The Waffle Man

The Waffle Man is a fine old man.

He washes his face in a frying pan

He makes his waffles with his hand,

Everybody loves the Waffle Man

New Orleans waffle peddler, Bugling Sam DeKemel, was a well known Waffle Man from the 1920’s. He often belted out a tune aptly called “Waffle Man Blues”

He would come down the street, loudly blowing a bugle from his white and yellow horse-drawn wagon. His wagon was set up on high wheels and children, hearing his bugle blasting would wave their nickels at him to purchase his powdered sugar sprinkled waffles.  Not just one waffle, but four for only five cents.

Bugling Sam made it into Time Magazine and Ripley’s “Believe It Or Not” for being the only man to play jazz on an Army regulation bugle.  Sam explained:  “You got to have a tough lip to blow a bugle this way.  You got to use your tongue, your throat and your stomach to push out those sharps & flats because you don’t have any valves.”

Pretty nifty!

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Odd Waffle Trivia:

The largest waffle ever made was in 1986 in Chicago. It measured over 3,000 square feet, larger than the average American home! Strangely, the waffle disappeared one night, and to this day no one knows what happened to it.

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Anyhoo, if I had to choose between pancakes and waffles, I’d pick waffles every time. .  . crispy edges and the little crevices that hold the melted butter and syrup . . . YUMMERS!

Here’s an awesome waffle recipe . . . with a kicker . . . it’s stuffed with bacon . . . Oh-My-Goodness GOOD!

For the waffle batter:

• 2 Eggs
• 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 3/4 Cups Milk
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 Tablespoon White Sugar
• 4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Lb Thick Cut Bacon, Cooked

Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.

Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. 

Place two pre-cooked strips of thick cut bacon crosswise onto the batter.  

Cook until golden brown. 

Serve hot with pats of butter and dripping with maple syrup.

I promise you will NOT be disappointed.