SC - Breakfasts

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Gretchen M Beck wrote:
> 
> >>, (I try to fight the 'bacon and eggs every time' crowd by introducing
> interesting alternatives) <<
> 
> But why?  Omelettes with ham (hanony) and French Toast are perfectly 15th c.

I seem to recall hanoney being more like scrambled eggs with chopped
onion and butter, but then I am recalling a 14th century source. It may
have changed. On the other hand, is there any evidence to suggest these
foods were widely eaten for breakfast?

Breakfast for events can be difficult when trying to reconcile proper
medieval behavior and modern palates. I have no problem with bread and
ale (ale being a cool but not cold, malty-tasting, not-especially-fizzy
low-alcohol beverage) of a morning, with perhaps a nice herring to go
with it, but not everyone is like me. Apart from bread and perhaps, in
households without ovens, porridge of some kind (although that can smack
suspiciously of dinner if the period menus are to be believed), possibly
a bread companion like soft cheese or a fruit cheese, the foods that
seem most likely to me are the remains of a previous night's roast (you
sometimes see poultry or game mentioned in connection with breakfast, or
possibly a piece of boiled bacon). Another possibility that might be
considered by some a fine breakfast are pancakes and fritters of various
kinds. Breakfast for the nobs seems often to have been a meal taken on
the fly, and fritters, pancakes, and other little crunchy finger foods
seem to have been eaten on the streets in the cities, so they would
probably make a good breakfast, in the same way some people eat
doughnuts of a morning.

It also occurs to me that a cup of plain broth might make a decent and
not-impossible medieval morning pick-me-up. The stockpot has presumably
been going all night anyway...

Adamantius
Østgardr, East
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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