PATRICIA MISIUK: How about some eggs miroir for breakfast
My mom, the maven of down-to-earth maxims, always advised anybody who would listen: If you’re hungry, don’t shop for groceries. You’ll buy more wants than needs. Most of the time I heed her warning but do substitute an equal minefield when my stomach’s growling: reading menus.
Earlier this week I came across a 7-x-11-inch breakfast menu printed in England on salmon-colored paper with a “Good Morning!” greeting printed in red along the top with cartoon-like flying fish below.
The menu, dated August 19, 1958, came from Cunard Line’s R.M.S. “Queen Elizabeth” back when ocean liners made transatlantic crossings. Resurrected from a stash of family mementos, the menu listed familiar breakfast fare — cereal, eggs, breads, and beverages.
Wedged between the tried-and-true, universal favorites — corn flakes, grape fruit (their spelling, not mine) fried eggs — some unusual ones that piqued my curiosity so did some research.
Lamb’s Kidneys Vert Pre — animal innards garnished with watercress and straw potatoes. Across the pond, straw translates to our shoestring, both terms inedible until paired with taters.
Grilled Yarmouth Bloaters — herring, including insides, smoked for a “gamey” flavor and brushed with oil or butter.
Eggs Miroir — in French, oeufs miroir — eggs cooked with slight white film over yolk. To me, that’s sunnyside up.
Sultana Bread — sultana by itself, defined as a sultan’s wife or concubine. When paired with bread, seedless raisins.
Confiture Omelette — When I surfed the web, I found recipes in French and Italian. Since my command of French is limited to “au revoir” and Italian to “ciao,” I deduced from accompanying photos, the omelets are accented with jam or jelly.
Horlick’s Malted Milk — Ingredients include wheat, malted barley extract with reduced dry milk.
Yoghourt — Same as “yogurt” but with two extra letters.
All this research has whetted my appetite for what some maintain is the most important meal of the day. For now, I’ll stick with what I know: OJ, poached eggs, toast and coffee.
Patricia Misiuk is a Lakeland resident who enjoys breakfast at any hour. You can reach her at SHOOK46@aol.com.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: BTW: BY THE WAY
