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The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va., Jim Mooney Real Flavor Column: Breakfast Can Be Good, Fast Every Day

Posted on: Wednesday, 1 February 2006, 09:00 CST

By Jim Mooney Real Flavor, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

Feb. 1--BREAKFAST HAS ALWAYS BEEN my favorite meal. I can't imagine starting a new day without "breaking the fast" and giving my stomach some relief from its long night of neglect. Coffee comes first, but it's not enough. Gone are the days when, as a teenager, I used to fix myself a breakfast of four slices of bacon, three fried eggs and toast. I am now long past teen age, and am content with one egg and perhaps a bit of sausage or bacon on Sunday mornings. During the week, breakfast can be a haphazard affair, as my wife and I scramble to get our grandchildren off to school and ourselves off to work. Still, a grab-andgo breakfast bar won't do. In spite of the rush, we try to sit down together as a family, if only for 5 or 10 minutes. Sometimes the food choice is cold cereal, store-bought pastry or fresh fruit. When time permits, though, I try to add some variety with menu items such as: a potato-and-apple skillet made from Idaho potatoes sliced and browned in just a little real butter, with a sliced Granny Smith apple added for the last couple of minutes; a quick French toast with Italian bread, quickly soaked in a mixture of egg, milk, lots of cinnamon and orange juice; a fast batch of Cinnamon Butter Puffs, a recipe from my most-used breakfast resource, "The Breakfast Book" by Marion Cunningham (Knopf, 1987).

Breakfast on Saturday allows a little more time, and the standard in our house has always been pancakes or waffles. My pancake recipes are often based on those in "The Breakfast Book," but I have found that you can put (almost) anything in pancake batter and it usually works, as long as you start with the basics. I always add a little extra milk, making pancakes thinner than the restaurant kind, and a bit crispy, though not so thin as a crepe. Berries or cutup fruit are a great addition, but be sure to coat the fruit with batter, then sprinkle it on the pancakes just before turning. Pancakes can benefit from a great variety of toppings, but don't skimp on the pure maple syrup. Eggs are the standard in our house on Sunday mornings. We eat after church, so this meal is more of a brunch. I am partial to omelets made the Julia Child way. Beat one or two eggs with a little water, salt and pepper, melt 1 teaspoon of butter in a very hot crepe or omelet pan, cook and stir gently for a minute or less. There should be no trace of brown. You can add mushrooms, peppers, diced ham, etc., sauteed or not, just before folding over. Fold, flip, and slide it on a plate. Cheese of some type is essential, and please forget what you see at the restaurant buffets, and put the cheese inside the omelet with the other ingredients. Here is a recipe for a favorite special-occasion breakfast. This was given to us long ago by a friend. It keeps and freezes well, and it worked great in quantity for our daughter's wedding breakfast last year. COUNTRY BREAKFAST PIE 1 9-inch deep-dish prepared pie shell 1 pound cooked sausage 1 1/2 cups grated Swiss cheese 4 eggs, slightly beaten 1 cup light cream or half and half 1/4 cup each chopped green and red bell pepper 2 tablespoon chopped onion Mix sausage and cheese, sprinkle in shell. Lightly beat eggs and cream in bowl. Combine remaining ingredients, add to egg mixture. Pour into shell. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes or until firm. Makes 6-8 servings. JIM MOONEY has taught computer science at WVU for 26 years. He is a member of The Dominion Post Food Panel. Contact him at food@dominionpost.com.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

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Source: The Dominion Post (Morgantown, W.Va.)

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