Thanks for breakfast

I always thought that breakfast is the best meal of the day, and NOT because I usually eat it without any company. No, no, that’s not why. It’s because it is easily prepared, I can eat as much as I like and I don’t even have to talk. I can just read my newspaper or my friends’ blogs.

For a better breakfast experience I suggest
-Bach, especially the violin concertos. Louis Armstrong is great breakfast material too.
-No TV dramas, bad news and the like. Just calm weather reports.
-No talking, calling people, and all that, before 3 hours after waking up have passed. This ensures that the rest of the day is going to go smoothly since most people are cranky in the morning. I felt vindicated about my belief in this -after all the accusations that I am unsociable- when I read the following: A British reporter, Charles Wheeler, speaking of his acquaintance with spy George Blake said that he had looked really suspicious to him because “He smiled rather too much. He smiled during breakfast you know”.
-Strong coffee or tea. Although I really need to speak the truth here, to people who don’t drink coffee: Coffee smells better than it tastes. Much, much better. It’s a sweet deceit. In your mouth, it never tastes like the promise it gave to your nose.
-A nice view, maybe in a sunny room. That really wakes people up.

What’s for breakfast?
I could never eat cereal for breakfast and I have nothing but admiration for people who eat breakfast out of a box. It just doesn’t make me want to seize the day.

The best thing for me is scrambled eggs, the fluffy, creamy kind, sprinkled with chives and eaten with toast and maybe grilled mushrooms or tomatoes or all of the above. A wonderful landlady in Edinburgh used to make these for me and they were so filling, although I don’t remember that stopping me from eating some of her orange marmalade, which along with lime marmalade (“thank you” to my friend Steve at this point) are the best breakfast marmalades in my opinion since they are not too sweet.

Scrambled eggs

2-3 people (unless I am there)

This isn’t anything new of course. But the truth is not many people pursue the Ultimate Scrambled Eggs. USE happen only if whisk them maniacally. Otherwise, they won’t be fluffy. Before you pour them in the pan, they should be a bit frothy and of the same colour.

• 6 big eggs
• 6 tsp milk
• salt (3 pinches)
• 1 tbs butter (real butter please)
• pepper
• 1 tbs chives

Heat a non stick pan, a bit above average. Whisk eggs, milk, salt, in a bowl. Really, really whisk. Whisk like it’s the last thing you’ll ever do.
Melt the butter in the pan and pour in the eggs.
Don’t start breaking them apart and messing about. Give them some time (we are talking 30 seconds) to set. With a wooden spoon start pushing the eggs towards the center of the pan, towards an imaginary pile. This is Martha Stewart’s advice so obey.
Go on like that and when they are really setting, start ‘cutting’ them with the wooden spoon in big chunks. Leave for some seconds more (about 15 unless you want them totally done and without any creaminess)
Add salt and pepper and sprinkle with chives. Only eat them hot, I beg of you. They are best friends with

• Grilled or sautéed mushrooms, especially portobellos
• Grilled tomatoes
• Toast
• Cream cheese on toast

Breakfast soundtrack:

1. Everybody Here Wants You – Jeff Buckley
(“Twenty-nine pearls in your kiss A singing smile/Coffee smell and lilac skin /Your flame in me/
I’m only here for this moment”)

2. New Morning –NickCave and the Bad Seeds (“Thank you for giving This bright new morning/ So steeped seemed the evening In darkness and blood/There’ll be no sadness There’ll be no sorrow There’ll be no road too narrow
There’ll be a new day/ And it’s today for us”)

3. Good day Sunshine – Beatles
4. Sun hits the sky – Supergrass
5. Till Kingdom Come – Coldplay