In 1869, Cornelius Swarthout got tired of eating pancakes and invented the waffle iron. Ever since, man has labored to make the perfect waffle, but often his attempt at perfection sticks when the iron is opened and self destructs before it can be buttered and lathered in syrup. The key word to remember is "temper" -- not yours or mine, but the waffle iron’s. Both inner surfaces need to be tempered with heat and cooking oil to prevent sticking. First, brush cooking oil on both inner surfaces. Then coat pieces of bread with oil and place them inside, covering the entire surface. Then heat until the bread is golden brown. The bread holds the oil against both surfaces until the oil solidifies and bonds. That’s “tempering; it prevents sticking. And that's the On The House tip for today.