The Leader • Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021 • Page 1B
Breakfast foods shaped by early influences By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com
When the night’s fast is broken in the morning hours, the food that’s commonly thought of as breakfast items - eggs, toast, pancakes and more - are cooked and feasted upon. But why do those food items qualify as breakfast? Why not chicken parmesan, a ham sandwich or chicken tenders? Common Bond Café’s chef Jason Gould said a big part of why we eat what we eat for breakfast is convenience. “We are always in such a rush in the morning to either get the kids to school or get to work that we have to be efficient,” Gould said. “Eggs cook fast, cereal with milk offers variety and toast is more of a grab-and-go.” Gould the prevalence of on-the-go breakfast is why brunch has grown in popularity. “We have the time to sit and enjoy a more composed breakfast meal and not feel rushed,” Gould said. Common Bond has two concepts in the Heights, Common Bond Bistro & Bakery at 449 W. 19th St., and On the Go by Common Bond at 601 Heights Blvd. Another on-the-go concept is set to open in Garden Oaks this year. The restaurant offers breakfast during the week from 7-11 a.m. and brunch on the weekends until 4 p.m. But convenience might be the reason some breakfast items have stayed in our register. Digging a little deeper,
Photo from Facebook Pictured is the Avocado and Bacon Toast from Common Bond Bistro & Bakery, which has two locations in the Heights. The dish includes avocado, applewood smoked bacon, alfalfa sprouts, cherry tomatoes and fried eggs on multigrain toast.
Gould said breakfast foods are determined by heritage as well. “Breakfast foods in America have changed a lot over the last decade or
so,” Gould said. “Breakfast tacos are a lot more accessible, kolache shops are popping up everywhere and Asian breakfast items such as Congee
and Japanese pancakes are being featured on a lot more breakfast menus.” Even Gould, an “Aussie” as he says, has the ideal quick breakfast. He
puts Vegemite, an Australian peanut butter-like spread made with leftover brewers’ yeast extract, on sourdough. And while breakfast food in America has expanded to include new food, even those have a base of the original. According to HowStuffWorks. com, what we eat in the morning can be traced back hundreds of years. Eggs, sausage and a version of what we know as pancakes were typical in ancient Rome. But even then, Romans didn’t often eat early in the morning. In an article on MentalFloss.com, Hannah Keyser writes that before the Industrial Revolution, there was no such thing as “breakfast food.” In the morning, people generally ate what they readily had available before going off to work. When time rolled into the 20th century, efficiency was priority, which meant people didn’t want to spend time cooking, they wanted to spend time earning. The article also mentions whole wheats and cereal becoming popular because of how quick and easy they are to make, plus advertisers pushing that it wasn’t good to start the day off with meat. However, meat-packing companies turned the tune and put out that it was better to start the day with meat, which popularized bacon, according to the article. So it’s thanks to ancient Rome, the Industrial Revolution and messages from companies trying to sell their products that we eat what we eat for breakfast.
Review: Yale Street Grill remains timeless staple By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com
The Heights is a hot spot for any new or niche restaurant and bar concept, but it wasn’t always so. When I was growing up a neighborhood over in Oak Forest, the Heights was a laidback, come-as-you-are kind of neighborhood. And while that vibe hasn’t disappeared, it’s places like the Yale Street Grill that have helped maintain it. Because if the grill is anything, it’s old-school and casual. Half-eatery, half-shop full of antiques, the space transports patrons into the previous millennium. As I sat with my breakfast partner in a booth, I couldn’t help but remark that the space layout reminded me of an old 1950s diner. Booths are in a row on one wall, tables are in the middle and a long section of bar seating seems more appropriate for sipping a milkshake than an alcoholic beverage. The menu is a long list of omelet options, eggs and protein options, pancake and waffles, and more. There were lunch selections as well, but
at 9 a.m. on a Saturday, all I wanted was some pancakes. The pancake combo comes with two eggs, bacon, ham or sausage, hashbrowns and two pancakes. I got my eggs scrambled and chose sausage. The grill has different pancake flavors available, so I got one regular and one banana nut pancake. While waiting I ordered an orange juice, which came in a chilled glass. This little detail was appreciated because I usually order orange juice with ice, which might be strange to someone who’s never done that, but the juice is always best ice cold. The chilled glass didn’t have the same effect ice does, but it made it colder than orange juice I’ve had at other places. Breakfast was soon at the table and I dug in. The eggs were good, but nothing special. The sausage was round patties that had a nice layer of almost-burned meat on top. The hashbrowns were warm and instead of the top brown pieces being crispy, it was mushy. When it came to the pancakes, I couldn’t tell the two
apart at first. Because the regular pancake rested directly on top of the banana nut one, which didn’t bother me, it was like the banana seeped into the top one. After the second bite, I realized the difference could be found in the density of the pancake. The regular one was fluffy and only trapped a hint of banana into its flavor. The banana nut one was thinner, but like a normal pancake had been squished, so in a way it was denser. I would order the regular pancake again, but maybe try other flavors the grill has, like blueberry. Service was quick and friendly and once I got the bill, all I had to do was walk to the counter and pay. It was a good start to my weekend. Yale Street Grill Address: 2100 Yale St. Hours: 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday Pricing: $5.25-$11.95 Kid-friendly: Yes Alcohol: No Healthy options: Yes Star of the show: Regular pancake
Photo by Zarah Parker Pictured are two pancakes with a side of sausage, hash browns and eggs during a recent visit to Yale Street Grill, located at 2100 Yale St. in the Heights.
Start morning with these creative, easy recipes Zarah Parker Managing Editor
Bacon, eggs and toast is a common breakfast plate. But if I ate that every morning, I would tire of it. I’m not a breakfast person. It’s not about the food, but the time of day. Food first thing in the morning just isn’t appetizing. But as I’ve tried to eat breakfast every day because it begins the day energizing and filling the body with nutrients, I’ve found that regular eggs can get old real fast. And I usually don’t have the time in the morning to cook something elaborate. To keep myself motivated to eat breakfast, I started focusing on creative and easy recipes. Anything I can make in advance is the best way to eat breakfast on the go. My favorite go-to recipe is maple cinnamon oatmeal bars. Made in a square pan, I cut it into nine, which gives me breakfast for a week as well as options for a midday snack. The recipe can be found here: https://iowagirleats.com/maple-cinnamon-oatmeal-breakfastbars/. Once I thought it would be a good idea to add blueberries to the bars, and it was. I’ve been thinking of add-
Photo by andianne.com Pictured are multiple variations of overnight oats, which have become a go-to quick breakfast for Zarah Parker.
ing dark chocolate chips the next time I make them. Overnight oats is another easy one for me. There’s options available at the store, but I’ve enjoyed making these: http://andianne. com/6-overnight-oat-recipes-you-should-know-foreasy-breakfasts/. I’ve tried the vanilla, apple cinnamon and banana raspberry overnight oats, with the latter being my favorite. The cups are easy to make and in the morning it’s ready to eat. If you’re new to overnight oats, eating what basically is cold oatmeal might be offputting. You can choose to pop the oats in the microwave to warm them up. For a breakfast that still uses eggs and toast, I’ve started to make egg and avocado sandwiches. Just grab
your favorite bread, toast it, put your eggs (I’ve been using eggs whites) and avocado in between the slices and you’re done. This recipe, https://lilluna.com/hash-brown-eggcups/, uses hash browns in a cupcake pan to make little breakfast cups with eggs and bacon. These are the perfect size for someone who isn’t that hungry in the morning. With seven ingredients, you can make double-baked bacon and egg potatoes. Half of a potato is hollowed out enough for a fried egg and slice of bacon. Chives are sprinkled on top. These kind of all-in-one breakfasts make it easier to eat more than just eggs in the morning. Find the recipe here: h t t p s : / / c l e a n fo o d c r u s h . com/double-baked-baconegg-potatoes/.
Every once in a while, I’m a firm believer that breakfast can be a time to jump into sticky goodness -- specifically, with cinnamon rolls. From the grocery store, my favorite brand is Annie’s. But the rolls are also fun to make at home. A recipe that makes each roll its own dish is here: https://www.thegunnysack. com/bloomin-cinnamonrolls. While I would tire of eating the bacon, eggs and toast combo, I know there are people who happily eat that religiously in the morning, which is just fine. Find what you like in the morning, just remember to break your fast before lunch.