A Canadian Quarantine — Day 8
Breakfast
What do people eat for breakfast? Has the pandemic changed people’s culinary behavior? Why do we think that “comfort food” is actually comforting?
Now that I am at the mid-point of my quarantine, I’m seeing a pattern: I have way too much mental time to think about the details of life. With reminders that the pandemic is still out there and I have essentially no control over its meanderings, the only thing I do have control over is my personal decision to wear a mask when in public and until then, honor the quarantine period. That, and what to eat.
When it comes to coffee, I’m not drawn to it as a way to wake up. Those who know me well know that I am already quite awake in the morning — almost too awake for some. I’m also not drawn to coffee as a purist would be, enjoying it black and unadulterated. I just like making it — then adulterating it until it becomes something closer to dessert, something more akin to adult hot chocolate. Sugar and milk are unabashedly part of the ritual, made all the better by access to coffee gear that can froth the milk into a mountain of creamy foam. If I had ready access to Torani Peppermint Syrup, I would feel no shame in adding it to the mix.
Following the “When In Rome, Do As the Romans Do” axiom, local croissants are essential. The flavor, and the effect on one’s waistline, is amazing. I’m told by some that Montreal croissants are superior even to those in Paris, though I’m sure that is a subject of great debate among some — much like the debate about the French that is spoken here. I will leave both debates to those who are more informed than I am. For me, “spectacular” is good enough.
To balance the nutritional hedonism, the glass of orange juice adds an illusion of health and well being. After all, what could be more natural than an orange? There’s no added sugar (that’s already in the coffee), and there’s no additional fat (see above). Plus, it just looks healthy — wouldn’t you say?
Thus begins the second half of quarantine. The protein will have to wait until later…
