Don't Mess With Breakfast!

"All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast."

-- John Gunther



How often have you heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Do you believe it? Are you someone who religiously abstains from food in the morning? Or are you someone who relishes the first meal of the day?

If you are, in fact, a breakfast eater, then I would be willing to bet that you tend to gravitate to certain dishes or even foods as a default setting. Most likely a nice, hot cup of coffee is high on your list. Then, maybe toast, bagels, or muffins; maybe oatmeal or cold cereal; maybe an egg or two, a bowl of fruit salad, or even a protein-enhanced fruit smoothie.

It is also highly probable that you enjoy one type of breakfast on early and rushed weekdays, and quite another on more leisurely weekend mornings. But within each setting I expect your choices don't vary too much. I know mine don't. I can't count the number of times I have oohed and aahed over a delectable breakfast menu in a restaurant and then gone ahead and ordered my 'usual' -- two eggs scrambled dry, rye toast (also dry), and peanut butter. It is, unfortunately, completely predictable; my only hope for excitement is if the coffee turns out to be especially good.

Over the years I have had endless food-related chats with people from all over the world and I have learned several very interesting things. For one, people will often eagerly try out a new recipe or perhaps a new type of ethnic restaurant for dinner on the weekends when time seems more expansive. But at breakfast time, even the most liberal cooks and diners tend to be more conservative.

People seem to crave comfort in the mornings and few things can comfort us in the way that familiar foods can.

Now, exactly what those foods are will depend on your country of origin, or even your family's homeland. It is a given that people from all over the world love to drink coffee in the morning. It is after the beverage is looked after that the variety begins.

In much of Asia, breakfasts of rice, vegetables and a little meat are the most common. Indians enjoy rice as well, however it is often given a very creative twist as in the case of 'idlis'. Idlis are absolutely scrumptious little puffy cakes made from a fermented mixture of rice and split peas which are steamed to perfection and served with an incredibly earthy and tasty sauce that is so amazing I simply can't find words to describe it. (To be completely honest, I am describing my Indian friend Winona's idlis, as they are they only ones I've ever tried; and why would I ever try any others?)

Europeans for the most part like to eat sliced meats for breakfast, along with boiled eggs, cheeses, and an abundance of fresh breads and rolls along with jams and honey.

Middle Eastern breakfasts lean toward beautiful and very sweet pastries of all descriptions, but also consist of boiled eggs, cucumbers, tomatoes, and fruit.

In Britain, morning 'fry-ups' are quite common. Here you will find eggs, bacon, sausages, tomatoes, potatoes and even bread, all fried up to the max in bacon grease. On top of this, in Ireland you would get some Irish soda bread and jam as well; and in Scotland you would find oatcakes, scones with jam, no doubt some nice, thick oatmeal and a few kippered herrings. Of course, the kippers would be fried.

Things are a little more relaxed in Greece where you would be served a breakfast of bread, cheese, fruit and coffee. And they are even simpler in Italy where you could sit at an outdoor patio, enjoying a tasty pastry along with a steaming cup of cappuccino while you read the paper and get a start on your day.

All of these very different breakfasts have something in common; they are all highly comforting to those people who find them familiar -- maybe even something that takes them back to their childhoods.

But I have to wonder this: why is it, exactly, that we all seem to crave such comforting in the mornings? Why not turn this desire on its head and start each new day celebrating the simple, yet amazing, fact that we are alive to the experiences of a new day? As we all know too well, one day (far off in the future, I hope!) this will not be true. But why wait? The time to celebrate is now. And what better way to celebrate than to branch out a bit and try something different for breakfast? You'll do nothing less than broaden your horizons. And who knows? You might even just feel a little bit more alive.

Cheers!


Diane


Both the photo and recipe this week are from a very interesting and fun blog entitled 'Siri's Corner':

http://siri-corner.blogspot.com/2009/07/potato-chip-frittata-muffins.html

When I came across this recipe, I knew it was just the whimsical breakfast treat I was looking for. It is vegetarian, nutritious, and low carb. It also looks exquisitely tasty!

My partner, Mark, is a very big fan of President's Choice ketchup potato chips. And since he worked very, very hard last weekend, and will again this weekend on our latest decorating project, I am going to make these for him. And I expect they will make both of us very happy indeed.

A Shopping Storm Before the Christmas Calm

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other." -- Burton Hills

For a terrible moment, I feared that my family would have only oatmeal for their Christmas morning breakfast, and left-over Tofu Pad Thai for Christmas dinner. I was all set to let panic overwhelm me when suddenly I thought: Why not do something different and take some action?

It was Christmas Eve, last week, and my two youngest children, Eliza and Daniel, and I had been busy doing our final gift shopping across the busy city. In the mid-afternoon we realized that we had better abandon the stores and drive immediately back to the centre of town if we wanted to watch the Olympic Flame being run into Victoria Park. Which we did.

Not surprisingly – 8,000 other people also thought this would be a grand way to spend the afternoon before Christmas. We eventually, and gratefully, found a parking space some long blocks from the park and we had to walk as quickly as possible to get there on time. Or, rather, the kids walked quickly on their very long legs, and I trotted along, gasping for breath, several paces behind them.

Well, the crowd was very dense, packed all along the walkway where the runners would be coming in, but we did manage to see the flame as it was run exuberantly into the park and up to the main stage. Eliza and Daniel were even able to get their photo taken with a flame runner holding an unlit torch. It was fun, but, unfortunately, we didn't have time to hear the speeches. We still had our grocery shopping to do and time was running out.

I've become a little spoiled by the city and have come to expect stores to be open quite late (by small town standards). I realized that they would close early on Christmas Eve, so I was thinking that I had until probably 7:00, or at the very least, 6:00. It was after 4:00 before we could push our way out of the crowd, then we still had to trek to our car and drive to the grocery store that is nearest to our house, though not, sadly, 'near' to it.

I was feeling quite prepared for the shopping, though. I had made a complete list of items needed, then I had rewritten the list into appropriate categories as I would normally walk through the store. Produce, deli items, frozen desserts, dairy, dry goods, and so on. But, still, I was counting on the kids to help me out by being 'runners' as we passed through the various sections. As a team, I felt we would be able to get in and out of there in pretty good time.

However, as we pulled into the grocery store parking lot, I looked across the street to see a store Eliza and I had been in the day before. I knew Daniel needed one more gift and I thought there was a good chance he'd find something there. So, I suggested that they hop out and dash across to that store, try to find a gift, then dash back to find me in the grocery store. They asked me if I'd be all right and I answered: Yes, of course, you'll be back quickly; I'll just get a little start on things.

I parked the car, hopped out, grabbing some cloth grocery bags, and then a cart and walked through the door. As I was immediately in the produce section, I pushed the cart to the right and began to choose the best red pepper. And then, suddenly, and shockingly, I heard this loud and shrill announcement: “Attention Shoppers! This store will be closing in 15 minutes. Please make your final selections and make your way to the cashiers.” My reaction? Well, as the young people of this passing decade have learned to text - “WTF”???? 15 minutes??? How can I possibly do this??

How could it be that we would have no special Christmas breakfast or dinner? How disappointed would the kids be? So, I decided right then and there that I had no time to shop the way I usually do – pondering each purchase carefully, weighing up sizing and pricing and competing brands. I didn't even have time to consult my list!

Fortunately, I had read through my list several times and so basically had it in my head. I started pushing my cart quickly and deftly around the perimeter of the store, trying my best not to knock over the other panicking shoppers. Peppers, cole slaw, potatoes and sweet potatoes – check. Bread. Sliced ham for breakfast and a turkey breast. Imagine that, a turkey breast, something I have never purchased nor cooked before, snatched off the shelf without even considering the price. (Well, maybe a quick glance.) It was a whirlwind!

I was in the dairy section choosing eggs and cheese for the breakfast menu, but couldn't find the Pillsbury Crescent Rolls which were essential to the main dish. Just at that moment, a store clerk appeared and pointed me in the right direction. I was all set to go on to the next section when I realized with some alarm that I had forgotten to get veggie bacon and vegan cheese – absolutely essential since over half the family is vegetarian. So, I had to turn back! And backtracking was wasting previous time – not what I needed right now.

I had, quite surprisingly, made it all the way to the frozen section when the “5 minutes remaining, shoppers” announcement came bursting through the speakers. Yikes. I grabbed up some frozen peas and hash browns, then remembered the few packaged and canned items I still needed. Suddenly, around the corner appeared Eliza and Daniel at quick pace and eager to help. Quick! Quick! Run over to the corner over there, choose a frozen dessert, and meet me at the checkout.

While they ran off to choose dessert, I pushed my cart at full speed to the interior isles in search of water chestnuts, mandarin orange slices, and shredded coconut. The shrill admonishment of “Attention Shoppers, our store is now closing. Please make your way to the cashiers” was in my ears just as I wheeled up to the checkout lanes. Wow. Then, the kids came running over with a lovely Tiramisu that was the perfect choice for dessert.

While we were waiting in line, I surveyed my cart, scanning quickly and urgently to see if anything important had been forgotten. Oh, no – turnips! It wouldn't be Christmas dinner without turnips. So, I sent the kids off and running back to the produce department where they had some trouble as the sign in front of what they perceived as turnips, said “rutabagas”. After a speedy consultation with the produce clerk, they bolted back to the checkout.

Once we were back in the car, heading home with our groceries all packed up and safely in the trunk, we began to laugh and high-five each other for our astonishing success. What a relief!

And we were all comforted by the knowledge that whatever gifts we would find under our tree on Christmas morning, we knew we would be enjoying the warmth of having our family all together – with nowhere to go and nothing to do but enjoy each other. And, oh, yes – we would be relishing the abundance of our hastily purchased Christmas meals, as well.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Cheers,

Diane

Featured Recipe: "HG Egga-Pinwheels"

http://www.hungry-girl.com/girls/biteoutdetails.php?isid=1916

We have experimented with various Christmas morning breakfast recipes over the years, and I would say that these were really a big hit. We couldn't find any "Pillsbury Seamless Dough Sheets" here in London (probably only available in U.S.), so we just used the regular "Pillsbury Crescent Rolls" and pushed the seams together to form a rectangle. This worked well. We made two batches: one with thinly sliced ham and grated cheddar, and one with Yves veggie Canadian bacon and shredded soy cheese. Some chose ketchup to dip them in, and some chose maple syrup. There were none left, so that's a good sign.

(The photo above and the featured recipe are courtesy of the wonderful food blog "http:www.hungry-girl.com". Just sign up for a free membership and you will receive countless recipes and tips for losing weight while eating tasty food. And what a perfect time of year for that!)

An Egg-cellent Twist on an Old Favourite

"Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold, but so does a hard-boiled egg."

-Anonymous (unfortunately!)

Some years ago, back in Goderich - my very small home town in Southwestern Ontario - I found myself seated amidst a group of strangers, at a long wooden table, in the basement of a church. We were all there for the 'lunch' following the funeral of an elderly woman we had known.

Now I can't speak for the rest of the world, but I do know that in small towns in Southwestern Ontario, the funeral lunches put on by the 'church ladies' seldom varies. There is coffee and tea served in dainty little tea cups, plates of plain celery and carrot sticks, a variety of small sandwiches (egg salad, tuna, and ham - all cut neatly into triangles) and a few trays of assorted cookies. Maybe even some gooey squares if the church ladies were feeling ambitious.

Well, we had 'enjoyed' our meager lunch and had endured the post-funereal chatterings with total strangers and yet, somehow, it felt a little rude to simply leave. And so, probably more out of boredom than hunger, the older woman across from me said - to no one in particular - "Welllllll.........I'd really like another ham sandwich, but I just don't feel like walking all the way across the room for one." At once, the very gentlemanly gentleman to her right chirped up. "Oh! I have an egg salad sandwich here which I haven't even touched and I would be happy to give it to you." "Why, thank you," replied the woman politely (but with a slight grimace), "but I just hate egg salad sandwiches."

But then, judging by the look on her face, she must have mentally heaved her body off the wooden chair, shuffled clear across the room to the food table and back, and had simply found it far too great an ordeal. She sighed a great sigh all of a sudden, then turned to the generous gentleman with a coy smile and said, "Ohhh.....maybe just a half!"

In many a church basement I've enjoyed those little sandwiches myself, and that is a very good thing because as an almost life-long vegetarian, they are always my only choice. But, I have to say, with all modesty, that the church ladies' offerings could not hold a taper to the deliciously upgraded version which I just recently created.

One evening last week I had made some hard-boiled eggs and decided to save two in order to make egg salad sandwiches for my lunch the next day. In the morning I started thinking about what I could add to make the sandwiches a little more nutritious and a little more interesting. Suddenly I remembered that I had some shredded carrots (about half a cup or so) left over from another recipe. I thought that sounded tasty and would add nice colour and texture as well.

But carrots are a little sweet and mayonnaise is rather sweet so I needed something that would add a bit of savoury zing. Well, fortunately my partner, Mark, always keeps a stash of olives in my fridge so I was happy when I saw the jar of queen-sized pitted olives stuffed with pimentos. What a nice combination, I thought; these will be delicious sandwiches. And indeed they were!

Because these delightful, crunchy sandwiches contain the addition of both green olives and shredded carrots, I have coined the name "Oliot". And whenever I say that word, my mind's ear hears only the highly memorable voice of "E.T." calling stridently for his earthling friend!

I hope you will give this recipe a try and let me know how you like it. This is what you'll need to do:

RECIPE FOR OLIOTS (Makes 2 or more, as you wish....)

2 hard-boiled eggs
1/2 cup shredded carrot
6 queen-sized pitted green olives stuffed with pimento
mayonnaise to your taste (always use real mayonnaise, the results are superior)
prepared mustard to your taste
season with salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Place 2 eggs in a saucepan half-filled with water and place on high heat. Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp vinegar to the water. Watch the pot carefully until the water begins to boil, then turn the heat down to medium. Now it's time to watch the clock - for exactly 15 minutes. Then, remove the pot from the heat, place in sink and run cold water into the pot until the water in the pot has become cool. Leave the eggs alone for at least 15 minutes. Then, crack the shells and carefully peel them off, placing the hard-boiled eggs into a bowl. Mash them up finely with a potato masher and/or a fork.

Mix the rest of the ingredients into the eggs with (preferably) a wooden spoon. Spread some of the mixture onto a slice of nice, fresh, whole grain bread. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Top with fresh alfalfa sprouts (more nutritious and more flavourful than lettuce) and another slice of bread.

These tasty Oliots can be served two ways: either spread quite liberally on thick, rustic bread to make 2 large deli-style sandwiches, or spread thinly (conservatively?) on more delicate bread and cut carefully into cute little triangles that would make a church lady proud.

Cheers!

Diane

PS: Please check out this "egg-cellent" site for wonderful egg recipes and so much more:

http://www.getcracking.ca