The secret to a great waffle is in the batter.
That’s according to Lincoln Slim Chickens owner Bill Hooks.
Wednesday is National Waffle Day, commemorating the 1869 U.S. Patent for Cornelius Swartwout’s fabulous invention -- the waffle maker.
The very first waffles date back to 13th century Greece, where flat cakes called obelios were cooked between two metal pans held over a fire.
Wafles, as they were called by the Dutch, arrived in America with the pilgrims in 1620.
In 1735, the word waffle -- with two "f"s -- appears in English print for the first time, according to a history by .
In the late 1700s, Thomas Jefferson returned from Amsterdam with a long handled, patterned waffle iron.Â
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Then in 1869, Swarthout patented his version of the waffle iron.
While we like our waffles with maple syrup, butter and fruit, early Americans adorned theirs with chicken.
The Pennsylvania Dutch used pulled, stewed chicken and then topped it with gravy.
But down south, African Americans served their waffles with a topping of fried chicken, maple syrup and butter. Soul food.
Down south, chicken and waffles go together like chili and cinnamon rolls in Nebraska, said Hooks.
A native of North Carolina, Hooks grew up with chicken and waffles, and today eats it at least once a week, he said.
A little bit of sweet. A little bit of salt. And a whole lot of yum.
When Lincoln's first Slim Chickens opened in 2015, people were a bit apprehensive, Hooks said. But today, chicken and waffles is a huge hit, with people putting their own spin on the dish -- marinating the chicken in hot sauce before frying.Â
Hot and sweet, Hooks said.
The key to good waffles -- and good chicken and waffles -- are fresh ingredients, dense yet fluffy batter, and a good clean and hot waffle iron, Hooks said.
Hooks offered these waffle tips:
* For fluffier waffles, substitute milk when the recipe calls for water.
* Stir just enough to blend the ingredients and get out the lumps. Avoid over mixing.
* Use the batter right away, or refrigerate it. If you wait too long, the ingredients break down and separate.
* Do yourself a favor and read the waffle iron manual before you start cooking. Every iron is different.
* Clean your waffle iron between waffles. Remove leftover crumbs, and spray the iron with an oil/conditioner.
And if this sounds like too much work, chicken and waffles are on sale for $5 a plate on National Waffle Day (Aug. 24) at Slim Chickens, 5805 S. 85th St. and 1601 Pine Lake Road.Â
Other foods we celebrate in the week ahead:
Aug. 25: National Banana Split Day. Strickler’s Drug Store in Pennsylvania gets the credit for splitting a banana lengthwise and topping it with vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice creams, syrups, whipped cream and a maraschino cherry in 1904.
Aug. 26: National Cherry Popsicle Day. Another flavor and another day honoring 11-year-old Frank Epperson for his 1905 accidental invention.
Aug. 27: National Pots de Creme Day. A day celebrating the loose French dessert custard.
Aug. 28: National Cherry Turnover Day. Last month we celebrated the apple turnover. Now it's the cherry's turn.
Aug. 29: National Chop Suey Day. Although this dish has Chinese influence, it is strictly an American food, according to
Aug. 30: National Toasted Marshmallow Day. Long before we toasted marshmallows for a treat, people were consuming them for medicinal purposes. The original marshmallows came from Althaea officinalis, aka the marshmallow plant, according to .