Chicken and Waffles: A Golden Dream

I’ve tried fried chicken and I’ve tried waffles.  Not even my weird allergies could keep me from these two staples.  Sure, I was probably allergic to them when I ate them, but I lived to eat them again and, yes, even again.  But I had never tried Chicken and Waffles together on the same plate at the same meal.  I think I first saw this unique combination on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives and was captivated by how beautiful the presentation was and how even through the TV screen my mouth was watering.

That is a sure sign that I had to experience it for myself.   Albuquerque the Magazine has boasted in the past that Nexus Brewery has the best Chicken and Waffles in the city, so naturally this is  where I gravitated.  The husband and I were extremely dedicated on our quest for this decadent dish.  We typed in the address in the husband’s phone and proceeded to follow its faulty directions through construction, away from the direct freeway and through windy side streets, back to the direct freeway away from the frontage road and directly past our destination.  Even though we were hungry and frustrated, we pressed on around many more blocks to put ourselves in the right direction for the frontage road and Chicken and Waffles.

Once inside Nexus, we were immediately handed menus.  It didn’t take us long to find what we wanted, but were a bit disappointed to discover it would take 20 minutes to fry the chicken.  But we had come this far and we weren’t about to let 20 minutes get in the way.  And it was well worth the wait.

The waiter brought out our plates with two huge pieces of golden fried chicken and a steaming waffle that looked as thick as a piece of cake.  It was served with a little tub of maple syrup and when the waiter asked if we wanted hot sauce to go with it I raised a skeptical eyebrow, but the husband said, “Yes, please!” in excitement.

And the taste?  I don’t think any description I can come up with will do it justice, but I will try.  The fried chicken tasted just like it looked – crispy, golden (if something can taste golden) with a slight hint of pepper.  The waffle was sweet, just like cake minus the frosting - a sweet fluffy pillow and when the maple syrup was dumped over the top, the pillow transformed into a dream.  And the combination of the fried chicken and waffle?   It was a golden dream that I can’t even put into words.  This is something you will have to experience for yourself.

Mozzarella On Purpose

My Mother-in-Law read my post, “Mozzarella – Just Because” and decided that I needed to try fresh
mozzarella and tomatoes.  As part of my birthday present, she brought me those very things – fresh mozzarella and tomatoes on the vine .  This time I had mozzarella on purpose and not just because.  She was right!  I did need try them.

I sampled a slice of tomato with a slice of mozzarella on the top and carefully tasted it.  The texture wasn’t at all like the fried cheese stick – not rubbery, but rather smooth and cool.  It was fresh and refreshing.  The taste was subtle, but not boring. 

I decided to serve them for the husband and me along with leftovers from the Pick Your Patty Porch Party.  I placed the plate next to a big bowl of Peppered Vegetable Salad that my mom made.  It had a mixture of cauliflower, bell peppers, and my favorite – olives, and was dripping with a delicious, peppery vinaigrette dressing.  I was suddenly inspired and grabbed an olive out of the bowl and with a bit of dressing dripping from its sides I put it on top of a mozzarella tomato stack and popped it in my mouth.  And then the flavors exploded!  Adding a tangy and peppery flavored olive made the mozzarella seem even creamier, the tomato even fresher.  It’s interesting how mixing food can make the original so much stronger.  The same goes for family.  Thank you to my mother-in-law and my mom for making such wonderful food and inspiring me to try new things.

The next night I was inspired to prepare a  Caprese Salad to accompany the many leftovers from the Pick
Your Patty Porch Patty.  Honestly, with so many leftovers I was lazy in cooking.  I really didn't follow a recipe.  Instead, I alternated tomato and mozzarella slices and fanned them out on a plate.  Then I sprinkled olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried basil over them and then add spring mix salad for a somewhat healthy side dish.  Not only was it a beautiful presentation, but it was delicious too.