KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 6 -- Some mornings begin with ambition; others ask only for a bit of quiet. On those gentler days, I find myself reaching for a bowl, a whisk and a packet of blueberries.

There's something grounding about seeing those little pearls of fruit sit atop a pale batter, drifting slowly as though deciding where they'd like to rest. It's an unhurried start, the sort that reminds you breakfast needn't rush to impress.

Once the pan warms, my kitchen finds its rhythm. The batter spreads, the blueberries soften, and soon violet streaks bloom across the surface of each pancake.

The air shifts too, filling with the scent of butter nudged into warmth and fruit softening under heat. It's a small moment of domestic calm, and one I ne...