Morning Mash

Left over mashed potatoes make a wonderful breakfast. I know, you're probably grimmacing this very moment thinking, "Ew...mashed potatoes for breakfast!" But, why not? After all, we eat hashbrowns in the morning. Besides, these weren't just reheated leftovers, they were reinvented. (O.K., only slightly but I work under very tight time constraints for breakfast.) I beat a couple of eggs and added them to last night's yummy German spuds. I also threw in some extra salt and pepper and a little garlic powder. While some butter melted in my favorite large skillet, I made the potatoes into rough patties. Several minutes (about 5 on each side) later, these babies were hot all the way through and had a crispy brown crust. I tossed some grated cheese on top, turned off the heat, and let them sit for a minute or two while I poured juice, doled out vitamins, and pulled plates out of the cupboard. When I returned to my beautiful potato patties, the cheese had melted nicely and a spatula served them right up. Slightly crunchy on the outside, creamy and flavorful on the inside - these beat hashbrowns hands down.

Breakfast is kind of tricky. Americans generally eat "breakfast foods" like eggs, cereal, yogurt, oatmeal, etc., but I'm not always fond of many of these choices. My favorite breakfast involves a croissant topped with a slice of ripe, juicy tomato, thinly sliced smoked salmon, capers, and red onion. (Personally, I think this should be rounded out with a squeeze of fresh lemon into a moderately spicy bloody mary, but the breakfast sandwich alone will suffice if vodka isn't on the menu so early in the day.) I was introduced to this little treasure on our first cruise (ahh... room service) and have had it on each successive trip. Last summer, when my tomotoes were ripe and sweet, I purchased a small package of salmon and rolled it around chunks of garden goodness. It was heavenly - warm flavor, smooth texture, cool on the tongue during a hot July day...everything a person could want in a food.

It's funny how satisfying a bite of just the right thing can be. On any given day my favorite food is anybody's guess. It's all about what I'm in the mood for, how I'm feeling. Food is so much more than physical sustenance - it's an emotional experience. It can transport me to childhood, make me feel rich, give me courage, help me shut down, say "I love you" to someone in my life, and much more. So, sometimes it is important to get just the right thing for breakfast because those tasty morsels set the tone for the whole day. And today I heard "Mmmm..mmmm" all morning long.