One of the many gifts I received from Nicolai for Christmas was a coupon for a pancake breakfast. Today, the entire family, plus Teddy, gathered to help me enjoy the feast. Should Nico ever tire of being an educator, he has a certain future as a chef. At the risk of getting in trouble with Jeanine, I must confess that these were the best buttermilk pancakes I have ever eaten. I was offered the first batch off the griddle and could not be made to wait for the accompanying bacon and fruit before making short work of this short stack. There was considerable discussion at the breakfast table about making this event a permanent New Year’s Day tradition going forward.