From creating the ideal batter to perfecting the art of flipping, making the perfect pancake can be a tricky business.
Mr Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire, who lecturers on DIT's new four year degree in culinary arts, has advice for Shrove Tuesday novices who set out to make their first pancakes.
He says you must first sieve 250 grammes of plain flour, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of sugar into a bowl. Then make an indention in the middle of the mix, into which you put two whole eggs. Then slowly add half a litre of milk, while simultaneously whisking.
Mr Mac Con Iomaire advises adding a little melted butter or vegetable oil (or low-fat oil, if you're watching your weight).
You can add this pancake mix to a pan straight away, but he recommends storing the batter (preferably in the fridge) for 20 minutes.
"Don't worry if the batter is a little runny", he says - it'll naturally thicken.
If you don't have a crepe pan it's best to use a hot Teflon or other non-stick pan.
Then ladle "a circle of batter into the centre of the pan and tilt it until it forms a disk", said Mr Mac Con Iomaire.
Grand finale: flipping. Use a knife to cut around the edge of the pancake to loosen it. "The novice should flip manually at first, rather than theatrically," said Mr Mac Con Iomaire.
But it's not finished with a flip: next comes the filling. Pancakes can be sweet or savoury. Most people are used to ordinary pancakes with sugar and lemon juice. But you can be "a bit more experimental" with your choice of filling, he advises.
Before you fold it over, you can add herbs (parsley, dill, chives, rocket), stuff it with cheese, or seafood, or pesto, or plain old ham.
If you like your pancakes sweet, there are a choice of fillings: sugar and lemon juice, or honey and lemon juice, or chocolate spread.