Instructions: I had yet another unplanned candlelight dinner the other night. Power failure. Ordinarily, I can walk into the kitchen in the dark, and tiny red and green lights glow and blink like so many jungle eyes. The microwave, the toaster, the oven, the mini-tv, the dishwasher - my culinary support systems computer bulbs wink expectantly back at me.

Theres more plug-in equipment than in an intensive care unit. Then, bingo.

Powers out. Its pitch black. When the electricity goes down, forget it. A person with an over-stocked freezer and a super-stuffed fridge like mine could starve to death.

Groping for matches and candles, I reviewed the options. Its too early to go to bed. I cant drive off to a restaurant because I cant open the garage door.

I had canned fish and salad last time the current blew. Boring. Besides, I wanted comfort food.

My big-deal Thermidor range with its electric oven and gas cooktop saved the day. I lighted candles and a couple of burners, dug out a heavy-duty griddle and was in business. In less than a half an hour, I feasted on pancakes, bacon and cowboy coffee.

Most of us tend to forget that a good breakfast often makes a great supper. and pancakes are one of the best suppers you can make on a night when theres no time to shop and precious little energy, whether physical or electrical.

The ingredients are household staples: flour, eggs and milk. Always make a whole pancake recipe, even if it seems like a lot. Cook what you feel like eating, but dont toss the surplus. Leftover batter can be kept covered and refrigerated for several days. Then fresh pancakes in the morning are no more trouble than heating up the griddle or skillet.

Or, cook the whole batch at once. To keep the extras warm and moist but not soggy, arrange them on a plate, cover loosely with foil and put into a warm oven, 200 F (95 C) or lower. Freezing extras is okay. Put pieces of waxed paper between the pancakes, slip the stack into a zip-lock plastic bag and freeze. Without defrosting, reheat them on foil in a warm toaster oven for just a few minutes.

Any pancakes best friend is a slice of crisp hickory-smoked bacon. Make it in the microwave or under the broiler. But crunch for crunch, nothing beats bacon strips started in a cold frying pan and cooked slowly until just crisp.

Pancakes are best hot, and topping them with hard butter and cold maple syrup does them no favor. Try to remember to melt or at least soften the butter and gently warm the maple syrup before serving. Warm the plate, too, by holding it under hot running water. And, my apologies to Aunt Jemima, but no way do she and her ilk stand in for real maple syrup.

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