[Sca-cooks] Return of the Wanderer (partly OT)

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

On 23 Sep 2001, at 8:25, Philip & Susan Troy wrote:

> Frequently the term "Irish Breakfast" is applied by Americans to what
> in Ireland (in homes, at least) is known as a "fry": an entire meal,
> or nearly that, cooked in a single large skillet on top of the stove.

Perhaps Irish B&B hosts have borrowed the term, because that is
what they called it when asking about our breakfast preferences.
Although occasionally, someone would say "cooked breakfast".

> A typical morning fry might include back/loin bacon, white or black
> pudding chunks, fried eggs, maybe mushroom caps, and the ubiquitous
> banger, which is slightly similar to chipolatas or American breakfast
> sausage links (pork, Stefan, except perhaps in Texas). Standard
> accompaniments are some form of fried (usually reheated, previously
> boiled) potatoes and fried [ripe] tomato slices, and perhaps whole
> wheat toast with butter and marmalade. Frequently consumed with sweet
> milky black tea.

More or less what we experienced.  I should mention that we
started at Shannon Airport in the west of Ireland, and made our
way in a southerly half-circle to Dublin.  Except for the 3 nights in
Dublin, every night we slept in a different B&B.  The invariable
minimum (which might be dictated by the Tourist Board, for all I
know) was: juice (usually orange), 1 fried egg, 2 slices of back
bacon, 2 sausages, half a small tomato, toasted white bread,
slices of brown soda bread, butter and preserves, and one's choice
of tea or coffee.  In the west and southwest, breakfast always
included a slice of white pudding; once we were east of Cork, we
never had it again.  We had potatoes only once at breakfast, and
mushrooms only once.  The heartiest breakfast was on a farm on
the Dingle Penninsula: 2 fried eggs and both black and white
pudding, plus the other usual accompaniments.

> A more involved fry might include scallops (depending on location),
> lamb chops, and slices of lamb, calf or beef liver. Maybe lamb
> kidneys.

Not on the average B&B menu.

> And, on the other hand, an Irish breakfast can also simply be a
> breakfast eaten in Ireland, and it might be porridge with brown bread,
> etc. Adamantius -- Phil & Susan Troy

Cold cereals were always available for breakfast.  Some people had
them before the egg, etc., as a kind of first course.


Brighid ni Chiarain *** mka Robin Carroll-Mann
Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom
rcmann4 at earthlink.net