Hint: Something like "can't teach and old dog new tricks" comes to mind….but this "old dog" found a hint in 'Cook's Illustrated' that works.

In all the years I have been making pancakes, the first batch was never the best..it seemed to brown incorr ectly. 'Cook's' recommends to heat the pan, brush it with butter, then wipe all the butter off with a paper towel, and brush it again. (There was a physics reason for this to include tension of heated surface reacting with the fat in the first application.) After that, proceed normally with successive batches.

Thoughts: One of my pleasures, obviously, is to read cookbooks and publications on cooking. But this morning it was announced that Gourmet Magazine was going out of business. In the last few years I had let my subscription lapse. Its focus had turned more and more to the wealthy, not only what they would consume, but where they could go to do it. Adds for retreats, perfumes for exotic nights out, and obscure ingredients for dishes only available by catalogue…I do have their large cookbooks, presents from my husband, given one a year, long ago, as Christmas presents. They are somewhat like a family album, that I look at once in a while. I enjoy them, but rarely use them except for an idea.

Our kitchens are changing, but "Julia" is still there, urging us to have fun, relax and learn.

Tears: I made the following soup this weekend, but did not cry. It took about 5 very large onions. Using a very sharp knife, I cut off both ends of the onions. I put both ends of the onions in a bowl about 2 feet from me. I cut each onion in half, lengthwise, and peeled both sides, putting the peels with the ends. I put the halves in another bowl away from me. When I had all the halves peeled, I quickly cut them in thin slices, and put them in a two cup measurer as I did so, as soon as that was filled, I would walk to the stove, and put the slices in the pot.

In Julia Child's recipe for French Onion soup she combines 5 cups of thinly sliced onions, 3 Tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon oil. These ingredients are sweated in a heavy pan with a lid on for about 15-20 minutes. The lid is then removed, and the heat turned up to medium, where the mixture is stirred frequently till the onions become light golden. Then 3 tablespoons of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt is added. The roux is stirred for 3 minutes. Then 2 quarts of beef bullion and 1/2 cup of dry white wine are added. The mixture is simmered for about 20 minutes. She also adds 3 Tablespoons of Cognac, right before serving. The soup is served over ovendried slices of French bread, which have been spread with olive oil and rubbed with garlic. Cheese can be put on the top, then served.

Or: The bread can be topped with grated Swiss cheese, dribbled with olive oil, and broiled, prior to putting it in bowls, then pouring the hot soup over.

Or (as is served in many restaurants) Place dried bread in the bottom of oven proof bowls, pour hot soup over, and top with lots of grated Swiss cheese, dribble olive oil over and bake/ broil till cheese melts and becomes slightly brown in spots.

A simple onion soup variation:

Yorktown Onion Soup
1/4 cup butter
3 cups onions, thinly sliced
3-10 3/4ounce cans beef bullion

1 1/2 cans water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sour cream
6 toast circles
Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in 2 quart pot and sauté onions until translucent. Add bullion, water and sugar; cover and simmer ? hour or until onion is soft. Mix cornstarch and water to make a thin paste; add to simmering soup to thicken slightly, stirring constantly with a whisk. Simmer on low heat for ten minutes or longer if not serving immediately, remove soup and cover.

Before serving, add sour cream to soup and reheat while blending with whisk. Place very crisp toast rounds in soup bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and ladle hot soup over all serves 6.