Pancake Recipe Gives Rise to a Late Career

Sanford Kaye said he planned to retire and take it easy when he moved from New Jersey to Port Hueneme in 1993.

But then a funny thing happened.

Kaye’s recipe for an egg-free, cholesterol-free Seven Grain Almond Granola Pancake Mix caught the attention of Vons, Price-Costco and other store chains and restaurants. The 62-year-old former caterer has been cranking out the pancake mix, under the name Classic Food Specialties, ever since.

Earlier this month the pancake mix was picked up by 35 Price-Costco stores in the Pacific Northwest. Kaye already distributes to 16 California stores in the chain, including the Price-Costco in Oxnard.

“I had a large corporate catering business back East, which dealt mainly with Fortune 500 companies. As part of the business, I supplied the food on their corporate jets,” said Kaye. “The flight attendants were continually saying to me that breakfast was a very boring part of their day.”

Thus, the pancake mix was born.

“I developed it basically for the flight attendants as they were flying around the country,” said Kaye. “This is the only product I have.”

But the product may soon evolve. Kaye said he has discovered that not only is the mix suited for pancakes, but it also can be used for muffins, waffles and quick breads, by adding water and egg. He expects to change the name to “Pancake and Baking Mix” sometime soon.

“It’s unique and trendy because it’s full of almonds, walnuts and granola,” said Kaye. “We’re talking about using the original blend and putting in coconut, pineapple and mango, and making a pina colada baking mix.”

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Wines from Joseph Phelps Vineyards will be featured Monday at a five-course winemaker’s dinner at Le Rendez-Vous Restaurant in Newbury Park.

The meal will open with a duck liver pate followed by fresh boneless Idaho trout with capers, and then a warm spinach salad. The main course will be a filet mignon with black forest mushrooms. And for dessert, an apricot tart will be served.

Cost is $60 per person. Call 498-1019 for reservations. Le Rendez-Vous is at 1282 Newbury Road.

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Soup’s on!

It’s a phrase that’s been known to warm many a heart, and a stomach. It’s also the name of the soup recipe booklet compiled by Gail Hobbs and Bob Carter of Ventura.

The booklet, published as a fund-raiser for the Ventura County chapter of the American Red Cross, will be on sale March 24 at the organization’s 1996 Gala Soup Smorgasbord and Silent Auction at Buenaventura Mall. After that the publication will continue to be available through the Red Cross.

Hobbs, who also compiled and published the “Cookin’ in Ventura!” cookbook, said soup is a popular food item because of its versatility.

“You can have soup pretty much any time of the day except probably for breakfast,” she said. “You can have soup as an appetizer, it could be a full meal, it could be a dessert. Most soups can be frozen and they’re not expensive to make usually.”

Hobbs said soup also tends to bring back pleasant childhood memories.

“A lot of people equate soup with being a comfortable food, homey. They think of mom cooking a pot of chicken soup. There was always a pot of soup on the stove,” she said. “The popularity of soup may have waned a few years ago, but I think it’s coming back. A lot of local restaurants make their own soups and they are proud of that.”

“Soup’s On!” includes recipes for 16 dishes including Albondigas Soup, Sweet Corn & Two Potato Chowder, Chinese Chicken & Shrimp, Mushroom Medley Chowder, Spicy Cajun Gumbo and Summer Fruit Soup.

Hobbs said she is in the process of compiling more recipes from restaurants around the country for a more extensive soup cookbook to be available in stores by late March.