Saturday, April 25, 2009

Tom's breakfast at sea

Yesterday Kathy and I had breakfast at Lee's -- the first time we had spent together, the three of us, in many years. Lee's husband Tom cooked a breakfast that would have done for a dozen people. He served an unnamed breakfast dish dating from his days as a merchant seaman.

Mix together wheaten cereal (Wheatena is fine) with corn meal and cook thoroughly. It needs stirring, of course; you won't like it if it's lumpy. When it's well cooked you will feel the wheat grains on your tongue but not the corn meal grains.

Serve steaming hot with a large dish of grated Emmenthaler cheese. Stir the cheese in so it melts into the grains. There's your complete protein.

It's a very savory dish and would go well with a side of fresh fruit. It's clear why a ship at sea would have these ingredients because it doesn't depend on fresh dairy or fresh anything for its goodness. Incidentally, it reheats just fine. Whatever you do, don't mix the cheese in and let it stand or put it in the fridge -- it will go solid.

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