breakfast blogger

Via digg.com:

***EDIT***

I wrote to the Ziploc people about doing this and got a reply this morning:

Mr. Peabody,

Thank you for your email regarding the safety of ZIPLOC® Bags.

Regarding your inquiry, ZIPLOC® Bags cannot be used to boil food. Unfortunately, we do not manufacture a “boilable” bag.

We do not recommend using any ZIPLOC® Bag in boiling water, or to “boil” in the microwave. ZIPLOC® Bags are made from polyethylene plastic with a softening point of approximately 195 degrees Fahrenheit. By pouring near boiling water (water begins to boil at 212 degrees) into the bag, or putting the bag into the water, the plastic could begin to melt.

If you have additional concerns, we recommend you call our Product Safety Department at 1-866-231-5406. They will be happy to address any questions you may have.

Best regards,

Megan

Consumer Relationship Centre
SC Johnson
Toll free number: 1-800-558-5566
www.scjohnson.ca

Reference Number: 012700037A

——-

Yikes! You have been warned!

It’s occurred to me that I really haven’t done enough to cover the many breakfast joints in the Byward Market in Ottawa. So on this warm Sunday morning, I grabbed the Dan Brown book I’m reading now, Angels and Demons, a bunch of change for parking, my camera and headed out there on a new breakfast adventure. I found somewhere to park easily enough in one of the automated lots and didn’t have to walk too far to find a promising spot. Zak’s is a classic diner:

You gotta love the coffee mug they gave me:

They’ve got an impressive selection of breakfast goodness on the menu and I decided to try something new. I had the New York Scramble.. 3 eggs scrambled with bacon, smoked meat, onions, green peppers on toasted bagle halves with home fries and baked beans:

That set me back 10 bucks without the side of meat. I can’t remember if coffee was extra.

Some friends asked me to take them our for a special breakfast and the Mayflower on Cooper and Elgin was one of the first places to come to mind. I’ve covered this awesome breakfast spot before here with my breakfast buddy ‘Fanya. My friends had the Eggs Mayflower.. Scrambled eggs on toasted bagel halves with cream cheese, topped with Hollandaise sauce and accompanied by home fries and choice of meat:

I had the Eggs Benedict with bacon:

And sure enough, I saw another server bang his noggin on the chandlier in the front bay.. that’s two for two! That thing is a hazard! Cheers to the staff at the Mayflower!

Super thanks to my buddy KJ for sending this to me:

Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into the quart size Ziploc bag (not more than 2) and shake to combine them. Put in a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, tomato, hash browns, salsa, etc..

Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up. Place the bag(s) into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot.

Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily. Be prepared for everyone to be amazed.

**EDIT** And here’s a video on making one here.

**EDIT 2** I sent an e-mail to the Ziploc people asking about using this method to cook. Here is the reply I got this morning:

Mr. Peabody,

Thank you for your email regarding the safety of ZIPLOC® Bags.

Regarding your inquiry, ZIPLOC® Bags cannot be used to boil food. Unfortunately, we do not manufacture a “boilable” bag.

We do not recommend using any ZIPLOC® Bag in boiling water, or to “boil” in the microwave. ZIPLOC® Bags are made from polyethylene plastic with a softening point of approximately 195 degrees Fahrenheit. By pouring near boiling water (water begins to boil at 212 degrees) into the bag, or putting the bag into the water, the plastic could begin to melt.

If you have additional concerns, we recommend you call our Product Safety Department at 1-866-231-5406. They will be happy to address any questions you may have.

Best regards,

Megan

Consumer Relationship Centre
SC Johnson
Toll free number: 1-800-558-5566
www.scjohnson.ca

Reference Number: 012700037A

—————-

Yikes, that’s kinda scary. You have been warned!

—————-

This reminds me a bit of the trick I read about over on B3ta a while back. Rob Manuel, while putting together a page dedicated to the best way to poach an egg, got an e-mail tip from someone called VashTheStampede.

Vash’s suggestion? Use clingfilm to poach your egg. Put some clingfilm in a cup, spray a tiny bit of oil so the egg won’t stick, crack an egg into it, wrap it up, toss it into boiling water (make sure it doesn’t touch the bottom; when I tried this, I suspended the egg-bag in the boiling water using a wooden spoon), and voila. Perfect poached egg. Go here to check it out and scroll down.

I guess I should write the cling-film people as well and see what they say about this.

Following a tip from my wonderful boss, I headed out on a cold rainy Saturday morning after buying a newspaper in search of my next breakfast adventure. The Saint-Éloi is a cozy chalet that is hidden off the shore of Lac Leamay in Hull. I had two eggs sunny side up.. or “mirroir” as they say in french, for the yolky goodness, with bacon, home fries, beans and creton:

That’s the creton in that dish on the top left. I spread it on my toast. Creton is a very Québécois thing.. it’s a pork pâté that is damn yummy.

The view from where I was sitting was remarkable:

After a few attempts to get Google Maps to get the proper location, the best I could find was this. The spot in question is in fact just a bit beyond that point and to the right towards the lake. If you know where the Reno Depot is in Hull, just look for this sign as you approach it:

If you look to right of that sign as you pass it, you will see Le Saint Éloi nestled in there..

Here’s a good place if you’re looking for a hearty Sunday brunch in downtown Hull. The wide range of food available for the buffet here is impressive and while it looks like I took full advantage, I missed quite a bit. There’s something for everyone here, whether they want traditional breakfast fare or something more lunch-like. I obviously didn’t eat much for the rest of the day:


The buffet was around $13.

Over on Wellington, just a bit west of Parkdale, Fil’s Diner is a treat. I’ve covered Fil’s diner before on my old blog, but thought I’d come back for a visit after exchanging e-mails with the people over at Blend Creations. It was rainy the morning I headed out, mp3 player in hand. I stopped by the convenience store and picked up a paper, prepared to take my time with breakfast. Fil’s is set up like a classic 50’s diner while right next door is Daniel O’Connell’s Irish Pub. They both share the same kitchen, so you’re given a choice of atmosphere for breakfast. I decided on the Breakfast Club:

I had to cash a Western Union money order the other day, so I drove around until I saw a Western Union sign in a shop window. The shop happened to be a neighbourhood Filipino restaurant.

I decided to get some take-out lunch - rice with goat stew, and noticed some pretty big eggs on the counter, some of which were painted bright pink. I asked about them and decided on the pink ones - the others were “Balut‘ - basically a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell. Too much for me to handle just yet.

The pink eggs were Itlog na maalat/Itlog na Pula - Duck eggs that are hard boiled, then cured in warm brine. Their shells are often dyed with red food coloring to distinguish them from chicken eggs. I thought the size was a pretty good hint - but the pink was nice - they reminded me of Greek Easter Eggs.

The next morning - a lazy, rainy, Saturday, we decided to try them. We toasted some whole-wheat pitas and cut up some tomato slices, and peeled the eggs.

I laid the food out on plates and served them up. After 1 bite, my girlfriend thought the consistency a little too weird and very salty - so I ate both. I’ll admit, they weren’t delicious, but edible.

My girlfriend opted for freshly-pressed organic peanut butter and New Zealand Macadamia honey on her pita- it looked amazing but I stuck to my guns.

The honey was sent by an acqaintance of a friend, straight from New Zealand, and is some of the best honey I have ever had in my life. Honey is a new category of food for me now that I know such things exist - I also have a jar of Tasmanian Leatherwood honey that is also deliciously spicey in its’ own right.

So much for Filipino breakfast - although I doubt these duck eggs were intended for the first meal of the day, and also for eating straight up like we attempted. I will do the proper research and give these eggs a fair shot, and then maybe try the duck embryos…but after seeing those photos I’ve been having second thoughts. . . .