Saturday, 30 December 2017

THE TWELVE CLIPS OF CHRISTMAS - DAY 6: A STRANGER THINGS CHRISTMAS

Of course I watch Stranger Things. Was there ever any doubt? I am, after all, the poster boy for the show's demographic. And, yes, I still watch A Charlie Brown Christmas every year. It remains a thing of singular beauty in an increasingly ugly world. So, when I saw there was a mix-up of the two, well, all I could say is... sign me up!


I have to admit, Thirteen has a point. Eggos are pretty much the answer to a lot of problems. Sure, there are the rare instances when the golden goodness of a waffle just isn't enough, and when those moments arise, it is good to have someone around who really loves you to help you get through it all. Still, waffles are pretty darn good.

You know, like almost everything else in the modern world, the Catholic Church had a hand in the creation of waffles. The ancient Greeks are the ones who first started roasting thin cakes between two heated pans, but it wasn't until the Church got involved that their popularity really took off. Called oublies, medieval waffles were basically over-sized communion wafers (unconsecrated, of course). Made from the same ingredients as hosts, these grilled goodies were often decorated with religious imagery and served after meals as a form of symbolic blessing.

Eventually, the Church gave permission for people to make their own oublies, and that's when butter, cream, and spices began being introduced into the recipe. Non-Church oublies, or wafels as they came to be known, also didn't need to be unleavened, so they began to get a bit thicker. And then the Dutch got involved in the 15th Century, started using square pans, and voilà... Eggos. Okay, so it actually took a little bit more time to reach Thirteen's favorite frozen food, but the basics were there.

So, the next time you're overcome by greed and gluttony and feel the compulsion to shout "Leggo my Eggo!", maybe you should consider the waffle's holy origin and decide to share instead. That's what a friend would do.

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