Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day and here at AnOther we would have to agree with these Novelty egg and pancake rings scoring most Loved of the week on AnOther Loves...
Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day and here at AnOther we would have to agree with these Novelty egg and pancake rings scoring most Loved of the week on AnOther Loves, chosen by AnOthermag.com junior editor and AnOther editorial assistant Lucia Davies.
Breakfast (first coined in 1463 and literally meaning “breaking the fast” of the night) is the first meal taken after rising from a night’s sleep and varies in its contents the world over. In mainland Europe the continental breakfast is made up of slices of cheese and cold meat, often with a croissant or bread roll and coffee. In Britain, the classic breakfast, known as a “full English”, involves scrambled, fried egg, or poached egg with bacon and sausages, usually with mushrooms, tomatoes, fried bread, black and/or white pudding, toast and milky black tea (typically served at home or from a “greasy spoon” café). And, in America a typical breakfast is comprised of eggs; bacon, ham, scrapple, steak or sausages; hash browns or fries; toast, muffins, bagels, pancakes or French toast; fruit; orange juice; and coffee. Elsewhere breakfast comes as diverse as Japan (which serves up rice, Japanese pickles [umebosh and takuan], grilled salmon, egg, nori, vegetables with sesame powder and tea) and northern Nigeria (where a typical breakfast consists of cakes made from ground and fried beans [kosai] or what flour soaked for a day then fried and served with sugar [funkaso] and then served with porridge and sugar [koko]).
Breakfast time has also played an important role throughout popular culture with countless films including poignant scenes surrounding eggs and bacon, flakey pastries, heaped bowls of cereal and steaming coffee. Most iconic is Breakfast at Tiffany’s which opens with Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn’s career-defining role) dressed impeccably, standing outside Tiffany & Co. with a cup of coffee and croissant in hand. Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction also opens with a simple breakfast conversation which evolves into a great scheme to rob the diner their in, and Reservoir Dogs opens with Mr. Blonde, Mr. Blue, Mr. Brown, Mr. Orange, Mr. Pink, gangster Joe Cabot, and his son sitting around a table eating breakfast and having an analytical discussion of Madonna's Like a Virgin and Mr. Pink's anti-tipping policy. Other notable film breakfasts include The Public Enemy in which Tom Powers (James Cagney) puts a grapefruit in his girlfriend Kitty’s (Mae Clark’s) face, Falling Down in which Bill Foster (Michael Douglas) brings out a gun in Whammyburger when he is told that breakfast serving hours closed to two minutes ago, and Pee Wee’s Big Adventure which includes the superfluously complex and yet genius breakfast machine.
We speak to Davies, about eggs, pancakes and all this breakfast-related…
Why did you choose to love these novelty egg and pancake rings?
When I saw them I immediately wanted to buy them. I’m all for being playful when cooking and these looked like so much fun. I’ve seen novelty shaped biscuit cutters, jelly moulds and ice-moulds but never ones for eggs and pancakes. I have however since heard from people who have Hello Kitty and Miffy shaped egg and pancake rings – my eyes have been opened to the world of novelty kitchenware.
How do you like your eggs?
It depends: normally poached with salmon, however if I’m hungover fried with a veggie full English.
Are you a fan of pancakes?
I made too many pancakes on Shrove Tuesday with my sister when I was a lot younger which put me off them, however every once in a while they’re great: either American style (thick and served with maple syrup and blueberries) or crepes (with sugar and lemon).
Where is your favourite place to eat breakfast?
Locally there is the best Organic Grocery, which I enjoy visiting on lazy weekends with my boyfriend. I’m also a fan of the Albion on the corner of Boundary Street and Redchurch Street, and The Modern Pantry in Clerkenwell.
However, my favourite place to eat breakfast is in the States. Whenever I visit America the meal I most look forward to is breakfast. Their authentic diners offer endless choices and I could sit in them drinking bottomless coffee and watching the world go by all day. Most recently I visited California and have to recommend King's Highway Roadside Diner in Palm Springs.
Do you agree with “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”?
Yes, a good breakfast definitely sets me up for the working day ahead and ensures I don’t get grumpy. Although during the week I normally have my breakfast in front of my computer screen – which probably isn’t so healthy. I really enjoy breakfasts on the weekend, ideally relaxing with the newspapers.
Breakfast is also an important mealtime in popular culture – what is your favourite all-time iconic breakfast scene?
Other than the obvious Audrey Hepburn in the opening film scene of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Terry O’Neill’s photograph of Faye Dunaway’s post-Oscar breakfast stands out. Slouched in a deck chair poolside at the Beverley Hills Hotel with a breakfast tray next to her, Dunaway is surrounded by a mass of papers dressed in a silk gown and stilettos from the night before. This image oozes glamour and decadence of a bygone Hollywood-era and the photographic moment and composition is priceless.
