Monday, October 24, 2011

Waffles


Long before I had a ring(s) on my left hand, my house not yet filled with a sweet red bearded man every morning, before there was talk of children, retirement, and house hunting. In a time where sleep was an afterthought and there was a permanent sparkle in my eye. I am pretty sure that neither of us had Internet at the time or digital cameras. Before I even considered mountain biking.....

We listened to a lot of music and spent the mornings together. There was one morning that still flutters in and out of my memories. We had waffles one morning, unforgettable waffles. I remember it like yesterday, they were the best waffles I have ever had. Every thing tastes better when one is fresh into a relationship. I remember pulling a chair up to his kitchen table years ago, in his house that was tucked up on a hill side in one of Bellingham's more wooded neighborhoods. It was a cozy day.  There was a forest outside his back door, Natasha was probably there at our feet but I don't remember right now, I just remember those waffles. I devoured mine, plain, not dry just unaccompanied. Crispy exterior and soft inside. There was butter, he told me the secret lots of butter, not making these often, it was a splurge. We probably went for a hike that day or went climbing at Mount Erie. I just remember the waffle.


This morning I woke up and wanted waffles. I find a recipe and tip toe into our kitchen and whip up a batch using all whole wheat flour and a third of the butter that I remember J telling me he used in those infamous hook line and sinker waffles years ago. Soon J peers over my shoulder and asks if I was going to use egg whites. I was not. He asks, how can you have fluffy waffles without egg whites? You cannot.


The waffles I made this morning were tasty. They were crisp on the outside, tender where they should be. Hearty but scented with sweet vanilla.

 Waffles

This recipe (originally from Aretha Frankenstein's restaurant in Chattanooga, TN) is the ideal I-just-woke-up-from-a...

Serves 2 good waffle eaters
    3/4 cup all-purpose flour 
    1/4 cup cornstarch 
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
    1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
    1/2 teaspoon salt 
    1 cup whole milk or buttermilk (or a combination) 
    1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
    1 egg 
    1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 
    3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract


    1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Add the milk, vegetable oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and mix well. Let the batter sit for 30 minutes.

    2. Heat a waffle iron. Follow the directions on your waffle iron to cook the waffles. Serve immediately with butter and pure maple syrup or hold in a 200 degree oven, directly on the rack (don't stack them or they'll get soggy). These also reheat very well in the toaster.

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