Keep warm with a legendary “hippie waffle”

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Jack The Hippie, on his great waffle odyssey. Photo by Gideon Brower. (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

Contributor Gideon Brower describes his friend Jack as an “old-school hippie.” He’s also something of an unlikely food critic. Good Food listeners might remember the duo’s amusing quest last year to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie in Los Angeles. This time they devoted a full day to canvas the city in search of LA’s best waffle. The rule was that every waffle would be stacked up against something called the “Green-Sherman” waffle. The Green-Sherman is a creation of Jack’s friends in Seattle, and he calls it a legendary “hippie waffle.”

But he is open to trying LA’s waffle offerings. According to Jack, a waffle must have the following characteristics:
-Beautiful, dark color
-Tangy, hoppy flavor
-Light, not too dessert-ish
-Crispy edges
-Cooked through
-Hot

During their waffle tour, the duo stopped at The Waffle on Sunset Boulevard, Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles on North Gower, The Shaky Alibi near The Grove, IHOP, Hayden in Culver City, Bru’s Wiffle in Santa Monica, Poppy & Rose in the Los Angeles Flower Market, and finally G&B Market in Grand Central Market. Spoiler alert: Nothing could compare to the memory of Jack’s last Green-Sherman waffle.

Try this unparalleled waffle at home.

The waffle recipe, as told by creator Jane Sherman. (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, separated
3/4 cup milk
1 banana, mashed
1/2 cup yogurt
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup toasted pecans
1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Instructions

Combine dry ingredients: In one bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Combine remaining ingredients separately: In a different bowl, combine egg yolks, milk, banana, yogurt, and butter. Mix until blended.
All together now: Combine bowl #1 and bowl #2.
Add some pizzazz: Stir in pecans and poppy seeds.
Work the egg whites: Beat egg whites into soft peaks. Gently fold into batter.
Iron time: Pour into a hot, greased waffle iron for about 3-4 minutes per side or per your iron instructions.