Yes it’s breakfast time!
This morning finds me wanting to have one of the bagels that ‘E’ left yesterday. But I can’t just have a bagel… I’m feeling that for rhe day ahead I’m going to need a little something more. So, I reached into the fridge and found that package of Mexican cheese blend and of course omlette comes to mind. And those two rashers of Polish bacon… we’ll skillet potatoes are a specialty of the house…
I happened to show up at my local Panera Bread shop for lunch and they had their cinnamon raisin bread ready…
So, I picked up a loaf and this morning it was cinnamon raisin french toast for #Breakfast. I like using this loaf because it’s soft and absorbs the egg batter well. Most of you know I use Irish butter and New York maple syrup and with a cup of coffee, the day is looking just sweet enough.
There’s nothing like the aroma of fresh cut bacon
A pound of fresh, sliced to order bacon at the Polish butcher is around six fifty a pound… you can’t turn down an offer like that. I prefer mine thick cut snd not crispy. I like bacon you can take a knife to!
This morning I prepared it with a simple asiago cheese omlette and whole wheat toast. And I love a like swiss preserves on the toast… Favorite is my favorite. .. funny how that happens.
Autumn is here in New York once again. I always look forward to the cool air and the changing leaves. This season really brings forth the flavors of breakfast. Something salty something smokey something sweet. This morning, with the aroma of fresh apples in the air, I figured I would take a couple of macintosh apples, grate them down, add some batter, and see if I could get some fritters cooking.
So, with about a half an inch of light canola oil in my cast iron skillet, I mixed pancake batter and four medium-sized apples. I took a spoonful and placed it on a sheet of waxed paper and patted it flat with the spatula. Once I had three of these I transfered them to the hot oil and let then cook for about two minutes before flipping them over and cooking the other side.
Now while this is going on I have another small frying pan over a light flame cooking a couple of rashers of bacon. I like mine cooked but not crispy. Nice and chewy does it for me.
So, as the fritters finish cooking I scoop them out and place then on paper towels to drain off some of the oil.
As the bacon finishes, I transfer that to the plates, with a couple of fritters and pour on a nice drizzle of pure New York grade A maple syrup from a little place just outside of Middleburg.
Eating at the Crab House
Waffles with carmelized apples and Black Forest ham. The apples are New York State macintosh from Terrance Mountain Orchard in Middleburg. I core, peel and chop the apples. Then they are tossed into a pot with brown sugar, maple bourbon and a little water. They get cooked over a low heat until a nice syrup startes to form. I cheated a bit here using me favorite frozen waffles, Aunt Jamima straight from the toaster oven. A little butter is applied then i spoon on the apples. You can kick up the ‘Autumn ‘ factor by sprinkling a little cinnamon sugar over these.
Now, I like mine with a side of meat. In this case I pan fried a nice thick piece of black Forest Ham. I pick this up at the deli counter when it’s on sale. I ask the clerk to slice it thick adding that he should get only four slices on the half pound. That’s usually a good thickness to use for breakfast. And you can get a weeks worth of breakfasts out of that.
A nice warm omelette with ham, and Swiss cheese just at its melting point so that it still has the stringiness as you bring a fork to your mouth. I mix a pinch of herbs de provance into the mixture and then sprinkle a pinch on top as a garnish.
I usually get the deli ham at Cherry Valley Market and have the clerk slice it in the thick side. Slicing it thick makes it much easier to pan fry. As a personal point of reference, I also like the cheese sliced thicker.
In a mixing bowl I combine two eggs, herbs, and small-diced ham. I whisk these together with a splash of milk. Then I pour this into a non stick pan over low heat and cover. As this firms up I place a slice of the Swiss cheese along half and the using a thin non stick spatula I fold the omelette over and hold the pan off the stove but still over the burner. This gets the cheese melting without over cooking the omelette.
Yes, the personal pizza at IL Cantone is really good. Fresh ingredients all chewy and gooey straight from the oven.
Two eggs poached on dry whole wheat toast with spicy Spanish potatoes. I poach my eggs in a rather small pot and gently transfer then to dry whole wheat toast using a slotted spoon. I like to keep the toast as dry as possible. This makes it more absorbant to the yolk as I tend to lightly poach the eggs. Perhaps a minute maybe two in the water once it starts to boil.
The Spanish style potatoes are made nice and spicy by using diced chorizo sausage previously cooked (yup, leftovers). I get that cooking on a low heat with chopped onions. I dice up a medium potato, something low starch like red skin or tender white potato. The smaller the dice, the quicker the potatoes will cook. But to add flavor and lessen the cooking time I toss the diced potatoes in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and smokey Hungarian paprika.
I think I’ve mentioned that the Cherry Valley market near me sells this fantastic Italian bread, two loaves for a dollar fifty. A bargain I dont often pass up especially on Fridays when I often make pasta. What’s pasta without a loaf of garlic bread… But that’s a story for another day. Today I’m focusing on what to do with the left over loaf. And that’s where a lazy Saturday morning comes in handy when I make these mini french toast from the loaf left out to harden a little.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Start by warming up your skillet. In a large shallow bowl beat the egg and milk together. Whisk in a slash of amaretto. Soak the slices of bread in the egg mixture and place them on the skillet. It only take a few minutes to brown each side. When they are done transfer them to the plate, lightly butter them and dust with cinnamon sugar.
Enjoy with your morning coffee and croissants.
Bill of Flair 