Part 2 (Bob Gets Breakfast on Sunday continued)

How It Tasted

Grapefruit [Pineapple]

These canned pineapple chunks went over well—in fact, they were probably the most popular item on the menu. We usually have fruit for breakfast but most often fresh strawberries or melon [ah, glorious California!]. The acidic pineapple didn’t sit particularly well on my stomach so early in the morning, but everyone else seemed to enjoy it.

Oatmeal

Milomir: Good!

Since my husband is fond of hot cereal these cooked oats were a big hit with him. My son and I weren’t nearly as enthusiastic but, with lashings of sugar and cream added, we were both able to empty our bowls. I was sure I’d hate this thanks to my childhood conditioning, but really it wasn’t all that bad.

Creamed Beef

Me: [to Milomir]: Come on, it won’t kill you just to try it.

Filip: [face screwed into a grimace]: It might.

Alas we all found this dish appalling—it took just a few bites for major league salt burn to set in. It was just like eating beef jerky for breakfast—jerky bathed in cream sauce, to be exact.

Oddly enough, my initial determination to eat and enjoy this dish evaporated pretty quickly while my husband’s held firm. Mouth set he added milk, fruit, and crumbled bread to his portion and doggedly forked it up. Maybe my coaxing had some effect or (more likely) he figured anything so foul-tasting simply had to have some health benefits.

Well, whatever the motivation he did clean his plate—then guzzled consecutively a glass of water, a juice box, and a big cup of coffee.

Rolls

These rolls were good and, like the toast rounds under the beef, did help to mitigate the sodium wallop of the beef. I spread a lot of butter on mine in hopes of soothing the salt burns already springing up on my tongue, but I have to admit that that fancy imported stuff wasn’t anything special.

Coffee

As always this Bettina brew gave DH and I the fidgets, but it was perfect for jolting us out of our salt-induced stupor. Unfortunately I forgot to strain the coffee before serving, and we both were rewarded with a half inch of grounds as we approached the bottom of our cups.

Would I Make This Again?

Do I really need to ask this question?

Suffice it to say that the pineapple and rolls good, the oatmeal and coffee adequate.

And the beef? Well, some sodium-deprived folks might enjoy the dish—say, those stranded in the Mojave during a cholera epidemic. But for us the saltiness of the dish was unbearable, and it took a round of frozen waffles to finally pacify my crew. Really dreadful stuff, and not something I ever want to see, smell, or taste again.