As the weather gets chilly, I find myself craving warm food.

In Fairfax, Virginia, the mornings and evenings have become quite cool. On days like this, while a warm soup is nice, crispy pancakes fried in oil on a skillet are truly delicious.

However, it's a hassle to go grocery shopping just for a pancake, and when I opened the fridge, I found a bit of chives, half an onion, and some squid in the freezer.

That should be enough. As long as I have pancake mix, I can make tasty pancakes without much preparation.

Today, I'll introduce you to my go-to squid and chive pancakes that I often make at home. It only takes about 20 minutes from preparation to completion, making it great for days when you're short on side dishes.

Preparing the Ingredients for the Pancakes

1 cup pancake mix, about 3/4 cup cold water, a handful of chives, half an onion, half a green onion, half a squid, cooking oil 

If you don't have squid, frozen shrimp or a seafood mix will work just fine.

In fact, pancakes don't have to be made with specific ingredients.

It's a great dish to use up leftover vegetables in the fridge.

First, put the pancake mix in a bowl and gradually add cold water while mixing with a whisk.

The key here is to use cold water. Using cold water helps reduce the stickiness of the batter, resulting in a crisp texture.

I sometimes use cold water that I keep in the fridge. The batter should not be too thick; it should flow naturally when scooped with a ladle.

Be careful not to mix it too long, as the batter can become tough; just mix until there are no lumps.

Wash the chives thoroughly and cut them into 3-4 cm lengths. Slice the onion thinly or chop it finely, and cut the green onion into 2 cm diagonal pieces.

Cut the squid into bite-sized pieces, about 1 cm in size.

Add all the prepared ingredients to the batter and mix well, and you're done with the preparation.

I prefer my pancakes to have more vegetables than batter. The sweet flavors of the chives and onion stand out more than the taste of flour, making it much tastier.

If you're using frozen seafood, make sure to thaw it beforehand and remove excess moisture. Too much moisture can make the pancakes soggy.

Heat a generous amount of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot enough, scoop a ladle of batter and spread it thinly and widely.

Don't be greedy and make the batter too thick. While the outside may be golden, the inside can become soggy like raw flour batter.

Pancakes should be cooked thinly to ensure crispy edges, which makes them delicious.

Don't cook them for too long at first. If the top dries out completely, the texture may suffer.

After flipping, lightly press down with a spatula while cooking. If there isn't enough oil, you can add a little more around the edges of the pan.

Once both sides are golden and the squid is fully cooked, they're ready.

When you place the freshly cooked pancakes on a plate, the savory aroma fills the kitchen.

Mix 2 tablespoons of soy sauce with 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of water, and a little bit of red pepper powder to make a dipping sauce, and you won't need anything more.

I also like to add thinly sliced sweet potato to the pancakes. It adds a sweet flavor as it cooks, which pairs well with the chives.

Using a frozen seafood mix from an American grocery store is also delicious, and even just using chives and onion without squid is perfectly fine.

Living in Fairfax, there are days when I suddenly crave Korean food, and pancakes are easy to make with readily available ingredients, so I often find myself making them.

On a chilly day like today, take out some leftover vegetables from the fridge and fry up a couple of pancakes.