"All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast." - Gunther
The above quote is one which I painted on the only piece of pottery I ever made - a coffee mug. It is a sentiment I have always believed to be true. Apparently the French would agree.
In the first chapter of his book Joie de Vivre, Robert Arbor discusses how the French begin their day. His attitude is, since you are going to eat breakfast every day, you might as well make it nice - a time to savor. Any kind of pressure at breakfast starts the day off on the wrong foot, but a simple and pleasant breakfast "lifts you right into the day's activities with a gentle boost that's like a pat on the back as you go out the door."
A typical French breakfast is nothing more than yesterday's leftover baguette, split and toasted (called a tartine), and some good coffee - something everyone has time for, right? (On Sundays, one family member might get up early and walk to the bakery for fresh brioches or croissants.) However, it's the little things you do, and how you do them, that make breakfast key to beginning the day with a bit of joie de vivre - such as eating on the stone porch in summer, or using butter from the local dairyman, jam made from last month's strawberries, or honey purchased at the farmers' market from a local bee-keeper. It's not only about what you put in your mouth, but also about the fragrance of toasting bread and brewing coffee, as it wafts through the house and gently rouses a family from their slumber. It's about using cloth napkins, rather than paper, "soft from years of use and bleached from being hung outside after laundering." Mostly, it is about families beginning their day together - without TV or cell phones or any of those other distractions we Americans are so very fond of.
Following is a list of Arbor's top ten tartine ideas:
- Butter and jam
- Butter and honey
- Butter and cocoa powder sprinkled with sugar and toasted
- Nutella and sliced banana
- Olive oil, mozzarella, and prosciutto
- Ham and Swiss cheese
- Olive tapenade and goat cheese
- Mayonnaise and leftover roast chicken
- Truffle butter and foie gras
- Sour cream and caviar (lemon juice optional)
Don't forget to leave a comment between now and Sunday night, if you'd like a chance to win this lovely book.
P.S. Many thanks to juliaklimova.com for the first image, recipezaar.com for the second, and beauwild.com for the last.
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3 comments:
Synchronicity! I started my day with sliced-on-the-diagonal-one-day-old bolillo, toasted and spread with softened butter and drizzled with honey. A fond food memory is breakfasting with my folks when dad toasts up some thick-sliced sourdough and serves with sliced homegrown tomatoes and chunks of creamy havarti or baby swiss. Mmmmmmm.
Better add that to our list!
(Before I realized I was gluten-intolerant), I loved petit dejeuner when living (all too briefly) in Paris. A baguette with butter and jam, and cafe au lait... ohh, yum!
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