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.

True Grits!

"Corn provided infant America with a backbone while it was developing the use of its legs. America was growing, quite literally, up the cornstalk." Dorothy Giles

Many Canadians travel south in February and the U.S. is a popular destination. My partner (Mark) and my kids (Eliza and Daniel), and I decided to go "Stateside" as well, over the recent Family Day Weekend. Only we travelled due west instead - to Port Huron, Michigan.

It seemed amazing that after only a 90-minute drive we found ourselves crossing the Bluewater Bridge and arriving at the U.S. border. After arriving there so quickly, we had a 90-minute wait at the gate. I guess a lot of Ontarians had the same idea! It's pretty exciting to suddenly find yourself in another country after having simply crossed a bridge. The signage is all different, the shops are different, the money is different, and the food is different. And speaking of food, that is all we could think about, having had to wait so long for our breakfast.

For this first meal of the day we went where we always go when we visit Port Huron - The Daybreak Cafe. It is a very homey restaurant on the busy main street and it is always very busy inside, as well. They say you should always go where the locals go to dine and this is so true in this case. The place is bright and clean and airy, the service is quick and friendly, the prices are excellent, the portions are very generous and nicely presented, and (the best part of all) the food is delicious. Check out the menu:

http://www.menupix.com/menudirectory/menu_link.php?mxresto_id=1000249&url=http://www.menupix.com/menupdf/daybrkd832newmenu.pdf

You really know you have crossed the border when you read this entry on the breakfast menu: "Breakfast Feast - Hope you're hungry! Two eggs any style, meat and toast with potatoes or pancakes. Also includes biscuits and gravy which can fix any of your cravings." Wow!

After our fabulous breakfast we all waddled out of the restaurant to do a little (OK, a lot) of shopping. We went to a big grocery store to buy some "Quorn" products which is a line of vegetarian meat substitutes which have a very high reputation in Europe, but which are not allowed in Canada for some obscure bureaucratic reason. (http://www.quorn.us) This sounds like it may be made from corn, but it is not. But if you do want corn, you have come to the right place if you are in the U.S..

In the U.S. corn is the number one field crop, by far. And you can really see this in the supermarkets where there are oodles of corn products. Tortilla chips are more popular than potato chips, all manner of Mexican-inspired foods using corn are seen including corn breads and corn bread mixes with "Jiffy Corn Bread Mix" seeming to be the most popular. (http://www.jiffymix.com/)

A couple of years ago Donna, my very dear friend from Alabama, sent me a recipe for "Jiffy Corn Casserole" which is hugely popular in the South. I couldn't find it anywhere here in London but Mark was able to snag some up while in Michigan. I decided to make a Southern-themed dinner and I have to say this corn casserole was a hit. Very delicious! I must make it again soon as it is such a comforting dish on cold winter night.

One of the most favourite uses for corn in America, especially in the Southern States, is "grits". Grits are made from dried corn (or maize) kernals which have been soaked in a lye mixture to remove the hull and soften the inside of the kernal, then ground up to become "hominy grits". They are somewhat similar to polenta, but not as stiff. It is more like a sort of porridge. Wikipedia says, "Grits can be served hot or cold and as a base for a multitude of dishes from breakfast to dessert, depending on the additives. Additives can include salt and butter, meat (especially shrimp on the east and Gulf coasts), and rarely vegetables. It is common for people above the Mason-Dixon line to have sugar with their grits."

Being Canadian, I have, of course, had very limited exposure to grits. But I do have a funny memory associated with the above reference to Northern grit-eaters. A few years ago I was talking with my wonderful friend, Donna, and she just couldn't believe I had never even tried grits. She couldn't imagine such a thing, being an Alabama Southern Belle. So straightaway, she went out and bought me an enormous bag of grits! Then, she mailed it to me. It probably cost her ten times more to mail it than it did to buy it. I laughed when the package arrived. What a woman!

Well, I really didn't know how to prepare grits, so I read the instructions carefully. I decided that beginning by having them for breakfast would be the best way to go. After all, the photo on the package reminded me a lot of a thicker version of cream of wheat and I'd always liked that. I cooked up the grits, then tasted them and was surprised at the extreme lack of flavour. So, I fixed the problem by adding a nice bit of pure Canadian maple syrup. A bit of 'Great White North meets Dixie'. Later that day I emailed Donna to thank her and to tell her I'd had my first grit experience. She was very pleased that she'd been able to expand my culinary horizons. That is, until I told her about the maple syrup. She was shocked. "You're a YANKEE!!!!!" she exclaimed.

I think Donna has forgiven me for this Southern "faux pas" as we have remained very close friends. So, I think - as a tribute to my remarkable Alabama pal - my recipe this week will be for the "Jiffy Corn Casserole" instead of a dish containing grits. The recipe I've chosen is from Paula Deen, the queen of Southern cooking and whom you've no doubt seen on the Food Network. I hope you'll make it and enjoy it. Maybe invite some friends over and have a Southern menu. After all, wouldn't it be fine to bring a little Southern warmth and hospitality to our frosty Canadian days??

Cheers, y'all!!

Diane

This week's photo and recipe are courtesy of Paula Deen:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/corn-casserole-recipe/index.html

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!)