As any mother or sponsored sporting champion will tell you, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. To say I agree with this is an almighty understatement. I worship at the altar of breakfast. For me, there’s nothing better than getting the ball rolling with some porridge, made with soya milk and sprinkled with linseed and a pinch or three of salt. And even if that makes me sound like a Gillian McKeith crazy, it really is very delicious – although when pressed, I’d probably prefer a bowl of Coco Shreddies, shoved in the microwave until steaming hot and slurpable.
The rise and shine of breakfast is buoyant with promise: a new day, a clean slate of calories to consume. Start with fruit and huzzah, how healthy you are! And also, double huzzah, that means you can have a KitKat later too. Accidentally inhale six rounds of buttered toast and jam? Ah well, you can make amends at lunch with a stick of celery or something - anything is forgivable in the first light of morning.
Just as you can judge a person by their choice of breakfast (cereal bar eaters, that's aimed at you), so is it an excellent litmus test for when you're travelling. The easiest way to get a feel for a place is to take a look at what it eats first thing. In L.A. it’s an egg-white omelette. In Florida, a four-egg omelette with a side order of pancakes. Go to Japan and you’ll wake up to grilled eel and miso soup. And Britain? A schizophrenic split between a polite saucer of cornflakes and a Full English fry-up.
Happily, I’ve recently discovered someone who shares my obsession with morning meals. Simply Breakfast, a photo blog by Jennifer Causey, is pure bliss to browse through. Every dish is beautifully composed on warped wood tables in an unashamedly kitsch manner, all printed tea towels and mismatched farmers' market crockery. Perfect for a little mid-morning eye candy, although beware of second-breakfast cravings. Hey ho, there’s always elevenses...
A few of my favourites:
http://simplybreakfast.blogspot.com/
