Monday, January 21, 2008

The Best Buttermilk Waffles and my Rock Chic!


Every once in a while in the Rode-Chong household, we have ‘family-initiative’ cook-offs – what this means is, every family member gets involved in the food prep and the cooking itself. We have had ‘Sushi evenings’, ‘Popiah afternoons’ and last Saturday, we decided to make waffles for breakfast together. We got up bright and early and still in our PJs, we scurried downstairs into the kitchen. Unfortunately, the photos that follow only show Paige and I in action, as we look better in the morning compared to Ming, and Chloe insisted on being photographed only if she’s washed and dressed. Hhumppph! Teens!



The waffle making process.. separating the eggs, buttermilk makes the waffles sooooo flavorsome! Paige was really getting into it!


Whisking the egg whites... adding cornflour into the waffle batter makes it crisp on the outside and soft on the inside! That's me on the right. What? were you hoping to see me with sleep lines all over my face??!



1. The naked waffle...





2. with the delicious dollop...



3. Ta.......Da! Sink your teeth into this! ...a drizzle of maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar to finish off...



Here is the recipe for the Buttermilk Waffles we made;

2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup corn flour
2 cups buttermilk
8 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Lightly whisk the dry ingredients together. Add the egg yolks to the buttermilk and blend well. Add the dry ingredients into the buttermilk mixture, then the melted butter and beat with a few quick strokes, then fold in the beaten eggwhites.
Heat up the waffle iron and bake the waffles according to the manufacturer’s instructions till golden. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and maple syrup.

Earlier in the month, we celebrated Chloe’s 14th Birthday – she had wanted a guitar for a while now, so we granted her wish. She sure looks good with the guitar draped over her shoulders. I wish I were more like her when I was 14, beautiful and confident. I have to admit, I’m living vicariously through my daughters!




The only problem is, we really need to get her some lessons soon. We’ve been watching ‘Friends’ re-runs lately, and hearing Phoebe belt out …
“Smelly cat, smelly cat, what are they feeding you?!
Smelly cat, smelly cat, it’s not your fau…lt…!”
… So guess what Chloe’s been singing?? Go figure...



Boy, was she strummin' ma pain! Ouch! classes soon for sure!