Breakfast

The other night I watched a documentary on Maine public television all about breakfast. Yes it was hot out and I was in the cool basement and nothing else was on but that is not why I watched it. I watched it because I love breakfast. I have been a fan of breakfast for years - starting way back when I lived in Calgary. A good breakfast place needs to serve good food but it also needs a catchy name and Calgary had two of the best - Humpty's Egg Place and Moishe's Posh Deli.

I guess I first started to love breakfast when I was a traveling salesman out west - where the first call of the day was usually breakfast with coffee and a local newspaper. And when you are wide awake at 7 AM in Rocky Mountain House there is nothing else to do except eat breakfast. And in case there is any misunderstanding let me clarify the term "breakfast" for you. It must include eggs, toast and coffee to meet the minimum requirements - however after that the sky is the limit. And the variations are endless - mushrooms, smoked salmon, Spam, kippers, and grits - you name it and I have eaten it. And please don't give me any porridge, fruit plates or bran muffins. Breakfast is breakfast - you can call that other stuff something else.

Julie and I have always loved going out for breakfast - this started way back when our kids were very young and once they were off to school we were off to the nearest coffee shop. We have had many favorite places over the years - Keay's Fruit Market, Boldon's Cafe and even Cora's back when they had the early bird special. Currently our favorite is the Sunshine Diner - still serving a bottomless cup of coffee!

This love of breakfast has lasted until this very day - I still get up and cook breakfast every weekday morning. My specialty is the "Egg Mc" something - usually an egg served on an English muffin with cheese and whatever else we have. On the weekend I might be more adventurous - even cook breakfast outside on the BBQ. This time of year, late summer - I usually have fried green tomatoes at least once. Of course we all know that eating tasty food will slowly kill us - but what a delicious way to go!

Breakfast has actually become one of our favorite holiday traditions and I truly think we look forward more to Christmas breakfast than Christmas dinner. Julie's father always makes Eggs Benedict whenever we get together at Christmas and I am looking forward to that pleasure this year. Other years we have smoked salmon with sliced red onion and capers on Montreal style bagels. And coffee - lots of coffee.

Heaven forbid that I am ever on death row but if I am and they ask for my last meal order here it is: 2 poached eggs - hard, crispy bacon, hash browns, toast and coffee, preferably a bottomless cup and keep it comin'.... take your time, I am in no hurry.