What to Eat for Breakfast
A breakfast to suit all tastes
This isn’t so much a post as an open forum to help make my life easier 
Let me explain, in between writing this blog I have to work for a living which isn’t all bad as it involves food so I’m quite lucky. One of several projects I am involved in at the moment is a revision of a breakfast menu. Forgive me if details are somewhat sketchy but I prefer to keep my work details seperate from my blog for obvious reasons.
Now normally I would write a menu based on whatever I think is fit, no problem. But I thought it might be useful to get some feedback from you guys and what you would like to eat if you were away from home. If you live in the UK is it a full fry-up for example? A continental for those of you on the continent? and so on.
If you like a hot breakfast what needs to be featured? If you like healthy options then what bores you every time you see a breakfast buffet table? The last time I stayed at Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant in Cornwall, England he offered a menu based entirely on his travels and some of the dishes would never be seen here in the UK such as steak. Some of my best breakfasts have been eaten on my travels in South East Asia; pancakes and curry in Malaysia, sashimi and sushi in Singapore, congee in Thailand and so on. All different, all delicious.
Would you eat fish? What about kidneys? I used to cook them as a young breakfast chef many years ago but never see them on the menu now.
Remember this is about what you would want after paying for a night’s hotel stay, not particularly what you eat at home every day but any thoughts would be appreciated.
Miles
I think a cooked breakfast is hard to beat. It has a bad health reputation now but it’s easy enough (easier actually) to do a healthy one !
This morning I will have:
2 rounds of wholemeal toast
2 large scrambled free range eggs
A courgette sliced and fried in a smear of olive oil until brown
Personally I also like fish a breakfast
If you like a hot breakfast what needs to be featured?
A must for me are mushrooms !
But not watery !
Add to that all the traditional favourites.
When I’m fat stripping it’s bran flakes and fat free milk
So for me: it’s hot hot hot all the way !
Rod
September 20, 2008 @ 7:32 am
Rod,
Sounds good, apart from the Bran Flakes! You’re right about the mushrooms, I hate those black, overcooked watery things which seep liquid all over the bacon-uurrgghhh!!!
Miles
September 20, 2008 @ 8:12 am
Miles,
My Barcelona experience tells me that a tray of lots of miniature delights (think Japanese in its arrangement with small dishes) like tiny pancakes with berries, cheeses, hams, yoghurt, Danish pastries plus a side order of something hot. The whole thing was a sight to behold with a substantial price tag. My business head says the look was spectacular and quite easy for the staff to put together while the chef concentrated on the hot stuff like eggy things. Profits must have been good. Personally I also like kidneys (love free range chicken livers but probably not for breakfast, too rich).
My current favourite is porridge with a swirl of my elderberry syrup. Hate those hotels where hot food has been sitting around for ages and even the cereals don’t look fresh. Small slice of bread brushed with olive oil and baked until golden and crisp, served with a perfectly poached egg is always appreciated. In season, ripe figs. I’m going through a phase of baked tomatoes with olive oil and herbs which seem to go with everything.
Don’t envy you the task of trying to please everyone…. speaking of which I have friends coming for coffee in a few minutes and I’m not dressed yet (a very unpleasant thought
) … if I think of anything else worthwhile I shall return ……
Cid
September 20, 2008 @ 9:45 am
Cid,
Thanks for that, a great comment and your suggestions sound delicious. I am into porridge-I stick a banana and dried fruits in mine plus the odd scoop of protein powder! Which reminds me, I’m off to the gym to try and injure myself again
Miles
September 20, 2008 @ 1:48 pm
I’m of no use here, sorry. My traveling breakfast is always something bready and a Bloody Mary, followed by lots of juice (local peferable). I have never been a big breakfast person, but I enjoy mornings in the kitchen -they seem a little saner. Juevos Rancheros, scrambled with chorizo, smoked salmon on toast points with a horseradish cream sauce, corned beef hash with a fried egg on top, or a “twisted omelet” (my favorite one is sauteed leek, bacon, and jalapeno) - these are the menu favorites.
September 20, 2008 @ 2:46 pm
Dave,
No use? They sound great (especially the Bloody Mary!) Hash is something I would like to see come back again and you can put chorizo on nearly anything for me.
Thanks Dave, great ideas.
Miles
September 20, 2008 @ 5:03 pm
Sniff, sniff. Not to draw attention to my rather high maintenance diet, but since I can’t eat gluten because of that annoying celiac disease thing, I like having some options other than breads, pancakes, rolls, and such.If there are gluten-free pancakes or something similar on the menu, I excuse myself from the table, ask to see the chef and then kiss him/her and bow down in great gratitude as if I’ve just run across Mother Teresa or the Pope.
Otherwise, I like a nice fruit plate. I love hot cereal, but most of it is laced with that poison stuff called wheat (even oatmeal is often contaminated). When I’m at home, I make teff porridge, which is absolutely divine. I like big breakfasts and love egg scrambles with veggies. There’s a place in Denver that makes the best breakfasts. Rather than ramble on about the choices, here’s the link to their breakfast menu if you want some ideas from good old Colorado. I have nothing to do with the restaurant, this isn’t some sort of marketing ploy, they just have good breakfasts that are often gluten-free. Plus, they have an “international theme” of which you might like.
Sorry, I’m rambling. But when a chef asks what someone wants in a meal — I get carried away.
http://www.watercoursefoods.com/menu.php
Take care,
Melissa
September 21, 2008 @ 1:13 pm
Melissa,
Thankyou for that, I’ll have a look at the site for ideas. You are right to highlight the problem anyone on a gluten free ‘diet’ faces on their travels and you inevitably have to place a lot of trust in that kitchen to get it right for you.
One of the biggest problems I think is that caterers view gluten free food as boring and therefore don’t bother trying.
It’s the last thing you need.
Welcome back!
Miles
September 21, 2008 @ 7:29 pm
I love a good English breakfast!
Other than that, on the more ‘unusual’ side I’ve had dim sum in Hong Kong and fish curry with milk rice in the Maldives.
It depends on what country I’m in, but I do like to try whatever is the local breakfast.
When in Rome and all that…
September 22, 2008 @ 10:05 pm
Will,
If I ditched the full English I’d get murdered for it-especially where I am at the moment
Miles
September 23, 2008 @ 4:23 pm