Grandmom’s Potatoes and Eggs

I never knew my Italian grandmother. She died long before I was born. My father was only 14 at the time. But he remembered many of the meals she used to cook. This was one of his favorites.

Being poor Italian immigrants, they used to spend their summers working as pickers on a farm in New Jersey. My father was just a little boy so he thought it was fun. But he was wise enough to realize it was back-breaking labor for his mamma. So he would try to fill his baskets as quickly as possible so he could pick her share, too, and let her rest.

She would try hard to cook meals that would be filling for the family. This was one of my father’s favorites. He used to make this for us as a weekend supper. It would also make a hearty breakfast.

* 8 eggs
* 2 large potatoes
* 1 large onion
* 2 tablespoons of olive oil
* splash of milk
* salt and black pepper
* Italian roll or white bread toast

Peel, slice and wash the potatoes. Chop the onion. Put oil, onion and potato in a large frying pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until potatoes are soft. Drain any excess oil. Most of the oil will be absorbed into the potatoes. Whisk eggs in a mixing bowl with a splash of milk. Add egg mixture to frying pan. Cook until eggs are scrambled. Divide into sections with a spatula. Serve on an Italian hoagie roll or white bread toast.

This is the only picture I have of my grandmother. I want to give her a hug.

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My Favorite Saturday Breakfast

On Saturdays I love to make a traditional American breakfast. During the week I usually just have coffee or a latte which fills me until lunch. But on the weekends I like to sleep late and then cook this simple meatless breakfast.

Slow-Cooked Scrambled Eggs
* 4 large eggs
* a splash of milk
* salt and pepper to taste

Sometimes, I add a dash of a dried herb blend like Penzey’s Sunny Paris or an Italian blend. Put all ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Put a pad of butter into a small saucepan and heat until melted. Pour in the egg mixture and cook slowly over the lowest setting on your stove. Stir once in a while so the eggs don’t stick to the bottom and make sure they are cooked all the way through. Divide this between two people.

Bread
Serve with two slices of toast with a tiny bit of butter. Or substitute an English muffin. If you have a sweet tooth, try orange marmalade.

Coffee
Lately, I’ve been buying Illy in the blue-striped can (medium roast) and the green-striped can (decaf). I mix mostly caf with one scoop of decaf. I don’t take milk in my coffee but I like one packet of Sugar in the Raw turbinado sugar.

Juice
A small glass of orange juice on the side completes the meal.

What do you like for breakfast?

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