breakfast of champions

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 60 – “Fruit, Milk And Some Interesting Reading”

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Dear Friends,
while today’s featured breakfast might not warrant a post of its own, I think the accompanying article by Jeremy Taylor, which appeared in THEFW, will make some interesting reading for my non-professional readers, as well as for my many young cooks and chef- colleagues, who are lucky enough to have entered our beloved profession decades after most of the practices described in this article have been abandoned (at least some of them, in some places).
I don’t want to go into the details and the opinion I nurture about these practices, but those who know me will understand that I believe in most of them to this day 🙂 😦
As for the breakfast on this page, it might not be an example of culinary craft and/or art, but it certainly is an example of the beauty of some of the culinary bounty that is easily available to most of us in its original, God-given state, it’s richness, beauty, and simple awesomeness 🙂
(I know, that was a bit of an awkward sentence, but it just felt good to express the joy that comes to my mind when looking at these pics).
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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“Ridiculously Demanding Craigslist Ad For Line Cook Goes Viral

Thanks to Bloomington, Indiana and America’s desire to stuff their faces like these are the last days of the Roman Empire the job title of chef has grown in stature and prestige.

But before you become a chef, you have to work your way through the kitchen. Farm Bloomington, a restaurant in Bloomington, Indiana, figured there would be so many applicants with culinary stars in their eyes for their line cook position that they posted a Craigslist ad with 44 intricately detailed job requirements.

They include “Only answer ‘yes, chef’ or ‘oui, chef’ and “Always show up to work, even if you are sick as a dog. Let the chef see that you’re really sick and send you home.”

If taken separately, the requirements are overbearing but not necessarily unreasonable. But when you read them all together it offers a horrifying peak inside the id of the restaurant industry.

Harry Shaffer, the general manager of Farm Bloomington, has admitted the ad was posted in haste by a sous chef and the restaurant quickly took it down.

However you can’t really ever erase something from the internet. You can see the entire list that should make any wannabe Food Network star reconsider their path below.

COMMENTS:
Ridiculously Demanding Craigslist Ad For Line Cook Goes Viral | http://thefw.com/ridiculously-demanding-craigslist-ad-for-line-cook-goes-viral/?trackback=tsmclip
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To enjoy the full impact of this article, click on the link to the original post just above this line and scroll to the bottom of the article to read 120 comments, of which the majority is quite entertaining and not a few are very funny 🙂
Cheers !
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Breakfast Of Champions # 59 – Tamago Gohan

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While Tamago Gohan is a quintessential Japanese breakfast, I eat it often and at any time of the day, whenever I want to have a meal that is simple and feels cleansing and light. (To ME it feels cleansing and light 🙂 ), probably because of its simplicity ?
I also frequently enjoy an even simpler dish – plain steamed rice with soy sauce/wasabi drizzled over it and topped with undressed, crisp iceberg chiffonade.
Tamago Gohan in its original form consists of rice, whole raw egg, toasted sesame seeds and a splash of soy sauce. I have been introduced to that version of Tamago Gohan many years ago in Japan, (way before I got married to Maria), after spending the night with a young local lady in a Ryokan just outside of Nakasaki. I must admit that I was very apprehensive at first about the raw egg, but the whole day/night was very adventuresome in so many ways, so why stop there.
Frankly, at that point I was not a big fan of that breakfast experience, but, like so many other experiences one has when young and adventurous, years later when I came across Tamago Gohan again, I remembered it as a more pleasant experience than it actually was at the time. I then started to prepare it at home, slightly adjusted to make it more enticing to me by using egg yolk only instead of the whole egg and adding a knob of soft butter and sliced scallion, which transforms it into a very appealing, tasty dish with great texture. Ever since that adjustment, it’s been an often enjoyed dish in my house, usually accompanied by a piping hot pot of mint tea 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
If you are grossed-out by the raw eggs, think of the raw yolks in sunny side up fried eggs or soft poached eggs.
If that does not help, maybe use chopped-up fried eggs or poached eggs instead of the raw eggs…….
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P.P.S.
Please use only the freshest eggs possible !!! and handle them with the utmost care !!!!
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Click here to see ” How to Tell If an Egg is Fresh “ !!!!!!!
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Click here to see ChefsOpinion’s ” Fresh Egg Machine “
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Steamed Rice :

Ingredients

1 cup short-grain rice (I sometimes use basmati)
1,5 cup water

Instructions

Put rice in a bowl. Wash and discard water 3 times. Place rice and water in a heavy pot. Let it soak for 30 minutes.
Cook rice without lid at high heat until it boils. Stir and reduce heat. Simmer covered for 15 minutes.
Let stand covered for 10 minutes, fluff with fork or chop sticks.

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Breakfast Of Champions # 59 – Tamago Gohan

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Preparation :
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: toast until golden

: prepare per person 2 egg yolks or 1 whole egg, 2 tblsp soy sauce with 1 tblsp sliced scallion, 1 tblsp toasted sesame seeds, 1 bowl fresh-steamed rice

: top rice with 2 oz SOFT butter

: top with the other ingredients, stir everything very well together

: Breakfast Of Champions # 59 – Tamago Gohan

: Breakfast Of Champions # 59 – Tamago Gohan

: Breakfast Of Champions # 59 – Tamago Gohan

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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 57 – Chicken, Spinach And Potato Frittata

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A bowl of granola for breakfast is a wonderful thing for a lot of folks – but for me, it is NOT.
If I want my day to start on a happy note, I need food that say’s HAPPY to me.
A bowl of granola or such just says BAHH to me and is, in my humble opinion, but a sorry excuse for a satisfying breakfast 😦 .
On the other hand, a delicious frittata – now we are talking ! 🙂
Throw in a couple of gherkins, a few green leaves and grape tomatoes in yogurt/honey dressing and Voilà ! – bring it on, tough day !
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Yogurt/Honey Dressing :
Whisk together 2 tblsp greek yogurt, 1 tsp organic honey, 1 tsp rice vinegar, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste
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Chicken, Spinach And Potato Frittata

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Preparation :
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: Cook 2 lbs peeled potatoes in lightly salted water until tender but NOT falling apart, drain, let cool enough to handle, cut into fine slices

: slice 2 med-size chicken breasts into slices, season with 1 tsp garlic paste, fresh-cracked black pepper and kosher salt to taste

: saute the chicken in 1/2 tblsp olive oil until cooked through

: remove chicken from pan, reserve

: saute the potato slices in 1 tblsp olive oil until browned

: return the chicken to the pan

: add 2 oz cleaned fresh spinach, saute for one minute

: add 6 whole whisked eggs

: cook on low heat until eggs have set, flip eggs to other side, cook until lightly browned; serve with gherkins and small salad of greens and tomatoes in honey/yogurt dressing; serves 4

: Chicken, Spinach And Potato Frittata

: Chicken, Spinach And Potato Frittata

: Chicken, Spinach And Potato Frittata

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Breakfast Of Champions # 55 – Cauliflower And Beef Hash With Piquant Poached Egg

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What’s there to say about this breakfast other than that it was beautiful, delicious and satisfying –
I believe the pictures speak for them self – start drooling 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Breakfast Of Champions # 55 – Cauliflower And Beef Hash With Piquant Poached Egg

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Preparation :
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: clean and cut into small florets 1 medium-sized head of cauliflower

: blanche cauliflower, drain cauliflower, pat dry

: dice 16 oz of beef flank steak, 3 oz of onions and 2 oz of red peppers

: poach 3 eggs for 3 minutes, remove to absorbent paper

: mix 1 tblsp finely sliced chives with 1 tsp chili oil, 1 tblsp olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt

: carefully add poached eggs to chili oil, keep warm

: season beef with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, saute in garlic oil until browned on the outside but still rare on the inside, remove from pan, reserve

: in the same pan, saute the onions and peppers until onions are caramelized

: add the cauliflower, season with salt and pepper, saute until starting to brown, remove from heat

: return beef to pan, mix without breaking up cauliflower, check/adjust seasoning

: plate hash on serving dish, top with poached eggs; serves 3 (or one hungry Hans)

: Breakfast Of Champions # 55 – Cauliflower And Beef Hash With Piquant Poached Egg

: Breakfast Of Champions # 55 – Cauliflower And Beef Hash With Piquant Poached Egg

: Breakfast Of Champions # 55 – Cauliflower And Beef Hash With Piquant Poached Egg

: Breakfast Of Champions # 55 – Cauliflower And Beef Hash With Piquant Poached Egg

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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 54 – Cheese Polenta With Spicy Italian Sausage And Poached Egg

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When I got up early today, the plan was to do some cleaning and shopping and otherwise just hang and enjoy a quiet Easter Sunday, having a couple of sandwiches and some fruit.
I opened the fridge with the sole intention to get two apples as breakfast and wait for lunch to have a sandwich or something else which does not require more than five minutes in the kitchen. Well, such was the plan – until I saw the spicy Italian sausage and figured that it would help me to a more enjoyable start of the day. The sausage was quickly joined by some eggs and – what the heck – cheese polenta.
Looking at the pictures now and remembering this tasty dish, I must say it was a wise decision to over-rule the two apple-breakfast and go with this beauty instead.
(Later on, there was a great lunch and even greater dinner; – so much for good intentions and not spending much time in the kitchen)
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Perfect Poached Egg Recipe
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Click here for Polenta Recipe
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Click here for all about Polenta
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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 54 – Cheese Polenta With Spicy Italian Sausage And Poached Egg

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Preparation :
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: bring water, garlic paste , kosher salt and cayenne pepper to a simmer (see recipe above)

: add cornmeal, simmer until corn meal is soft, about 40 minutes

: add grated cheese of your choice (I used Parmesano Reggiano), butter and heavy cream, check/adjust seasoning

: polenta

: meanwhile, poach eggs (see recipe above)

: score and saute spicy Italian Sausage

: when sausage is done, set aside, add scallions to the pan, saute one minute, remove to absorbent paper

: BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 54 – Cheese Polenta With Spicy Italian Sausage And Poached Egg

: BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 54 – Cheese Polenta With Spicy Italian Sausage And Poached Egg

: BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 54 – Cheese Polenta With Spicy Italian Sausage And Poached Egg

: BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 54 – Cheese Polenta With Spicy Italian Sausage And Poached Egg

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Breakfast Of Champions # 53 – Burrito With Scrambled Eggs, Re-fried Beans And Avocado

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Today’s breakfast – another winner, easily whipped up in minutes. (Assuming you have some leftover re-fried beans at hand).
If you don’t, just replace the re-fried beans with sautéed red beans, black beans or even chick peas (garbanzos), seasoned with cumin, kosher salt cayenne, garlic paste and diced onion,
which will only just add a few extra minutes to the preparation.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Breakfast Of Champions # 33 – Burrito With Scrambled Eggs, Re-fried Beans And Avocado

Breakfast Of Champions # 53 – Burrito With Scrambled Eggs, Re-fried Beans And Avocado

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: season eggs with garlic paste, kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: scramble eggs in med-hot pan with butter or olive oil, when starting to set, add diced peppers, avocado and sliced scallions

: ready to eat………..

: spread re-fried beans on flour tortilla (corn tortilla if you prefer), sprinkle with crumbled / grated cheese of your choice

: add scrambled eggs

: roll tortillas into cylinders

: saute burritos in lightly oiled pan until golden, to serve, top with sour cream and more scallions and pair with a small salad or fruits

: Breakfast Of Champions # 53 – Burrito With Scrambled Eggs, Re-fried Beans And Avocado

: Breakfast Of Champions # 53 – Burrito With Scrambled Eggs, Re-fried Beans And Avocado

: Breakfast Of Champions # 53 – Burrito With Scrambled Eggs, Re-fried Beans And Avocado

: Breakfast Of Champions # 53 – Burrito With Scrambled Eggs, Re-fried Beans And Avocado

: Breakfast Of Champions # 53 – Burrito With Scrambled Eggs, Re-fried Beans And Avocado

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Breakfast Of Champions # 52 – Glutton’s Delight

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” Cinnamon/Pecan Roll- Cake With Strawberries, Mocca And Yogurt”
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I am still not sure if I should be proud or ashamed of this concoction…….. Not that it is terrible, on the contrary, it is so delicious that I could eat this everyday .
The problem is that once I had started eating , I could not stop until it had been completely devoured. It was just too yummy to stop.
If you will prepare this, make sure that there are at least five people present to share, otherwise the ensuing binge-eating will be hazardous to your weight ! 🙂 😦
It is really a “one pot meal”, combining a complete breakfast in a single dish: Coffee, yogurt, nuts, fruit, pastry, cream, and marmalade.
(If I would still consume alcohol, I would have mixed the coffee with ameretto or rum) If you do enjoy a good drink, go ahead and add another layer of sin in the form of your favorite booze!
All in all, this was a great joy to eat and I will surely prepare it again, but only if guests are on the way with whom I can share 🙂
A good thing can be good for you – too much of a good thing can kill you !
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Breakfast Of Champions # 52 – Glutton’s Delight

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Preparation :
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: wash strawberries

: chop strawberries

: mix strawberries with greek yogurt

: cinnamon roll cake with pekan nuts

: cut cake into 3 discs

: prepare strong mocca with sugar and a dash of vanilla extract, (if you prefer, add rum or amaretto)

: soak the bottom-two discs of the cake with the mocca

: cover with strawberry marmalade

: top with the strawberry yogurt, then repeat with second cake disc, then top first disc with second disc and finally with the third disc, decorate with whipped cream and whole strawberries

: Breakfast Of Champions # 52 – Glutton’s Delight

: Breakfast Of Champions # 52 – Glutton’s Delight

: Breakfast Of Champions # 52 – Glutton’s Delight

: Breakfast Of Champions # 52 – Glutton’s Delight

: Breakfast Of Champions # 52 – Glutton’s Delight

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Breakfast Of Champions # 51 – Blueberry Buttermilk Pancake With Fresh Pomegranate Yogurt

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Getting out of bed in the morning sucks ! 😦
Getting out of bet in the morning to this sweet beauty sucks less 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Have A Wonderful Day 🙂
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More “Pancakes”
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Breakfast Of Champions # 51 – Blueberry Buttermilk Pancake With Fresh Pomegranate Yoghurt

Breakfast Of Champions # 51 – Blueberry Buttermilk Pancake With Fresh Pomegranate Yogurt

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Preparation :
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: cut fresh pomegranate in half

: remove all seeds

: mix with Greek yogurt, sugar and vanilla extract

: mix well, keep in fridge until serving-time

: mix one cup of flour with four egg-yolk, one tspn sugar, half tspn vanilla essence and enough buttermilk to form a batter, whisk the egg-whites with one tblsp sugar to stiff peaks

: fold the egg whites into the batter

: add washed, DRIED blueberries

: add to a preheated, lightly buttered pan, cook until just set, flip and finish cooking in a 400F oven

: remove pancake to serving platter

: top pancake with pomegranate yogurt, dust generously with castor sugar

: Breakfast Of Champions # 51 – Blueberry Buttermilk Pancake With Fresh Pomegranate Yogurt

: Breakfast Of Champions # 51 – Blueberry Buttermilk Pancake With Fresh Pomegranate Yogurt

: Breakfast Of Champions # 51 – Blueberry Buttermilk Pancake With Fresh Pomegranate Yogurt

: Breakfast Of Champions # 51 – Blueberry Buttermilk Pancake With Fresh Pomegranate Yogurt

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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 47 – Smoked Salmon On Naan

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What better way to start a day ? –
A wonderful breakfast, followed by a two hour walk around the lake.
Bella had a great start too – same breakfast, then she spotted three squirrels on our walk, which absolutely made her day (both the salmon, which she ate and the squirrels, which she chased) 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Breakfast of Champions # 48 – Smoked Salmon On Naan

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Preparation :
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: Brush hot naan with butter, sprinkle with kosher salt

: top generously with smoked salmon

: add freshly ground black pepper, onion rings and capers

: add boiled eggs, lemon slices, basil and dollops of greek yogurt,

: Breakfast of Champions # 48 – Smoked Salmon On Naan

: Breakfast of Champions # 48 – Smoked Salmon On Naan

: Breakfast of Champions # 48 – Smoked Salmon On Naan

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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 46 – Huevos revueltos y guacamole con queso blanco ( Scrambled eggs, Guacamole, fresh cheese)

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Today’s breakfast would most certainly not qualify for my new ” Hans’ Lighter Comfort Food “ type of food, at least not the portion size. But we are still in 2014, so I am hell-bound to enjoy the last few days of eating large portions of everything tasty 🙂
Nothing wrong with this dish itself, I’ll just have to cut the portion by 75%, replace the rye bread with something lighter and use less fat. Doesn’t sound so bad 🙂
But, we are still in the year of plenty, so here we go :
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 46 – Huevos revueltos y guacamole con queso blanco ( Scrambled eggs, Guacamole, fresh cheese

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 46 – Huevos revueltos y guacamole con queso blanco ( Scrambled eggs, Guacamole, fresh cheese)

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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over picture
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: guacamole ingredients

: remove avocado flesh, dice tomatoes, chop chilies, chop cilantro, add garlic paste, kosher salt, freshly squeezed lime juice and olive oil, mix well