Thursday, August 24, 2006

Waffle Day, August 24th


Waffle Day

Hmm, waffles. Little squares of syrupy yumminess. Mr.Breakfast.com takes us through all the confusion about what day is officially Waffle Day. We celebrate Waffle Day because:

"National Waffle Day (August 24) is the anniversary of the first U.S. patent for a waffle iron. Cornelius Swarthout of Troy, New York received his patent for a "device to bake waffles" in 1869. His early waffle iron was used in conjunction with coal stoves, consisted of a griddle and a cover and required flipping of the device to cook both sides of the waffle. At present, National Waffle Day is at best a "bizarre" or "unique" holiday" - the fluff stuff of radio DJ commentary. Waffle promotions at some restaurant chains have helped to keep the holiday alive, if only barely." (Mr.Breakfast.com)
If I were still speaking to the former not-favorite roommate that forever borrowed my favorite perfectly-weighted and finished Belgian waffle maker, perhaps I would make my favorite waffles for dinner. I should just go out and buy another one, but I have been really indecisive lately, and I haven't yet fixated on what will be my new perfect waffle maker. I guess I need a training waffle maker. A transitional waffle maker.

Well, if I buy a transitional waffle maker today, I will make these waffles. And if you make them too, please do not pronounce Willamette like will-a-met-tae; it is pronounced will-AM-it (like damn-it). We from the the Pacific Northwest like our localities pronounced correctly. (And don't you even get an Oregonian started on you weirdos that say Or-e-gone.)

Anyway, the best waffles ever:

Willamette Valley Waffles

1/2 cup butter
1 Tablespoon sugar
Dash of salt
2 egg yolks
1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk plus 1 Tablespoon lemon juice till curdled)
2 egg whites
1/2 Tablespoon hazelnut, almond, or vanilla extract
2/3 cup very finely chopped filberts (hazelnuts are called filberts by old-time Oregonians)

  1. Cream butter and sugar.
  2. Add the egg yolks and blend.
  3. In a separate container mix flour, salt, and baking powder.
  4. Using low speed on mixer, alternately add the buttermilk and flour to the egg yolk mixture.
  5. Add the flavoring, of which I prefer vanilla, and then double it, but hazelnut is also very nice, but do not double it.
  6. Beat the egg whites in separate bowl until stiff, and then fold into batter (very important step).
  7. Lightly fold filberts into the mixture.
  8. Spoon batter onto a preheated waffle iron, spread out the batter and cook according to directions on waffle iron.
  9. Eat!
(This recipe has been modified to make me happy from the A Taste of Oregon Cookbook)

5 comments:

B.G. Christensen said...

Mm... I might have to make waffles this morning.

Anonymous said...

You just wanted a reason to say damn didn't you.

Erin aka- absent-minded secretary said...

Anonymous: I really don't need a reason to say damn. I say it all the time. I said it, like, fifty times this morning already.

Briam: I... never... thought... about... making... my... own... waffle... maker. It sounds way too decisive and permanent of a creation process for me. Since it's metal, and not, like, blocks of color and text on paper. :) I am really, really, super-impressed by LL now.

Master Fob: I, too, am thinking I need waffles, today. Hmmm... I might have to borrow a waffle maker or something.

Anonymous said...

AMS, I am sorry to have to reveal the poison behind Briam's words, but it's not true what he said. I only once took a woodshop class in middle school, where it was a requirement, and never developed the industrial machionery acumen to create culturally insensitive waffle irons. More like I drew cute cartoon faces on all my projects to encourage the teacher to consider the context and give me an A anyway. He did, I moved on, and now Briam needs to too. And while he's at it, maybe he should say "sowry" to AMS for being one of those weirdos who says "Or-a-gone".

Erin aka- absent-minded secretary said...

LL: I will just have to be really, really, super-impressed by your other achievements.