Le Petit Déjeuner Journal

It is unfortunate that most of us aren't able to sit down for a proper breakfast, except on vacation or during the weekends. But then again, this relative inaccessibility makes it much more of a special occasion. To me, le petit déjeuner is meant to be a lazy affair; something that encourages you to lean back and enjoy, with minimal time constraints.

Perhaps, that is why the brunch concept here in North America has reached atomic heights! Move over, elaborate dinners with family and friends! The new wave is the brunch get-together! Nothing stirs the day alive like waking up ravenous, then assembling for a lingering tête-à-tête at home or at your favourite neighbourhood joint.

Sometimes, a quick jaunt to the local farmer's market can produce a sweet, hassle-free start to the day.

Whether it is a decadent savoury sandwich, stuffed omelet, fresh baked goods, crepes and waffles, or fruits and yoghurt, the first meal of the day is often accompanied by fresh fruit juice, chocolat chaud, coffee, tea, or even a morning mimosa. This is how we like breaking the fast, and we have been fortunate to enjoy such liberties at home and in our travels.

Breakfast Bird's Nest - frazzled egg on a nest of bacon and potato rosti with arugula salad

Croissanwich - Canadian bacon, herbed scrambled egg, tomatoes, and aged Cheddar. Served with orange-mango sparkling water and caramel fleur de sel macarons.

A Moroccan repast of traditional harcha (pan-fried semolina cakes), beghrir (honeycomb pancakes), and local pastries served with butter, jam, and honey.

Rooftop morning meal in Essaouira - honey-lemon loaf, croissant, rghaif (traditional Moroccan fried pancakes), served with the usual sides of butter, jam, and honey. Also with fruits, yoghurt, freshly squeezed OJ and mint tea.

A typical Filipino breakfast - boneless bangus (milkfish) with sinangag (garlic rice), fried egg, with a side of calamansi (a local lemon-lime) and onion - can also be doused with a bit of soy sauce or spicy vinegar.

It's never too early for sausages in Germany or elsewhere - curry wurst, bratwurst, Baden Baden wurst, Oktoberfest franks with tangy sauerkraut. It may be too early for a beer, though.

Santorini sunrise - fresh baked vanilla-coffee cake, breakfast rolls, a couple of sweet nectarines along with fresh juice and coffee.

Virginia ham and Cheddar cheese omelet with fried potatoes and oil-and-vinegar mixed greens salad.

Plain yoghurt sweetened by raspberries and crunchy granola with petit viennoisserie in the background.

Eggs Benedict with Berkshire ham and Gruyere cheese topped with Hollandaise sauce.

Huevos Rancheros - fried egg with deconstructed avocado, tomato, black bean salsa with tortilla triangles. In the background, Belgian waffles with whipped cream, syrup, and fresh blueberries.

Raw ingredients for my unconventional Croque Monsieur - Italian pancetta and French Comté cheese.

My version of Croque Monsieur - grilled Challa bread (or egg brioche) with tomatoes, oven-baked Italian pancetta, and melted French Comté cheese on a bed of baby arugula.

A sweet life - chocolate pear croissant, raisin bun, and fig crumble square.