What’s for breakfast?

November 19, 2009 • Hello. I am currently out of the country and unable to respond to comments and e-mails. Rest assured, however, that future posts have been scheduled so new recipes will go live almost everyday during my absence. I'll be back soon with lots of stories and photos. Ciao for now! ~ Connie

In our house, the meal that we fuss over is dinner. It’s the time when everyone’s home and, after a grueling day at work and in school, the husband and the kids deserve some pampering. But breakfast is quite another story. Since neither the kids nor their father eat breakfast, the house helper and I often eat what’s left from the kids’ packed school lunches (like the rice topping below) or whatever leftovers there are from the previous night’s dinner. Of course, some days are exceptions.

rice topping

When I go to the wet market for fish or vegetables, I often come home with a hodgepodge of local delicacies. Sometimes, it’s puto but more often, it’s suman — the more varieties, the more enjoyable our breakfast.

suman, sweetened rice wrapped in leaves

In the photo above (clockwise from the left), there’s suman sa ibos (unsweetened and wrapped in coconut fronds), suman sa lihia (cooked with lye water, wrapped in pairs with wilted banana leaves and served with hot chocolate or sweetened coconut cream), suman malagkit (made with glutinous rice) and suman cassava.

pork adobo sprinkled with toasted garlic bits, fried egg and rice

There are nights when I have too much work and I go without sleep. That’s when I find it convenient to have something simmering on the stove or baking in the oven while I do my reading and my writing. During those times, breakfast is a grand event. Adobo with fried eggs and hot rice is a favorite.

beef noodle soup

Because my husband and our 15-year-old daughter, Sam, are very much soup people, and because we have consciously stayed away from powdered soup mixes for over a year now, I often buy soup bones and simmer them in large pots. I keep the homemade broth in several containers in the fridge. On days when I crave for noodle soup, often for breakfast or brunch, I take one container out, reheat the broth while preparing the noodles, meat and vegetables. I just add the hot broth and I’ve got my noodle soup.

Spam and eggs

Sunday is Daddy’s-turn-to-cook day. Sometimes, he’s in the mood to prepare something special, most Sundays we go out, and the Sundays that he feels some tummy filler is enough to shut us all up, it’s Spam and eggs.

Next time, I’ll tell you about our bread-based breakfasts. :)

February 26, 2008  Print This Post   
Tagged:

Comments

14 Responses to “What’s for breakfast?”
  1. noemi says:

    wow interesting!. i should do the same hehehehe.

  2. Connie says:

    Not the spam-and-eggs, I hope? LOL

  3. dhayL says:

    i love the idea of eating “kakanins” for breakfast! i would love to have kakanins for breakfast the next time i go back home! normally we associate kakanins for merrienda, i remember back home, everyday, aling dely use to sell diff kakanins in her bilao, and i buy diff kinds everyday, i miss that!

  4. eumir213 says:

    sawap naman nung adobo :)

  5. beng says:

    onga no? sa min man ang kakanin e laging meryenda e. mis ko yung suman sa lihiya. masarap sya partneran ng matamis na bao pramis! =)
    pero its quite interesting yung idea ng soup stock mo. gano ba sya tumatagal sa ref/freezer? isa kasi ko sa mga nasanay sa mga cubes for convenience na rin cguro. and you are right kasi d naman sya ganun kahealthy kasi puro sodium nga.

  6. KK aka Tina says:

    I’m drooling over the suman Ate Connie, pwede bang paki FTP? Nakakagutom at nakaka-homesick ang bumisita sa blog ninyo.

  7. dhayL says:

    ms.connie,
    quick question re:homade broth, how long can u keep them in the fridge?

  8. dhayL says:

    pahabol ms connie, what do u call this “noddle soup dish” with chicken or beef broth, sliced hard-boiled egg, deep fried garlic and scallions? maninipis yung noodles nya, what do u call that again? i made it last tweek, it was my fave among noddle soup dish, very warming during the winter months up here! thanks!

  9. Connie says:

    Leng and DhayL, in airtight containers in the freezer, broth can last for several weeks.

    Tina, hahahaha wala yata lasa pag FTP lang hehehehe

  10. mareza says:

    you gave me an idea how to serve soup.i always make a big pot and eating it for 3 days is tiring.
    adding fresh vegetable each day and differrent each time will make the soup more exiting.
    a grand idea says the husband, although he’s not
    really complaining.i just wish i have the energy to
    cook everyday.

  11. now a mom of 5 says:

    we usually eat suman sa ibos fried. we cut it lengthwise down the middle, fry it then eat it with fresh sweet mangoes….masarap siya :)

  12. Connie says:

    mareza, freeze the soup in portions and you don’t have to have soup for days in a row. You can have several days of rest from soup in between. :)

    Now a mom of 5, you might want to check out my butter-fried suman with mangoes and cherries for a more colorful version of the traditional fried suman and mangoes. :)

  13. chick says:

    we love kakanins for breakfast! usually we’d have it on weekends when my parents visit the market early morning! :) on usual days, you’d see “silog”/ rice meals on our breakfast table.. but me, i love sandwiches or pancake for breakfast!

  14. nina says:

    Back home, in our province, the usual beakfast/morning snack if someone went to the market on early morning are kakanin or seafood(pangat na isda, alimasag, halabos na hipon) or pacit palabok.
    We eat suman sa lihiya with fresh coconut and sugar and I love suman sa latik. SPAM is a favorite too…

    Now, I miss home!!!

You may post a relevant comment.
If you want your own pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING A COMMENT

Except for personal use, or as legitimate RSS feeds with link back to this page, NO PART OF THIS ENTRY MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY MANNER, whether individually or as part of a collection, without the owner's PRIOR written permission. This blog is a FREE service. Help maintain it by respecting the author's copyright.

Some entries have multiple pages. Most recipes are on page 2; others, on page 3 or 4. Click on the pagination links to view them.

Some entries DO NOT contain recipes.

Sorry, I don't e-mail recipes. However, you may opt to receive a weekly summary of recent Pinoy Cook food articles and recipes by using the link on the left sidebar.