The Classic American Breakfast Conundrum
a friendly face
I learned the hard way, that you can take the girl out of Minnesota snow, but not necessarily the snow out of the girl – if that makes any sense. Having grown up in the Midwest and accustomed to four distinct seasons – I sorely missed my winter precipitation. I find close encounters with a good snowfall very satisfying. There is something magical about waking up in the morning and all the familiar landscapes completely transformed. My dear husband knowing of my yearning, yet not understanding it (one holiday visit with subzero weather was enough for him to question why any sane human being would voluntarily live in Minnesota) took me to the Tahoe area of California to welcome in the New Year. He told me I’d have my fill of snow, but I had my suspicions, after all he told me there were four seasons in San Francisco if I bothered to look. Humph! Regardless, I was ready for adventure so a long weekend in new surroundings sounded like heaven.
time to tuck in
Besides, I I felt like I had delayed what I perceived as my right of passage as a California citizen long enough and had to experience this region for myself. Our days were packed with a lot of physical activity and one necessity for us was a solid breakfast to get the day off to a good start. We visited classic style cafes claiming decades of happy customers and tempting the passerby with signs advertising good, solid “All American” food. Our daily restaurant meal was breakfast, so I focused on what their definition of a good “All American” breakfast must be. I was curious to see if a common theme could be found for that “All American” breakfast as every restaurant had their own list of dishes, so I checked to see if a standard definition existed. Here’s what I discovered constituted a traditional American breakfast from a business related website that defines American breakfast, and for comparision Continential and English breakfasts as follows:
the place was hoppin'
American: “generally includes most or all of the following: two eggs (fried or poached), sliced bacon or sausages, sliced bread or toast with jam/jelly/butter, pancakes with syrup, cornflakes or other cereal, coffee/tea, orange/grapefruit juice.”
Continental: “generally includes most or all of the following: Sliced bread with butter/jam/honey, cheese, meat, croissants and danish, pastries, rolls, fruit juice and coffee/tea/chocolate/hot milk. It is served commonly in the continental Europe, North America, and elsewhere, as opposed to the English breakfast served commonly in the UK.”
English: “(also called full breakfast, and served in inns or restaurants) may include cereals, porridge or stewed prunes, melon, yogurt, boiled eggs or bacon and eggs, grilled fish, sausages, grilled or fried mushrooms or tomatoes with fried bread, followed by toasted bread and marmalade and tea or coffee. Modern English breakfast (served in hotels or motels) may include cereals, bacon and eggs, toasted bread and marmalade with tea or coffee.”
chorizo scramble
Frankly this definition left me confused as that is not my typical breakfast nor, based on my entirely unofficial poll is it for any of my friends or family. Is this the breakfast we want visitors to think we eat? Because, frankly aside from my daily doze of java and a fruit smootie, there is nothing typical about my breakfasts, and they rarely meet this criteria. I have some misgivings about this gross generalization.
These misgivings were confirmed upon venturing into the family style restaurants in Tahoe, I discovered everyone had their own version definition of what was “All American” We sampled oatmeal pancakes topped with lingonberry preserves, apple sauce and sour cream - sounds more Swedish to me. We had a chorizo egg scramble that was not shy on the pickled jalapenos – thank goodness. There was the “chicken fried” steak and eggs – and as “chicken fried” steak is a derivative of Weinersnitzel – I’m thinking this dish is more Austrian. How about those classic American pancakes, also known as griddle cakes, hot cakes, or flapjacks? According to Wikipedia, they are actually the Scottish version of this widely popular food. Yogurt and fruit? Well, the yogurt portion we probably have Turkey to thank, although cultured milk products date back about 4,500 years, and yogurt with fruit jam was first patented in Prague in 1933. Lox and bagel? We have Eastern European immigrants to thank for this wonderful breakfast addition. Waffles, definitely not created in the US.
oatmeal pancakes with lingonberry preserves
Eggs Benedict? Well, not so easy – there is some disagreement as to the origin, but the majority of the stories claim the enviorns of New York City – so I’m inclined to make this an American dish, although the Hollandaise sauce certainly is not.
Omelets originated in the Ancient Near East, and the version we know and love – a quintessential breakfast food to be sure hails from France – Merci Beaucoup! Huevos Rancheros – from Mexico, of course. Gracias Amigos!
Granola is very much an American food, having been invented in Dansville, NY in 1894 [source: Wikipedia], as is corn flake cereal.
So really, the origins are all over the place. I guess my point in all of this is that I am convinced there is no single breakfast food can be called “All American” and I am grateful for that fact. I love the the options, and diverse selections I encountered. If it were not for the introduction of all the wonderful riffs on food via immigrants that made the United States home, well, I shudder to consider my limited options. In fact, America is truly the land of immigrants. No surprise, but did you realize that 13% of our citizens are foreign born, much higher than the average rich country at 8.4%? The magazine points out that in absolute terms American’s foreign born population of 38 million is nearly four times larger than its nearest contenders: Germany and Russia. It dominates Japan’s number of less than 2 million and completely dwarfs China’s less than one million, and I thank them all for the culinary gifts they’ve added to my breakfast table. [Source: The Economist]
Tahoe/Truckee California
old town Truckee
The area of Tahoe California references the communities around Lake Tahoe which can be found in the Sierra Mountains along the border between California and Nevada. This area is an outdoor playground, famous as a winter wonderland with skiing a key attraction, and in the summer for hiking, camping and mountain biking. Some of the highest peaks of the Lake Tahoe Basin that formed during process of Lake Tahoe creation are Freel Peak at 10,891 feet (3,320 m), Monument Peak at 10,067 feet (3,068 m), Pyramid Peak at 9,983 feet (3,043 m), and Mount Tallac at 9,735 feet (2,967 m).
Some History
not a bad view to have everyday!
Exploration
Lt. John C. Frémont was the first European to see Lake Tahoe, during Fremont’s second exploratory expedition in 1844. John Calhoun Johnson, Sierra explorer and founder of “Johnson’s Cutoff” (now U.S. Route 50), was the first white man to see Meeks Bay and from a peak above the lake he named Fallen Leaf Lake after his Indian guide. His first job in the west was in the government service, carrying the mail on snowshoes from Placerville to Nevada City, during which time he named the lake “Lake Bigler” in honor of California’s third governor John Bigler. In 1862 the U.S. Department of the Interior first introduced the name Tahoe, and both names were used until well into the next century. The lake didn’t receive its final designation as Lake Tahoe until 1945.
California and Nevada reached the compromise to partition Tahoe between the two when Nevada became a state in 1864. With the state line east of the approximate centerline of the lake.
bridge with Donner Lake in background
Go West Young Man to Seek Your Fortune
After gold was discovered in the South Fork of the American River in 1848, thousands of gold seekers going west passed by on their way to the gold fields. Europeans first arrived in the Lake Tahoe basin with the 1858 with the discovery of the Comstock Lode. Between 1858 to 1890, logging in the basin supplied large timbers to shore up the underground workings of the Comstock mines. The logging was so extensive that the area was nearly deforested. In 1864, Tahoe City was founded as a resort community for Virginia City, the first recognition of the basin’s potential as a destination resort area.
Truckee was named after a Paiute chief, Tru-ki-zo. The first people who came to cross the Sierra Nevada encountered his tribe, with the friendly chief rode toward them yelling “Tro-kay!”, which is Paiute for “Everything is all right”; the settlers thought he was yelling his name.
beautiful, desolate and cold
The Donner Party ordeal is Truckee’s most famous historical event. In 1846, a group of settlers from Illinois became snowbound in early fall as a result of several trail and decision mishaps. Choosing shortcuts over the traditional Oregon Trail, and other numerous examples of bad judgement including attempting to use Donner Pass, near Trukee all resulting in serious delays in their journey. Of the original 87 settlers, 48 remarkably survived the ordeal. Theirs is a tremendous tale of survival.
We hiked near the Donner pass above the lake, and the winter scenes were absolutely incredible. At the same time, I would be loath to be stranded after repeatedly stepping into snow up to my waist.
Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley
On the topic of good things international, everywhere we ventured we saw signs reminding us that Squaw Valley was the site of the 1960 winter Olympics, beating out some pretty serious rivals – Innsbruck and St. Moritz no slouches. They have a 50 year celebration planned later in January 2010. The history around this event is fascinating for example:
- The VIII Winter Olympic Games, held in Squaw Valley in 1960, marked many notable events and achievements:
- The 1960 Winter Olympics were the first Games held in the Western United States and the first to be televised.
- The Olympic Village Inn was built to house more than 750 athletes; it allowed all athletes to be housed under one roof for the first and only time in modern Olympic history.
- Computers were used to tabulate results for the first time. The glass-walled IBM processor drew almost as many observers as the competitions.
- After a virtually snowless early season, a heavy Sierra storm moved in to save the Games. At the Opening Ceremonies, dense snowfall greeted the Greek delegation as it led the athletes’ procession. The storm broke and the sky cleared just as Vice President Richard Nixon declared the Games officially open. Walt Disney, Head of Pageantry, oversaw the release of two thousand Doves into the cold air.
- Figure skater Carol Heiss took the Olympic Oath on behalf of all participating athletes, marking the first time that a woman so honored. She later won the gold medal.
- Frenchman Jean Vuarnet became the first Olympian to compete on metal skis. He won gold for France in the Men’s Downhill.
- With the help of Russian Team Captain Nikolai “Solly” Sologubov, the U.S. won its first gold medal in Hockey. In the minutes leading to the last period of the championship game with Czechoslovakia, “Solly” told the Americans to take breaths from an oxygen tank. Each player was given a “hit” and the “Team of Destiny” scored six goals in the last period, beating Czechoslovakia 9-4.
All American Breakfast – I figured I’d try to find something close to authentic American, and these yummy cakes fit the bill. This recipe is incredibly versatile and if you wanted, I bet you might never make them the same way twice. Before the modern advent of wheat flour, cattail flour was used. These biscuits are rich and dense, they will stick to your ribs and are equally good with chili or smeared with butter and honey. This recipe is from a wonderful cookbook called, Foods of the Americas, which I discovered at the Smithsonian American Indian Museum in Washington, DC.
Buckskin Cakes
Ingredients
½ c pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, seasame seeds, or pine nuts (feel free to mix and match)
2 c flour
1 tsp coltsfoot ash or sea salt (I’ve only used sea salt)
2 tsp baking powder
¼ to 1 c water
2 T pumpkin, hazelnut, walnut or sunflower oil
Directions
Grind the nuts and seeds until coarsely ground.
In a large bowl combine the ground seeks, flower, salt, and baking powder and mix well with a fork. Add enough water to form a sot, pliant ball of dough. Place in a bowl and cover with a dry kitchen towel and leave at room temperature to relax for 2 to 3 hours.
Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Shape into a cake 4″ wide and 1/2″ thick. Heat the oil in a heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the cakes and fry, turning once, for seven minutes on each side until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm.
Adore articles about custom breakfast along the world, US in this case. My style of breakfast is French – according to this, it’d be Continental type, but with a Latin touch. I’d like to add the breakfast is linked with the hours, especially dinner-time. France, Spain and Italy it is late, totally different to UK. Latinos have the European influence, dining at 11, 12…too late
Have a great week!
Gera
I’ve never even questioned about the difference between American, Continental, English, etc. That’s interesting, but yeah, I don’t think most places follow the definitions… LOL.
Also, I’m one of the 38 millions.
my husband still pines for tahoe. he used to go skiing EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND when we lived in sf. happy new year!! xo.
Interesting. I think I’ve got a good mix in terms of by breakfast choices. Funny how I never thought of certain breakfast foods to be of a certain kind. If that made any sense. As long as it has my favorite items, I’m good to go. ;-D
btw…not sure If I’ve mention this, but I love the new layout.
We usually go for the Continental breakfast wherever we are but at least one morning we like to get whatever the full breakfast option is. I’ve been requested recently to make a Greek breakfast by my daughter who has been learning about ancient Greece & Olympics in particular. Still trying to figure it out
Eating breakfast out is such a treat. Usually, I just have something light most mornings. But when I go out, I like to do it up. Potatoes, eggs, pancakes, French toast, steel-cut oatmeal, corned beef hash — you name it, I love it.
You in America, are used to eat hot, savoury, eggs & pancakes as breakfasts. Here in Belgium, we eat normally bread in the morning. Sometimes, we eat an omelet or eggs with bacon on bread.
We aren’t used to eat so many food in the morning! The pancakes & the scrambled eggs look divine, though!
Gera – breakfast is one of my favorite meals, too – having a good one really starts the day off right.
Kitchen M – I knew the differences, but I was struck by the fact that everyone’s interpretation was so different.
Giao – I can see why your hubby was obsessed with Tahoe – its an entirely different lifestyle there. So beautiful!
Jenn – I’m with you – you got to have your staples – that’s how I feel about my coffee and smoothies =) Thanks for the feedback – I liked the old one but it was so slow to load, wanted something a bit more simple.
Natasha – what a great way to kick off the start of the winter Olympics! You’ve got me inspired to make yogurt too.
Carolyn – I’m with you I generally only splurge eating out.
Sophie – There is just something magicial about good bread so I think I’d really like Belgian breakfasts.
I have to say that I love having a full English. couldnt do it everyday though but I do indulge whenever I stay in a hotel. I would love to have a full American one day lol Great bit of history here. Sounds like an amazing place. Love the buckskin cakes, tempted to try them. Would you have them on their own or with eggs, bacon etc?
I love full American breakfasts – on the weekend – for brunch. Too much regularly! In Ireland, we did the full Irish/English breakfast – it sated me till dinner. Some good bread, fruit and coffee sustains me! I do love breakfast foods and could have an “All-American breakfast” for dinner! I am a huge eggs Benedict fan – but never have it.
It’s fifteen below 0 F most mornings in MN. All in all, I’d rather be in Tahoe. I love the variations on the breakfasts and the tour of Tahoe. It is warming me even when the air outside doesn’t.
It’s funny, I almost never have “full Irish” breakfasts at home, only if I’m somewhere down the country and staying in a B&B – then I dine like the tourists do
My regular breakfasts at home are, I guess, also more international in origin. I usually sprinkle an assortment of ground up seeds on whatever cereal I’m having, but I might just have to make those seeds into buckskin cakes next time!
Apparently, there’s no consensus on what Continental breakfast includes as, from my experience, every time I see “we serve free Continental breakfast” in a hotel ad, it’s almost like a synonym for “the cheapest things we can feed you with.” You get all the carbs and coffee without protein. I don’t know, man. I need my eggs and sausages otherwise, I’m famished by 10:00.
American breakfast is my friend.
They give you everything.
I’m off to find me some coltfoot ash. Whatever the heck that is …
Ruth – I love a good English breakfast too, but like the American breakfast it seems to me that what’s the classic is more of an ideal of what the breakfast should be not what people actually eat. I hope you do get that classic American breakfast one day – whatever it turns out to be =)
Claudia – Those “Irish” breakfasts were hearty and stick to your ribs – like you, lunch was not in the cards, but I had to make room for dinner.
Spud – Probably all your travels influence your breakfast. Those buckskin cakes are delicious. Mr. Oyster keeps asking for me. Now they are some heavy stick to your ribs kind of food. =)
Leela – I agree, I used to think that was why most non-Americans were thiner, heck they didn’t start the day with everything but the kitchen sink on their plate. As to coltsfoot – here you go – http://weeds.cas.psu.edu/psuweeds/COLTSFOOT.pdf
Ha! I’d always wondered what the heck “continental” cuisine is. Sounds much better than the “free continental breakfast” that those cheap motels offers.
And you can have all the snow you want! I’ll stay in warm and boringly sunny CA!
The English breakfast is my favorite one….. I will add some Latin flavors to mine
You must have had a fantastic new year’s! Of all the types of breakfast, I think Continental has always confused me most. Bread or roll with coffee or juice. For a real breakfast, I hope to see some fruit and eggs. But, then I end up skipping lunch, so it’s really brunch.
–I’d never heard of coltsfoot ash, and now I’m curious!
I grew up in California Bay Area and every other winter or so my sister and I were given our “ski jacket”. It’s a jacket you’d probably need every single winter day in minnesota, but where I grew up it was only necessary for the annual Tahoe ski trip.
I’ve been offline for awhile – Christmas family stuff – you’ve got new digs! The blog looks so lovely.
Have you been to the Millbrae Pancake House? My husband and his friends frequented it when we just out of college and everything comes with a side of blueberry pancakes. This place is so sacred to them that girls were not invited, if they were, the gentleman who brought her would have to sit at a separate table. A few of us girls are still around…and now that we are wives I don’t think they would dare make us sit at a different table. In any case, MPH is for some good old American breakfast, with all the stuff mentioned, in true to American form – GIANT proportions.
I’m a creature of habit when it comes to breakfast – it’s either a bowl of oatmeal all doctored up or a fried egg/toast/cheese sandwich. Unless I’m eating out then I go for the American or Continental. The buckskin cakes sound interesting and definitely worth a try! Tahoe looks beautiful – a really lovely place to visit. Happy New Year!
Sophia – I’m afraid some of it probably is, especially in the States. But I’ve had some really great continental breakfasts too. Hey, new to CA gal – Tahoe is in CA, and I have not had may fill and am back to not so warm but snowless SF =)
Erica – The English breakfast is a favorite of mine too, try to get it at least once when visiting, but too often and I think it would do me in.
Lisa – when I travel its all about the elaborate breakfasts I never make at home. I’m a sucker for eggs benedict, but then fill inclined to sit in an overstuffed chair for the rest of the day.
Gastro – I have not been to the Millbrae house, but now feel I must. Is there a secret handshake I should know about? I’m going to have to check that place out! Thanks for the excellent tip.
Reeni – I’m with you. I highly recommend the buckskin cakes – they’re delicious. We’re still moving in and my cramped kitchen and end results did not lend themselves well to an attractive final picture, but trust me, they were yummy. My last batch had pepitas in them and so tasty!
After reading your post, I wonder if I eat too little for breakfast, only one or two slices of toasts, with jam and a cup of tea. Sometimes, I have a fried egg, or bacon with avocado. I think it’s huge for myself.
I have been more attracted to a good pecan waffle as a breakfast treat, but when in Ireland I loved the B&B breakfast. Especially skillet tomatoes. Then I discovered breakfast burritos or huevos rancheros (mexican eggs, chilies and corn tortialls. I toss the three around to keep the flavor memory alive!
I guess I am the “Frenchy” international mingled sort when it comes to Bfast. Except when I travel then I loves a full throttle American style. GREG
We are fairly new to southern cali. but I have to admit I do not miss the Midwest winters that I grew up with! I love all the sunshine and I am soooo glad we don’t have to shovel the sidewalks anymore.
I’m a cafe au lait and scone kind of girl for breakfast.
Christine – You probably have a rather healthy portion. Sounds delicious and perfect.
Chef E – There is something to be said for skillet tomatoes – I started adding them to our eggs for breakfast.
Sippity, I go all out when I travel so I know where you’re coming from. Look forward to hearing what you enjoyed for breakfast in Panama.
Sara – I should have caveated my snow cravings that it was the beauty of the snow and certainly not the shoveling that I was missing!
Love the train you took me on….explaining first the definitions and then the likely sources of some of the meals….fascinating.
So glad you got to see snow! I’m all about the four seasons and loved the little bit we got last week.
Breakfast, a topic close to my heart. Such a great post! I think the main point for me, regardless of what the food choices are, is that there is potential for a hearty, tasty meal in the U.S. Along with so-called American-style, I love English and Irish style too.
Brazilian-style, not-so-much. Breakfast was the one thing we missed so much while there. Traditionally it is bread, butter and coffee there. That is fine for the average daily, but there wasn’t the option to go get a stack of pancakes and sausage on the weekend. That, we missed!
Kitchen Butterfly – Thanks so much. I just found it so interesting that everyone had a different version of “All American” and yet the diversity of dishes was really staggering. I enjoyed checking out your blog as well. Thanks for stopping by.
Lori – So am I! Its funny, though Brazilian style, seems to be much more common yet we Americans are hooked on our style breakfasts!
Thanks for the post! I love it!