Kitchen Creations

Welcome back! I hope that you have tried out a few of the cool Ann Arbor breakfast/brunch spots and that will keep some of my abroad recommendations in mind if you’re planning on traveling to Europe soon. As I mentioned in my other posts, I love eating out at restaurants and cafés, but sometimes there’s just nothing better than a home cooked meal. After four years of eating out at UofM, I’ve come to miss both my mom’s cooking and the luxuries of “home.” Since I can remember, my mom has always been a great cook; she has the ability to look at any number of ingredients and create something from scratch. More than anything else, I miss the weekend mornings spent at home, which always included fresh pots of brewed coffee.

Unlike my mom, I am not a natural born chef, and I didn’t learn how to really cook until last year. I started with the basics, calling home way too often for help. I’ve definitely come a long way. Recently I’ve started to use cookbooks, and it’s been fun to learn and try new recipes. So far, my favorite is Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook called “Cravings,” which I heard about through word-of-mouth (Babin, 2016, pp. 168). Fair warning though, her recipes will not provide consumer satisfaction to those looking to cook a healthy meal (Babin, 2016, pp. 292). Of course, my favorite section is her “Breakfast All Day” recipes, and I figured I could try a few more out and write my reviews.

Creamy Parmesan Skillet Eggs: Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup finely grated Parmesan

½ cup heavy cream

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

¼ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. ground black pepper

2 tbsp. butter

4 eggs

Directions:

Whisk together parm, cream, thyme, salt and pepper. Grab two 6-inch skillets, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in each, divide cream mixture between the two skillets, and cook until bubbling through (1-2 mins). Crack two eggs into each skillet and cook until whites are set (2-3 mins). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

As a college student, I loved the idea of this recipe, because of the minimal ingredients and the short time to prepare/cook. Overall, I thought it was pretty easy to make and it tasted good. A tweak I would make would be to use less salt. Between the butter, cheese, and kosher salt, the sodium became a bit overwhelming after a few bites. One major suggestion, stick to the recommended serving size. I tried to double everything for my roommates, and that threw everything off. Also, I only had one large pan, and the cooking times became uneven so the outer edges were burning while the inside was too gooey.

Crispy Bacon Hash Browns: Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tbsp. butter, melted

¾ tsp. kosher salt

1 potato (8 ounce)

2 slices bacon

½ tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:

Combine oil, butter, and ¼ tsp. of salt and whisk until dissolved. Peel and grate potato with box grater. Toss in bacon, pepper, and ½ tsp. of salt. Heat skillet until hot (4-5 mins). Put potato mixture into skillet, spread it out, but don’t pack it down. Drizzle 3 tbsp. of butter mixture over potatoes, and cook until golden brown/ crispy (4-5 mins). Flip potatoes and drizzle the rest of the butter on top. Cook until crispy (4-5 mins). Season to taste. 

This recipe was pretty straightforward and matched my expectations (Babin, 2016, pp. 294). I liked the addition of the bacon, but I’m sure it would be easy to sub in something else if don’t. One suggestion I would make is to cook the bacon a bit before hand so that it’s crispy. Similar to the Parmesan eggs, I felt this dish was a little too salty, but that’s an easy fix. I liked this one because I didn’t run into any problems doubling it!

Babin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). In CB 7 (7th ed., pp. 168-294). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Teigen, C., & Pick, A. (2016). Cravings. New York, NY: Clarkson Potter.

Breakfast Abroad

Last May, I went on a month long trip with my family to Europe to visit my brother and sister in-law who lived in Brussels, Belgium. I had never been to Europe, so as you can imagine I was extremely excited. My family spent the time walking, eating, and drinking our way through seven different countries, each with their own shared values and unique micro cultures (Babin, 2016, p.203). Of course, there was a lot of breakfast involved too.

Oia, Greece:

As an early graduation gift, my brother and sister in-law flew me out early to visit Oia, a city on Santorini, for four days with them. After an extremely bumpy landing we arrived in Oia, which is by far the most beautiful place I have ever been. The vast blue water, bright blue rooftops, and white adobe buildings are incredible. We stayed at a villa overlooking the ocean, and every morning we woke up to the amazing view of the ocean and a breakfast waiting for us.  Breakfast generally consisted of some type of meat, dairy, egg, and breadbasket. The Greek yogurt was by far my favorite (cliché but true), served plain with sides of fruit, honey, and sugars if desired. Cold cuts with capers, hard-boiled eggs, and chocolate croissants could be seen filling the table as well. Later on, my sister in-law and I discovered a restaurant called Floga, which served the most delicious iced coffee

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Paris, France:

Before France, I could be found eating breakfast-pizza-pancakes in Amsterdam, homemade granola with berries and organic yogurt in Luxembourg, and beer at every meal in Brussels. Our first day in Paris we grabbed a spot at a café next to the Seine River, and ate Croque-Madames with fries and bread until we were ready to start the day. Paris was the first large city we visited, and it did not disappoint. Old architecture, classic monuments, and an absurd amount of wine made the 14 miles we walked everyday hardly noticeable. After the first day, we ate more traditionally so that we could try to follow the French cultural norms (Babin, 2016, p. 180). Our breakfasts consisted of croissants, fruit, yogurt, and of course, coffee.

Rome, Italy:

Everything about Rome exudes a sense of freedom. The weather is warm, small family owned stores line cobblestone streets, and ancient architecture meets modern society. To my surprise, breakfast didn’t really exist there; this is a normal expectation in Rome’s society, so mornings were spent drinking coffee on the balcony (Babin, 2016, p. 181).  No problem though, because the rest of the day we made a habit of eating more bread, pasta, and cheese than necessary. There was one night that my family decided to take a break from the carbs and went to a great seafood place called Pierluigi. The fish we picked out, large enough the feed all eight of us, was cooked by encrusting it in salt. Safe to say the food in Rome/Italy is amazing, and I didn’t miss breakfast too much.

 

Brussels, Belgium:

I have to give an honorable mention to Brussels. In between every country we visited my family would come back to my brother’s apartment to re-pack and rest a bit. For those that haven’t been, try the Belgian fries. They’re twice fried, and served with a variety of sauces I can’t pronounce. Brussels is largely French speaking; so many mornings were spent over coffee and speculoos crepes. Speculoos is a cookie that originated in Belgium, and has both caramel and gingerbread flavors. Along with the extremely healthy fries and crepes, you could find me eating Belgian waffles covered in chocolate.

Babin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). In CB 7 (7^th ed., pp. 180-203). Boston, MA: Cangage Learning

Ann Arbor Breakfast Club

Growing up, my mom always forced me to eat breakfast before sending me off to school. There was nothing worse than waking up to a 6:30 a.m. alarm and dry toast. Thankfully things have changed since coming to college, and with later classes/ more time for food in the morning I’ve grown to love everything there is about breakfast. I never understood the value of starting my day with a solid, healthy meal until I began cooking for myself.  Waking up is not nearly as stressful now, but I must admit coffee helps a lot. Ann Arbor also has an incredible amount of delicious restaurants (for every occasion) when I don’t want to cook, which makes breakfast even better.

For students in Ann Arbor, brunch has taken over social media feeds and weekends everywhere. It has become more than a utilitarian meal out, but rather a time for hangovers to be cured, weekends to both begin and end, and for friends to catch up, which shows the hedonic value (Babin, 2016, p. 29). There is an amazing, never-ending list of foods that appeal to every foodie’s lifestyle (Babin, 2016, p.121). Ann Arbor has a ton of awesome places to eat breakfast, so here are a few of my suggestions:

Go-To Breakfast: The Broken EGG

This quaint 1950s-style diner has everything that one could dream of in a traditional American breakfast. From jumbo-sized omelets and delicious home-style hash browns, to stacked pancakes and cinnamon swirl custard dipped French toast; this place has it all. The prices are reasonable and the service is always warm and friendly. With the Broken Egg’s casual setting, you can find people from all over the Ann Arbor community taking time out of their morning to dine here. I can guarantee that anyone seeking a great start to the day will find it. The only real downside is you’ll probably have to wait a while to be seated. No problem though - grab some Mighty Good Coffee from down the street and relax in the meantime.

Best Brunch: Café Zola

This spot is made for those seeking a place to look just as good as the food they’re eating. Café Zola is a relatively fancier crowd favorite, but don’t let this deter you from going. Zola serves all-things-brunch, with a menu consisting of salads, omelets, breads, pastries, delicious smoothies and gourmet coffees. If you have a car, go to Zola Bistro on Washtenaw, you’ll find more space along with a newer, more modern, version of the original café. For the adventurous breakfast lover, try the Turkish eggs with sautéed organic spinach, French feta cheese, olives, and slices tomatoes and cucumbers. Finally, don’t forget to bring your wallet; Café Zola is on the more expensive side of brunch.

          

Hangover Cure: Dimo’s Deli & Donuts

While spending your morning brunching is great, Dimo’s is the place to go when you need carbs, eggs, and grease- fast. Dimo’s serves a wide range of breakfast appetites, but is known most for providing delicious bagel sandwiches. I highly recommend the classic combination of egg, cheese, and bacon layered between a sesame seed bagel. Best of all Dimo’s if fairly cheap, so feel free to grab a donut on your way out.

University of Michigan Classic: Afternoon Delight Café

This place has been around for decades and will definitely satisfy hunger pains with a giant egg and cheese filled breakfast boule or thick cut cinnamon raison toast. The specials board is always filled and features dishes like potato-pancake-smoked salmon-eggs Benedict. Giant muffins can replace your traditional toast, and if you’re feeling wild feel free to top it off with frozen yogurt. This place is a winner and won’t break the bank.

Of course, these are just a few of the many places you could start your Ann Arbor breakfast tour. Regardless of how hungry, cost conscious, or social you are, there is a brunch spot that is sure to make you happy. 

Source(s): Babin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). CB 7 (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.