Breakfast

I don't believe in breakfast.

I know that there are those out there who have a 'nutritious breakfast' at times, even on a regular basis. In the search for this elusive thing full of 'food groups' and 'balance' I have only ever found this that were "part of" but not the whole. My stomach, so often abused with heavy dinners followed by hours of snacking before bed time, has never been willing to digest so much as a grapefruit- let alone the contents of a Cheerio's Ad- prior to 11 am.

Growing up with this anti-breakfast ideology in my family was difficult at times. My mom always had a rule that no one could leave the house before they had eaten something and although she was not particular about what exactly we ate (high fructose cereals, left-over birthday cake etc) she was adamant about it. My father, on the other hand, relishes every opportunity to compose a new meal from the hodge podge of left overs in our fridge. Since these either include something just on the edge of food safety or an omelette of what ever treasures has found, his suggestions for breakfast have never held any appeal for me.

Breakfast is also difficult for me because I don't eat eggs. I don't have any particular problem with eggs on a moral or a creepiness level but I understand there are those who do. My problem is not a textural one, since I like all sorts of eggish textures like custards, tofu, etc. I just can't stand the taste.... the odd sickly bitter after taste of the whites and the sharp, grainy sweetness of the yolks. Gross. Not eating eggs limits pretty much all worthwhile breakfast meals, and the one mainstay of an egg-less breakfast, Bacon, is currently lost to me.

Luckily, vegetarianism encourages a type of breakfast rarely appreciated in North America cuisine. That is, the non-breakfast food breakfast. My breakfasts can include foods like Watermelon and Feta salad, or any combination of cheese and bread products I feel like. I have even had some hummus for veggie breakfast. I feel much more comfortable with the small meal type of eating that has developed with both John and I. It reminds me of French eating (though not so much French cooking which values a very large sit down meal). I mean specifically the type of French eating you experience on an average day tromping around Paris. Begin with a piece of crusty bread and some cheese, nibble something fruit-based around 10 or 11, have a soup OR a sandwich OR a salad for lunch then a one-dish dinner and, always, something for dessert.

In a much less romantic fashion, this also reminds me of the appetite of Hobbits in the Shire.