Fourth of July pancake breakfast

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What’s a holiday without tradition? Chief among the events that mark the Fourth of July in our family — aside from the fireworks — is the annual Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast.

My father-in-law, John, has been a member of the local Carmichael Kiwanis chapter for about 15 years, and we often join him at the weekly chapter meetings when we’re in town. Big events, like that breakfast, are fun enough that we’ll actually plan trips around them. Annually. It’s tradition.

This year I offered to help with the breakfast. They’re massive affairs, but I figured I could handle it, having managed restaurant kitchens and catered events. No problem.

I checked in a few minutes before 6 a.m. Chris, a retired naval master chief, organizes the chapter’s cooking events. Known simply as ‘Chief,’ he runs his kitchen as if he’s still in the service. He handed me a 5-gallon bucket and electric drill mixer and showed me how to make the pancake batter. Then I was handed another 5-gallon bucket for more batter. These would get us started, Chris said as he wet a bandanna and tied it around his head martial-arts style. Hmmm....

Breakfast began at 7. By 8:30, we got ‘the rush.’ The tiny kitchen was outfitted with three portable griddles: two for pancakes, one for sausage. We hustled as the line wound out the door: Chris and I each manned a pancake griddle while other Kiwanis members rotated at the sausage station. Chris effortlessly cooked 18 pancakes at a time at his station; I was able to manage 14. (I swear my griddle was smaller.) We made more batter whenever there was a lull.

The rush lasted until 10:15. By the end of breakfast at 11, we’d done 550 orders and raised $2,100 for charity. Maybe I’m not as quick as I was in my restaurant days, but what fun! And everyone in the kitchen — Chris especially — was wonderful. I’ve already asked to help out at the next pancake breakfast. Guess I’m starting another tradition.

— Noelle Carter