Happy 30th Birthday Matt (& a Waffle recipe)!

It's a landmark!  A landmark best celebrated with homemade waffles (on an antique Wagner

Celebrating 30 years of Mat

cast-iron waffle iron), 18 year old Macallan Scotch (hellz yes, Matt loves his wife now!) and your closest friends and family. 

But since the latter are all too far away, I brought them to breakfast through a giant photo and memory scrapbook that I've been working on for the better part of the last month and a half. 

Over 30 of Matt's friends and family contributed by filling out a cheesey but sweet questionnaire of my creation, and sending in pictures and all their best wishes for the Birthday Boy. 

He was duly surprised, nay, struck and moved. :)  Thanks to everyone who contributed!

Roman's contribution

The Marcus Farkus Brotherly page

So yes, this post is mostly-congratulatory in nature, but also part-braggy regarding my latest crafting affair / super online-birthday-find (the amazing waffle iron).  Either way, hope it's a memorable day for my partner in crime, and here's to another couple of 30-year adventures, this time as a couple the entire time :)

Happy 30th Birthday Mizzle-Mazzle!  

* * *

Crisp, fluffy, delicious, birthday waffle-yness

Here's my newly found recipe for the best waffles ever.  Seriously good.  At least 10-times better than any silly "gaufres de lieges" we had in Belgium, which tells you something.

Ingredients

The Wagner in all its glory.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 egg whites

1 bad-ass-mofo-who-don't-take-no-shit-off-nobody-stove-top-Waffle Iron

Method
1. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center.

2. In another bowl beat egg yolks slightly. Stir in milk and oil. 

3. Add egg yolk mixture all at once to the dry mixture. Stir just till moistened (should be lumpy).

4. In a small bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight up).

5. Gently fold egg whites into flour and egg yolk mixture, leaving a few fluffs of egg white, Do not over-mix.

6. Spoon waffle batter into your waffle iron, making sure not to overfill it.

Serve with real maple syrup and copious amounts of butter!

Tips for using a stove-top waffle iron: Make sure it's super hot before making any waffles.  Then spray it copiously with spray-on butter and/or oil.  Leave the waffle for about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes per side, flipping to check doneness (look for browned, crisp edges and the ability to lift off the iron in one pieces without much flimsiness).