Chapter 40 (A Telegram From Uncle Eric continued)

How It Tasted

(Juice, coffee, and cantaloupe appeared repeatedly in these meals, and so I’ve confined my remarks to the entrees).

Breakfast #1

French Toast

I was pleasantly surprised at how good this French toast was—far better than the stuff I make, quite honestly. Bettina’s version had me adding a little sugar to the milk/egg mixture in which the bread was dipped, and that seemed to make a big difference—it not only gave the dish an agreeable taste but improved the texture as well.

Broiled Bacon

I’m generally not a huge fan of bacon (although my husband and son enjoy it), but I have to admit that this dish was satisfactory. This version (cooked under the broiler) seemed designed to set my nerves on edge with its potential for triggering a three-fire alarm salute, but happily the cooking process was entirely problem-free.

Breakfast #2

Creamed Beef on Toast

All I have to say about this dish is that it’s enough to make me swear off beef forever. Soaking the dried meat beforehand did in fact reduce the salt content, but NOTHING could make it make the taste or texture more appealing. It’s very difficult for me to believe that Bettina would serve such a dish to the finicky Uncle Eric—unless he was a career soldier and/or born without tastebuds.

Breakfast #3

Sweet Milk Griddle Cakes

These cakes weren’t exactly a taste sensation, but I was intrigued by the culinary history behind them. A recipe from the good old pioneer days (when many lacked ovens for baking), these cakes really did have something of a bready texture and, in a pinch, would make an adequate substitute for the more traditional loaf.

Breakfast #4

Baked Apples

These apples might have been OK had the sugar and cinnamon stayed inside the fruit. Unfortunately I didn’t leave enough core to hold the crucial ingredients in place, and the filling ran out into the baking dish. End result: pale, flavorless apples that would send Uncle Eric running to the nearest restaurant.

Broiled Ham

This ham dish tasted fine but simply wasn’t worth all the hacking and sawing I had to do to the shanks to obtain the necessary slices. Like Bettina I hate to see waste, and my acrobatics with the knife left a much too larg pile of useless fat and meat scraps.

Breakfast #5

Codfish Balls

I honestly can’t say that this fish dish was bad…simply because it had no taste at all. None of us were too crazy about the texture either—creamy smooth, like a puree meant for the dentally challenged.

Breakfast #6

Waffles

I definitely enjoyed the chance to use my secondhand waffle maker, but the finished product wasn’t much different from a box of frozen Eggos. In fact, I don’t think anyone would have noticed had I substituted pre-made waffles—when a dish is loaded down with syrup and sweeteners it’s hard to appreciate the finer points.

Breakfast #7

Poached Eggs

Alas this dish was completely unremarkable (except of course for the fact that I managed this time not to break any of the yolks). As I mentioned before, poached eggs are a weekend staple in our house, so these pedestrian eggs attracted no special attention or comments from the troops.

French Toast

This represented another opportunity to make Bettina’s version of French toast, and once again we were all pleased with the results. It's good stuff, no question about it.

Would I Make This Again?

Truthfully, I’d rather swear off eating forever than face the creamed beef again, and the codfish balls were almost as bad. But the French toast was excellent, and the poached eggs and broiled bacon and ham were certainly satisfactory. All in all I expect Uncle Eric would have been pleased with five out of the seven breakfasts Bettina had at her disposal—alas the two featuring beef and fish would have him taking up semi-permanent residency in the bathroom!

Chapter 40 (A Telegram From Uncle Eric)

Introduction

Lock the windows and bar the doors--Bob’s Uncle Eric is coming to town! In fact he’s just sent a telegram inviting himself to spend a night in the honeymoon cottage, and Bettina is at her wit’s end.

“He’s a queer old fellow,” Bob muses, but Bettina quickly rallies and plans an assortment of possible breakfasts for the crusty old bachelor who “draws the line at cereals!”

Part 1

Seven sample breakfasts are listed in this chapter but, as members of my family have only one stomach, I prepared them over consecutive days. Fortunately most were simple, but I did discover a surprise or two amongst the menus!

Breakfast #1

Cantaloupe

French Toast

Maple Syrup

Broiled Bacon

Coffee

Preparing the Meal

Cantaloupe

Happily the book says nothing about the cantaloupe being iced, and that’s something to be thankful for (icy cold breakfast foods do NOT go over well in our damp coastal climate).

French Toast

Bettina’s recipe for French toast seems unusual to me…the bread is to be dipped in a mixture of egg and milk (not first in the milk and then in the egg, as I have always done).

Stale bread cut into slices. That’s simple enough.

Beating the eggs and then adding the milk.

Dunking the bread slices in the egg/milk combo.

I know Bettina couldn’t conceive of a non-stick skillet, but that’s what I’m using to fry the bread (anything is better than my heat-warped griddle).

Broiled Bacon

Also something new to me…bacon cooked under a broiler? Bacon is a weekend staple around our house, but I’ve never cooked it any way but fried in a skillet…

A cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and then a layer of bacon. Now all I have to do is slide this rig under the broiler element (and turn off the smoke alarm!)

Well, the parchment paper’s getting nice and toasty!

It looks perfect…I’m truly amazed.

Coffee

Another weekend staple, so my trusty percolator is up for the challenge.

How It Looked

Breakfast #2

Fresh Pears

Creamed Beef on Toast

Coffee

Preparing the Meal

Fresh Pears

Yes, the pears were absolutely fresh when I purchased but unfortunately hard as stones too. Luckily I have a few days to hasten the ripening process.

The paper bag treatment (never fails).

Creamed Beef on Toast

I’ve made creamed beef once before, and the saltiness of the dish almost shriveled our tongues

This time around I know to pre-soak the slices to get rid of much of the salt as possible.

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The now salt-free (I hope) beef ‘frizzling’ (as Bob describes it) in a skillet of melted butter.

Adding seasoned flour and letting it brown for a bit.

Milk to form a sort of sauce.

And then simply pour the beef mixture over some toast.

Coffee

The one sure item on the breakfast menu. I know it’s possible to serve up a bad cup of coffee, but so far I (or rather, we) have been lucky!

How It Looked

Breakfast #3

Cantaloupe

Sweet Milk Griddle Cakes

Syrup

Coffee

Preparing the Meal

Cantaloupe

(In my mind’s ear I can already hear the troop’s comments: Cantaloupe again?) Well, at least it’s in season!

Sweet Milk Griddle Cakes

Same ingredients as pancakes…in fact, I can’t really see any difference.

Corrction: the batter for griddle cakes is much thicker than that of pancakes.

The batter spooned onto my poor (warped) griddle. I’m not sure whether I’m supposed to flatten the cakes out or not…

No need…they deflated all by themselves.

Coffee

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For a change I decided to follow Bettina’s percolator-less coffee recipe. I’d forgotten how complicated it was…

Two lots of boiling water: one for scalding out the pot and the other for brewing the coffee.

I’d forgotten too that this recipe requires egg white (apparently to bind the flakes of powdered coffee together).

How It Looked

Breakfast #4

Baked Apples

Broiled Ham

Graham Muffins

Coffee

Preparing the Food

Baked Apples

I chose Honey Crisps for this recipe—generally they’re a little more expensive, but my son likes them and happily they were on sale.

I’ve certainly developed a knack for coring these things!

Each apple has been stuffed with sugar, cinnamon, and a dab of butter…but I’m concerned. Isn’t everything going to run out the bottom of the apples and into the water when I add it to the pot?

Unfortunately yes—after thirty minutes in the oven I have half-cooked apples swimming in a heavy sugar syrup. Great. What would Uncle Eric say?

Broiled Ham

The only uncooked ham I could find at the supermarket were these shanks—and dealing with that bone running through the center is going to be something of a challenge.

Fortunately after some sawing and hacking with a heavy-duty knife I was able to obtain some reasonably serviceable (I think) slices. Guess we’ll see…

Although I hate hate hate using my broiler I really have no choice here—but at least I didn’t set off the smoke alarm this time. 😊

I used a digital thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat. Ham is supposed to be cooked to a minimum of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, so there’s no question that these slices are done.

Graham Muffins

To make these muffins I had to sour some milk with a tablespoon of vinegar.

Thankfully the whole wheat flour is to be lightened by some white—otherwise I’d have a crumbly mess on my hands.

Despite the presence of white flour this is a very thick, lumpy dough.

Ready to bake (judging from the weight of the muffin tin I don’t expect these muffins to be exactly delicate—definitely not tea party fodder).

Done.

Coffee

Coffee Bettina-style (made in a pot rather than a percolator). No cup of coffee is worth all this fuss.

How It Looked

Breakfast #5

Fresh Plums

Codfish Balls

Twin Mountain Muffins

Coffee

Preparing the Meal

Fresh Plums

These were more or less in season, but for some reason they were still very hard.

Codfish Balls

I used dried salted cod for this—and what a lot of salt there is! (smells awful too).

Some serious pre-soaking is in order here—at least 48 hours’ worth, with multiple changes of water.

The cod after soaking—salt-free, odor-free, and (alas) taste-free as well.

Shredding the cod.

The cod and the potatoes are to be boiled together.

Mashing the now-cooked potatoes and cod.

Butter, egg, and seasoning added.

I shaped these into patties rather than balls as I didn’t want to deep fry them. But both kinds are to be coated with cracker crumbs.

Definitely not a dish recommended by Weight Watchers!

Twin Mountain Muffins

Ingredients for the muffins. I’ve made these before, and they seem pretty reliable.

Of course the dry ingredients have to be sifted *heavy sigh*.

Beating the egg.

Believe it or not the dough is already bubbling (probably from the FOUR teaspoons of baking powder the recipe calls for).

For some reason the melted butter is mixed in last—not sure why.

Coffee

To be made in the percolator—after fussing with that smelly cod I want to make things as easy on myself as possible!

How It Looked

Breakfast #6

Cantaloupe

Waffles

Syrup

Coffee

Preparing the Meal

Cantaloupe

Once again the Orange One is making an appearance at the table. I like cantaloupe, but please!

Waffles

Fortunately I was able to find an old-style (read: not Belgian) waffle iron at a thrift store.

Same ingredients as in pancakes.

But of course the flour must be sifted.

Certainly this cooking spray isn’t Bettina-approved, but without it the waffles will stick.

Now simply spoon in the batter…

…and close the lid.

Voila! Waffles! (oddly shaped, but waffles just the same).

Coffee

And of course the beverage of choice is coffee (perhaps why Uncle Eric’s demeanor is so crusty?)

Spooning the coffee into the basket.

Snapping on the lid.

And away we go!

How It Looked

Breakfast #7

Orange juice

Poached Eggs

French Toast

Syrup

Coffee

Preparing the Meal

Orange juice

I suppose for the sake of authenticity I should squeeze the oranges myself, but I’m too lazy…this commercial stuff will have to do.

Poached eggs

My egg poacher (which I actually use pretty often).

The eggs—and for once I didn’t break the yolks! 😊

Picture perfect.

French Toast

Made as usual from a half loaf of very stale French bread.

Eggs, milk, and sugar.

My trusty non-stick skillet (I’ve pretty much given up on my ancient griddle—definitely past retirement age).

Dipping the bread in the egg/milk mixture.

For some reason the bread got soggy incredibly quickly. But at least I was able to get the slices into the skillet without them breaking up completely.

Despite a rocky start these came out well. Uncle Eric would be so pleased!

Coffee

Once again to be made in the percolator (it’s just so simple to use).

Putting the pot directly on the table, so everyone can pour their own.

How It Looked