no waffling over waffles

~ jama

“Poetry is a mystic, sensuous mathematics of fire, smoke-stacks, waffles, pansies, people, and purple sunsets.” ~ Carl Sandburg

Would you like butter and syrup, or fruit and whipped cream with yours?

“Summer Breakfast” by Dwight Luna (oil on canvas).
WAITING FOR WAFFLES
by Pam Lewis

Eons pass
as steam swirls from the waffle iron.
 
Inside lies the pale magma                                            
of an unformed planet                          
 
the Precambrian                        
in the geology of breakfast
 
terrain untouched by syrup rivers,  
innocent of cinnamon showers
 
its pocked topography slowly               
browning, its ridges crusting
 
as epochs roll on in miniature
beneath a jagged steel sky.  

~ ©2023 Pam Lewis, as posted at Your Daily Poem.
“Big Waffles” by Mary Ellen Johnson (oil on panel).

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Raise your hand if you love waffles! (me! me!)

What a treat to bite into Pam Lewis’s finely crafted poem. Since waffles likely date back to the ancient Greeks, her use of a geological metaphor is indeed fitting, and brings into sharp focus her unique observational skills.

“Still Life with Waffles” by Circle of Georg Flegel (17th century).

Don’t get me wrong; I like pancakes too. But they identify as round and flat free-form blobs lazing on the griddle, occasionally intoning “flip me” with a bubble or two and supreme nonchalance.

Waffles, on the other hand, take special pride in their uniformity — a pleasing pattern of square pockets happy to harbor tantalizing pools of rich melted butter and dreamy maple syrup. With waffles’ first-bite crispness and the anticipatory drama of “pale magma” transforming into a distinctive “pocked topography,” one would be hard-pressed to find a more artistically satisfying food.

“Belgian Waffles with Strawberry and Blueberries” by Art Tatin (oil on hardboard, 2019).

As the poem so cleverly illustrates, we covet homemade waffles because they won’t be rushed. Nothing ‘fast food’ or instant about them; even if they require eons or epochs to cook, they are worth the wait. Like pancakes, they are mostly a weekend breakfast, earning them “special treat” status. But unlike pancakes, they eschew an open skillet in favor of magically taking shape in secret.

Waffle iron from the Gourmet Museum and Library of Hermalle-sous-Huy (Belgium, 16-17th century).

International Waffle Day is on Monday, March 25. Unlike our ancestors, who cooked theirs with long-handled iron plates held over an open fire, all we have to do is plug in our waffle makers. One of the main reasons we don’t cook waffles more often is probably because our waffle makers aren’t readily accessible — often stored with other little-used appliances in the back of cupboards, etc.

Take out your waffle maker now — it’s half the battle, and you’ll be all set for International Waffle Day weekend. 🙂

Until then, savor these random Waffle-y Tidbits:

  • Thomas Jefferson brought the first waffle iron to America from France.
  • The word ‘waffle’ first appeared in the English language in 1725, and was derived from the Dutch ‘wafel’, which means wafer.
  • The first known waffle recipe appeared in an anonymous 14th century manuscript, Le Ménagier de Paris, as a set of instructions from a husband to his young wife.
  • The world’s largest waffle was created by Stichting Gouda Oogst (Netherlands) in 2013. It had a diameter of 8 feet and weighed 110 pounds.
  • National Waffle Day in the U.S. is celebrated on August 24 to commemorate the first waffle iron patent submitted by Cornelius Swarthout in 1869.

Our own Cornelius was so impressed by Mr. Swarthout that he volunteered to eat three extra waffles in his honor. For this post, we used the Classic Waffles recipe available online at allrecipes.com.

Here are some general Waffle Making Tips regardless of what recipe you use:

  • Use vegetable oil rather than butter in the batter for crisper waffles.
  • For lighter, airier waffles, separate the eggs and beat the whites separately into soft peaks, then fold them into the batter.
  • Be careful not to overwork the batter. Combine ingredients gently (a few lumps in the batter is okay).
  • Let your batter sit for about 15-20 minutes before adding to your waffle iron to improve texture.
  • Make sure your waffle iron is hot enough (preheat for at least 10 minutes).
  • Once waffles are cooking, don’t be tempted to peek! Wait until steam subsides before lifting the lid.
  • Avoid stacking waffles after cooking to prevent them from getting soggy and limp.
“Waffles of Memory” by Matt Dawson.

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Lovely and talented Tanita S. Davis is hosting the Roundup at fiction, instead of lies. She’s celebrating her birthday with a fun poem about being unfettered, untethered and FREE. Zip on over to check out the full menu of poetic goodness being served up around the blogosphere this week. Happy Weekend!

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🍓 HOORAY FOR INTERNATIONAL WAFFLE DAY! 🍓

*Copyright © 2024 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

33 thoughts on “no waffling over waffles”

  1. I love waffles! The waffles I most remember are the waffles at the Belgium pavilion at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair in Queens. Sometimes my sister and I would take a quick trip on the Q44 bus from the Bronx to Queens just to have those Belgium waffles smothered in strawberries and whipped cream. Last stop before boarding the bus back to BX was the Parker Pen pavilion to get another pen pal from the oversized computer! I actually still write snail mail to Penny in Tasmania! Have a great weekend, and eat lots of waffles!

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  3. Yum-yum! Your post, Jama, is pure poetry itself. And the photos beg to be eaten. I had no idea waffles dated back so far! We are lazy, impatient types who only make pancakes (with lots of blueberries), but this brought back such sweet memories of my mom and the morning magic she conjured with her waffle iron (although her breakfast specialty, which many of my sleepover friends remember 60-ish years later , was cinnamon toast). Congrats, Cornelius, on your valiant efforts to de-waffle the world! Thanks for starting my day off with whipped cream, strawberries, and a big smile! xo

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  4. Jama: Waffle-y inspiration! Our local history committee received one of these early waffle makers, dated 1770 or so if memory serves. It bears initials so I thought perhaps it was a gift from husband to wife. I thought it more for toast??? At any rate, I can’t make up my mind between butter and syrup or fruit and whipped cream, so I may have to stick with apples and peanut butter. Thanks for this sweetness!

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  5. I didn’t know there was an international waffle day, Jama. How great that is! My son just visited recently and we went to lunch. I had waffles, as I do as often as they’re on the menu! I gave my large waffle iron to my daughter and have now found a small one just for me. It’s great. Long ago, we had an iron one that let us cook over a fire while camping. It’s long gone but was very fun, heart-shaped, too! The poem is ‘delicious’, Jama. I love “the geology of breakfast” & all the rest connected. Thank you for the sumptious art, too. Artists are amazing!

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    1. Waffles are so popular there’s an International Waffle Day and a National Waffle Day. Twice the fun! I like the idea of a heart-shaped iron waffle maker.

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  6. Now I’m so hungry… I might just take your advice and dig out the waffle iron! Thank your for sharing this delicious poem, and the waffle making tips too!

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  7. I have to laugh – I feel EXACTLY about waffles the way this poem describes them: EONS pass while we wait for them. I ADORE them, but I’m also generally too hungry in the morning to make them, so they’re a breakfast-for-dinner staple, when I can be more patient (apparently first thing in the morning, that’s not my superpower). Your posts are always such a beautiful place to stop and rest my brain. Thank you, Jama-j. Don’t ever change, friend!♥

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  8. I don’t have a preference between cats and dogs, but I do think waffles are better than pancakes! Thank you for the tips. I will give them a try (if I can…it’s hard to wait 15-20 minutes while the batter rests).

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  10. I may have to run through the house in sheer delight that we can celebrate waffles in both March and August! Waffles use to be a STAPLE in a house with a very picky toddler. I gifted him my late mother-in-law’s Belgian waffle-maker when he moved into his first apartment. I miss them all (but between us, I miss the waffle-maker most).

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  11. Jama, I love waffles, and my waffle iron is oh, so handy. I will make a note to cook some on the weekend 25th or the weekend. Maybe both! Thanks for all the yummy tidbits here, and I would definitely go for fruit and whipped cream for mine, please.

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  12. How’s this for cheating — we have a waffle food truck not too far away from us where we can get the most amazing waffles without ever having to dig out our own iron! That might be what we have for breakfast tomorrow!

    The waffle art you chose is fantastic. That Trompe-l’œil “Big Waffles” is SO realistic!

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  13. Yes, yes, yes, and, yes….I do love waffles. My family loves waffles, the iron is in the back of the pantry. I’m curious about the history of waffles — thank you for the tidbits. Good ole Jefferson! This is simple a yummy post. Thank you!

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  16. Yummy! I like this post a waffle lot, Jama. The poetry, the art, the tidbits and tips, but most especially, the wordplay and puns. YOU are the master.

    Unfortunately I don’t have a waffle iron and I’ve not seen them on offer in a Swiss restaurant since moving here. (not to say they don’t exist, I’ve just never seen them) I’ll have to celebrate a belated waffle day during our next trip to the US in June – with the strawberry/whipped cream version! 🙂

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  17. Oh, the nooks and crannies – thanks for this delicious post, Jama. Ancient Greece – who knew?! I didn’t, nor did I know many of these historical fun facts – thank you! Love all the art. (And appreciations to Mr. C. for his sacrifice in the name of this fine post…!)

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  18. Oh, waffles. ❤️ With real maple syrup, please. Yum!

    I laughed about half the battle being getting the waffle iron out. Yes!

    When two of my daughters had to go gluten-free/dairy-free, I experimented with different recipes. I landed on the King Arthur gluten-free pancake mix, made with oil and a dairy-free milk. They are so good! Hardly EVER a breakfast food though. I make a batch for dinner, and several waffles go in the freezer for easy toasting another day.

    Waffle lovers and Leslie Knopes of the world, unite! 😀

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