Hello Breakfast

Newcastle Herald

Saturday January 3, 2009

SCOTT WEBSTER

A day cant really get started without a cup of coffee and a good

breakfast.

The idea of kicking off your Saturday or Sunday with breakfast

together as a family, as a couple or with friends is now more popular

than ever and kitchens in restaurants and cafes around town are abuzz

each weekend with chefs trying to keep up with the demand for

perfectly poached or scrambled eggs, thick buttered toast and housemade

mueslis.

It wasnt that long ago that going out for breakfast was not that

popular and menu offerings were often bland and uninspiring. Over

recent years this has all changed for the better.

With both mum and dad working long days in many households,

breakfast has become, for many families, the meal they are most likely

to sit down and enjoy together.

But you need not leave home tobreakfast like a king.

Pick up some fancy breads,croissants or sweet pastries at the

bakery, or try mixing up your cereal and toast with a serving of fresh

summer berries, stewed stone fruits and yoghurt.

Follow that up with pancakes, French toast, eggs any way you like

them and crispy bacon.

You can even throw steak, smoked salmon and sausages into

the mix if your appetite is up to it.

Scott Webster is a Hunter-based chef and restaurateur and

proprietor of Australian Culinary Consultants.

swebster@hunterlink.net.au

Stampede Pancakes

3 cups flour

6 tsp baking powder

(four in dry mix and

two in wet mix)

6 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk

1 cup water

6 tbsp melted butter

Mix the flour, four

teaspoons baking

powder, sugar and

salt together. Add the

eggs, vanilla and milk

and combine. Add

the remaining two

teaspoons of baking

powder last. Then

pour in the melted

butter.

Mix and cook pancakes

on the stovetop

over low heat.

Bircher Muesli

200g rolled oats

100ml milk

100ml honey

Handful roasted hazelnuts,

coarsely chopped

100ml natural yoghurt

1 Granny Smith apple, grated

100g sliced stone fruit

100g mixed berries

60ml additional honey

Place oats and milk in a bowl and

allow to soak for an hour. In a

separate bowl, combine hazelnuts,

honey, yoghurt and grated apple.

Mix into milk-soaked oats. Garnish

with stone fruits and berries and

drizzle with additional honey.

Rhubarb and fig compote

500g pink rhubarb, trimmed and

chopped

250g white sugar

125ml orange juice

4 large figs, halved

Place the rhubarb, sugar and orange

juice in a large saucepan over

a medium heat and boil. Reduce

the heat to low and simmer for

five minutes or until the rhubarb is

tender. Set aside. Serve in a bowl.

Top with figs and vanilla yoghurt.

© 2009 Newcastle Herald

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