Friday, December 14, 2018

The Breakfast Book For You

Breakfast is undeniably the best meal of the day. That explains why we have brunch , and the evening meal breakfast for dinner.Now there's a new book that  has all things first meal. It's a recip e book, history book, and encyclopedia all in one. It is the epitome of  breakfast.

Breakfast :The Most Important Book About The Best Meal Of The Day (Oxmoor House Publishing 2018)was compiled and written by the editors at Extra Crispy, a blog about what else - breakfast. The site is rife with celebrity interviews and where to find the best hot chocolate along with recipes on how to turn leftover tinned popcorn into breakfast.It's a fresh approach to eating fun, healthy and/or traditional and the book also reflects that.I love this book.It has a plethora of really good recipes along with the why of what we eat in the morning  or afternoon  or evening. The history of the egg is fascinating, starting with the CroMagnons. Another interesting section, written by Jim Behrle. is the one on Taylor ham, why it's call what it is and why we cook it with four slits in it. Following it is an essay on livermush, a North Carolingian breakfast specialty. Coffee and , especially cappuccino affectionados will love the chart detailing the amount of espresso, milk and foam that go into our must have morning joes. There is also an excellent section on the mimosa, that ubiquitous brunch must have along with eight variations on it.Contributors have also written reminiscences about the breakfasts that defined their childhoods along with an eye opening essay on Anita Bryant, she of orange juice and old fashioned homophobia fame.

What about the recipes themselves? There are so many that I am going to try during this holiday season and well afterwards. I love the advice for making the perfect poached egg. There is also the perfect Hollandaise sauce to go with them, explained with such exactness that it'll be your go to recipe for this delicious , lemony sauce. The chart for five easy  smoothie recipes will come in handy for those who want a healthy "green" start to the day. All of them just have five ingredients which makes for an easy blend.Then there are the decadent Dutch babies, those puffy oven baked pancakes that feed four or five. Want more baked goodness? The Extra Crispy writers have a chapter on such tasty AM classics as DIY toaster strudel, made with phyllo dough and sticky toffee cinnamon rolls, based on the English sticky toffee pudding. Home bakers will love the recipes for buttery brioches and old fashioned fruit filled muffins. International breakfasts are also featured here.Dal pakwan ,a  fiery standard in Indian household would be perfect on a cold winter's morn along with the yeasty, sweet Shibuya honey toast, popular in Chinese and Taiwanese households. The best recipe by far is their take on a gingerbread house constructed out of Pop Tarts and decorated with a variety of breakfast cereals.

Breakfast  The Most Important Book About The Best Meal Of The Day is the must have holiday gift for breakfast lovers and foodies alike. It is informative and entertaining. Best of all it is chock full of yummy recipes that you can create for any meal, breakfast lunch or dinner!


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