer the case.

The Pancake Handbook isn't a mere "recipe book". I've tried many recipes throughout the years with varying success. In this book you'll learn that picking the right flour, baking soda and other ingredients is just as important as how they're mixed together. You'll learn about griddle temperature, batter consistency and when to flip for perfect doneness. There are so many simple little tricks to better pancakes and they're all in this book.

The recipes cover pancakes of all varieties including; basic, fancy, spiced, cornmeal, whole-wheat, and sourdough. There are chapters on dairy pancakes, crepes, soufflé pancakes, kid's pancakes and toppings. Many of them have variations and add-ins as well as optional ingredients such as how to make buttermilk pancakes when you haven't any buttermilk on hand.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to make great cakes regardless of your current cooking abilities. It is simple to follow and virtually guarantees fantastic results.

This book is a must have for any pancake lover. I was first introduced to The Pancake Handbook through reading a two page spread of excerpts in the LA Times. I tried 3 of the 5 recipes before I bought the book. Every recipe I've tested so far is delicious and superb!!!