Making breakfast

[Alpo]

Curious about how the rest of the world does this.

 

When Mama would make breakfast, you pretty much got served one at a time.

 

There was five of us. The pan was only so big.

 

So she'd make up a big bowl of grits, and fry up a bunch of bacon. She set the grits on the table, but the bacon stayed in the kitchen. Then she'd fry up two eggs, put some bacon on the plate, and call Daddy to eat. Fry up a couple more eggs, put some bacon with them, and call a couple of us boys to eat. She always ended up eating last, and we always had fresh off the fire hot food.

 

French toast the same way. There was room for two or three pieces of bread in the pan, so she would make up one plateful, hand it off to somebody and start making more. You always had hot french toast. When she made pancakes there was room for 8 two(3?)-inch cakes on the griddle. So she'd cook 8, give 'em to Daddy, and cook eight more. Our pancakes were always hot.

 

Then I got married. She would cook however much food there was room for, then put that on a plate and lay a dish towel over it "to keep it warm", and cook some more. By the time enough was made to feed everybody, the first batch was stone cold.

 

When I go visit my daughter, I always make French toast. And I do it like Mama did. I have a stack of plates by the stove, and everybody waiting, and I get three done, plate 'em and hand them off. Immediately start cooking three more. And as long as people were still eating, I'd keep cooking. When we got to the point that nobody wanted "more", then I'd cook mine.

 

Darling dotter visited last month, and made pancakes. Did it like her mother. Cooked them and put them on a plate under a towel, until there was enough to feed the five of us, and by then all of them except the last eight were cold.

 

As you should be able to tell, I think the "serve them as they come out of the pan" method is better.

 

How about y'all? You wait till there's enough food for everybody cooked, hoping that it's still warm when it gets to 'em? Or feed them one at a time?

[Smuteye John SASS#24774]

We do the same thing when frying cube steak if we don't make it with gravy.  It's best straight out of the skillet.

[LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L]

When I cook waffles or pancakes, I set my oven to 200 degrees, and put them in there until served.  Keeps them nicely hot.  

[Sedalia Dave]

I am not a fan of hot food that is served cold.

[Utah Bob #35998]

As mark said, I have a "warm" setting on my oven. Handy.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

There are things that on learns in culinary school... one of them is how to serve everyone at a table at the same time.

 

One example, in Italy, people go to eat and expect to spend time there. If they otder risotto, it will come out of the kitchen in 30-35 minutes. It needs that long to cook

 

in a good Italian restaurant in the USA, ten minutes. How is the trick!

 

the risotto is 90% cooked in the morning then chilled on sheet pans and kept refrigerated. When it is ordered the portion is finished cooking. Whatever was prepared and not used is available for tomorrow’s family meal, but never for customers.

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

Another fan of the Warming Oven technique here.

 

[Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L]

I was always happy when there was enough to go around--temp was not a major consideration

[Subdeacon Joe]

Warm up the oven,  carefully stack pancakes, waffles, or French toast on sheet pans.

 

For a crowd I cook bacon in the oven first. Drain it, turn the oven down, and then stack stuff in the oven. 

 

Eggs get cooked last.  For a crowd it's scrambled or they can cook their own. 

 

 

At home with just the two of us on weekends I might make pancakes or waffles,  in which case I serve my wife then cook my own if it's pancakes.   

Waffles I'll cook them and keep them warm in the oven.   When I have three done I call her to serve herself,  but I keep cooking until the batter is gone. 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

I recall a time when twelve folk, chefs and their spice (spouses?) went to a b&b. In the morning they all ask for eggs Hollandaise. The cook said ok, but he could only serve four at a time.  Nobody volunteered to show him how to serve 12 at once.

[Texas Lizard]

14 hours ago, Smuteye John SASS#24774 said:

 It's best straight out of the skillet.

With sliced fried potatoes and onions....Real healthy meal....Sure is good tasting.....

 

Texas Lizard

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

On 9/26/2019 at 7:46 AM, Sedalia Dave said:

I am not a fan of hot food that is served cold.

I've eaten left over cold pizza....once.  I'm with you on cold food that is meant to be eaten hot.

 

There were only four of us and dad found some (4 or 5) "war surplus" stamped steel skillets, each about 14" diameter.  Said they reminded him of the lumber camps he worked in as a kid.  We had a huge old stove with five burners and Mom had everything ready.  Then it all came off the stove within the time it takes to fill a plate and then another, etc.

 

Both Mom and Dad hated to cook and all that good stuff disappeared after Sis and I moved out

[Capt. James H. Callahan]

Kinda depends on what you're cooking. At a big gathering I put stuff in the oven to keep warm too. Breakfast to me nearly always means eggs, always cook them last to be as hot and fresh as possible. I can handle most everything else room temperature, but sure want my eggs warm, esp. over easy, etc. Scrambled eggs are a BIT more flexible, but just a bit.

JHC

[St. Louis Suomi SASS #31905]

Mom cooked one at a time - served oldest to youngest.  I was middle one. :-) Little sis got served last. :-)

When we visited Grandma, same deal, except women ate in the kitchen.  I turned out to be the youngest at the mens table. Bummer time. Maybe next life I will be the oldest.......

 

STL Suomi

 

(women cheated - they were to eat after the men - but they tasted REAL HEAVY in preparation - they cheat) Grrrr

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

My wife is a cold cereal and oatmeal eater; she makes her own. 

I usually eat eggs. I poach them in one of those pans with the rack and the ramekins, fast, easy, and perfect every time.

I like oatmeal to a degree and eat it once or twice a week. I add some buckwheat groats that I've pre-cooked and keep in the fridge-- makes it less bland.