The New Rules of Making Breakfast Better

There is always a start to everything. (Big surprise there.) More often than not whatever the beginning is will somehow define the continuation and the end. Yes, there may be some twists and turns that make the journey more interesting, or even situations that will change the outcome altogether, but the commencement will always be remembered and forever harness the power of impact and impression. Take the sunrise; there is nothing more poetic than the upcoming day, a dawn of something new, the fresh taste of possibility and the breeze of clarity.

You can toil around in the kitchen for hours, learning how to sous vide the perfect duck breast, while deconstructing or whisking up a hollandaise for dressing or braising the juiciest pulled pork for your sliders and homemade crunchy-yet-tart pickles, but if you don’t know how to make and put together a proper breakfast, the mother of all meals, your days will never be complete.

Breakfast is all about composition: some protein (eggs and bacon are the most popular), some kind of starch, fruits, and liquids; simple enough, so let’s make it more interesting.

Pancakes are not made in a cardboard box.

People seem to think that good pancakes come in pre-mixed powders. These people have forgotten that all it takes to make fluffy pancakes is 1 cup of flour, 1 tbsp of cornmeal, 1 tsp of baking powder, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1/8 tsp salt, 1 cup of buttermilk and 1 large farm egg. Mix all the ingredients together and add in some fruits, cheese or bacon in the batter to make it more interesting, and beat until still chunky. Cook it in butter and enjoy.

Cast-iron skillets are as essential as coffee.

Each time you watch your grandmother cook in her vintage kitchen, wafting smells inebriate you with promises of joy and squeals. She always happens to have these black pans scattered around that make the food taste so much better. Yes, cook everything and anything in a cast-iron pan in the morning, have the smaller ones for your eggs with lots of oil, sear your bacon in the larger flatter shapes and your pancakes will have the most exclusive browned crust.

Bacon is 1 mm thin.

The bacon you grew up eating that’s way too crispy, greasy, and weighs about all of a gram is fake bacon, and you should put it down. Proper bacon is thick, juicy, and filling, you don’t need a heaped plate of it. Take some nice thick 20 to 30 mm slabs and lay them out on a slotted baking tray. Turn up your oven to about 350 Fahrenheit and keep an eye on it while it crisps up and fills your kitchen with joy. For something extra naughty, sprinkle a little bit of brown sugar on top.

Fruit salads shouldn’t stay in the '80s.

It’s quite sad that fruit salads aren’t as popular as they once were. There is nothing more energizing than a big serving of mixed fruit and the taste of tangy juicy burst mixed with earthy fresh flavors. Start by dissolving some coconut sugar in some hot water, add in some chopped mint and let the mix cool down. Mix your same sized cubed pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, seedless grapes, and mangos together and pour the cool liquids on top of it through a sieve. Squeeze in the juice of three pieces of calamansi and some chilli flakes.

Juicing is trending for a reason.

Everyone seems to be talking about it, but people have been doing it for years already. Juicing is a great way to boot your system in the morning. It is also a great opportunity for you to get some vegetables in your diet from the get-go as well. Using your favorite juicer, use one small beet, five small carrots, one apple, extract, and top off with some fresh mint sprigs.