Food: The Perfect Belgian Waffle

I remember the first time our family came into contact with one of those "pour your own waffle" setups. It was in the lounge of a hotel if I recall correctly; there was an industrial grade flipover-type waffle iron, as well as a bunch of plastic cups preloaded with waffle batter. Apparently, other guests were astonished, too - the thing was in constant use. We must have downed at least a couple waffles each.

Through the years, though, it's been tough finding a decent replacement waffle in the various breakfast places we've visited. Oh, we've dallied at Waffle House and other chains, we've tried Mom and Pop restaurants, but nothing quite delivered the satisfying crispiness that the waffle bar had. You could call it an obsession.

Now though, we've hit upon a decent alternative. We use simple Krusteaz batter, a department store waffle iron, maple syrup, strawberries, and whipped cream. It's not quite as good, but it's the next best thing...