Cotton Cakes

This is my favorite American-style pancake. The batter is leavened with the beaten egg whites and a tiny amount of baking soda activated by the lemon juice. The texture of the egg whites will be far superior if you beat them by hand either in a copper bowl or in a glass bowl with ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar. A long buffet-style nonstick electric frying pan will allow the cook to prepare six cakes at once.