Jameel's Quest For The Perfect Waffle

Dear Reader,

One of the reasons that Jameel is so beloved by us is his never ending quest to make the perfect waffle. You may not know it, but Jameel was the inspiration for this article. Here is a small excerpt for your consumption:

"The aroma of freshly baking waffles can be downright intoxicating. As steam from the batter escapes the hot iron, your kitchen fills with a nutty, comforting smell. When the steam slows, you open the iron to reveal crisp, golden disks that are just waiting to be dressed up.

For most eaters, that means a glaze of butter and a drizzling of maple syrup that soaks into the waffle's wells. What could be better?

How about curried cream sauce? Chile-spiked salsa? Smoked salmon and cucumber? f those choices don't sound like breakfast to you, that's the point.

Waffles needn't be limited to sweet breakfast staples. They're a terrific medium for savory flavors, and in the hands of creative chefs they can be suppertime stars.

"When it comes to ideas for savory waffles, it's wide open," says Ryan Kosel, who manages cafe operations at Jace Gace, a new Southeast Portland art gallery and coffee shop that specializes in Belgian-style waffles. "We basically look at the waffle as bread. It's not so far off to take sandwich, crepe and pizza ideas and relate them to the waffle."

At Jace Gace (try this pronunciation on for size: "yah-say gah-say"), which is quirkily named after a hang-glider pilot who was a waffle enthusiast, some of the savory offerings are clearly morning-inspired, like a cornmeal waffle that's topped with perfectly poached eggs, then smothered with thick sausage-studded gravy, or the waffle interpretation of huevos rancheros, with eggs, black beans and spicy ranchero sauce.

Then there's the curry asparagus plate, evidence that waffles can be truly tricked-out entrees. A dozen pencil-thin spears of steamed asparagus are draped over a cornmeal waffle, then covered with a luscious curry-cream sauce that's studded with dried cranberries. It sounds way out there, but the flavors and textures all work in harmony. And because the sauce is thick, it mainly sits on the waffle's surface, never really soaking in, avoiding what Kosel says is the chief pitfall of savory waffles. "

and

"I look at savory waffles like any sandwich that I would eat on challah bread," says Stokamer, who runs the popular North Portland waffle wagon FlavourSpot, where round American-style waffles are folded around fillings, then wrapped tightly in foil, making a sort of cross between a sandwich and grab-and-go roll-up.

Like challah bread, FlavourSpot's waffles have a hint of sweetness to them..."

Rest assured that our friend Jameel will not rest until he finds the perfect recipe. It is a dirty and dangerous job, but Jameel will not let us down.

Keep on waffling Jameel and we'll keep eating.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד