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Tuesday, August 1, 2006
Now that I’m married, one of the things I most enjoy doing is waking up before my wife (which, since she likes sleeping in, is relatively easy) and fixing breakfast for her. There are a couple great things about doing this. First, she’s always appreciative of this relatively simple gesture. Secondly, because we’ve gotten to know each other pretty intimately over the past 7 years that we’ve been together, I have a really good idea of the kind of foods that she’ll appreciate me preparing. Which makes making breakfast easy. What I mean by that is that there’s very little risk involved. I don’t have to worry about making something she won’t eat or won’t like. That’s one of the wonderful things about being married. You build up such a wealth of information about someone you love that you know instinctively what they’ll think of something. Cooking for someone you don’t know, however, can be unnerving. There’s no way of knowing if what you’re making will appeal to them. In a worst-case scenario, you might even serve them something he or she’s allergic to. Cooking breakfast for a new special someone the morning after a “big night” (how you interpret “big night” I’m going to leave to you, but the very fact that you’re making breakfast should tell you something) is possibly the most challenging home-cooked meal you could ever be faced with making. Do you make scrambled eggs? Does s/he like them runny or set? How about just toasting a few pieces of bread? Cold pizza could make you look like an unsophisticated clod. A fantastically elaborate and perfect fritatta could give your new lovemuffin the wrong idea about your inclinations. Throwing a few frozen croissants into the oven is easy and safe but is it too easy and safe? Or do you forget making anything at all and suggest going out for breakfast?
I suggest making something simple but delicious. It should be something you can easily whip up from scratch in under an hour. It should also be something impressive, something that looks fantastic and tastes even better. It should be brimming with classic flavours, full of familiar tastes that everyone loves. One of the best sources for such recipes is Sydney Food, Bill Granger’s first cookbook. It’s no secret that bills in Sydney serves some of the very best breakfast dishes on the planet. Of these, my three favourites are the scrambled eggs, ricotta honey hotcakes and the corn fritters. And of these, I’d recommend making the corn fritters, served with roasted tomatoes and bacon, the morning after. My own personal favourite is the scrambled eggs. But the amount of butter and cream in this dish might scare off health-conscious companions. The hotcakes are tasty but heavy. The corn fritters, on the other hand, are deliciously fresh. They’re sweet and savory at the same time. And they’re relatively healthy, what with the amount of vegetables and herbs in the dish. They’re also easy to make. Just roast the tomatoes while you prepare the corn mixture and the batter. There are no real elaborate steps in this recipe. Just stirring and then frying. You can pretty much get the fritters done by the time the tomatoes are done. While S enjoyed an extra hour of shut-eye yesterday morning, I whipped up a batch of these fritters. It was really nice to be able to start the week by trying to make her happy. Sweetcorn Fritters with Roast Tomato and Bacon 1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour Serves 4 Pre-heat your oven to 180ºC. Slice tomatoes in half. Place tomatoes (cut-side up) on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and paprika into a large bowl, stir in sugar and make a well in the centre. In a separate bowl, combine eggs and milk. Gradually add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until you have a smooth, lump-free batter. Place corn, capsicum, spring onions and herbs in a mixing bowl and add just enough batter to lightly bind then. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Drop in 2 tablespoons of batter per fritter and cook 4 fritters at a time. Cook for 2 minutes or until the underside is golden-brown. Flip and cook on the other side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm and cook the remaining fritters. To serve, place one fritter on each plate. Top each with 2 halves of roast tomato, a small handful of rocket and a rasher of bacon. Finish with a second fritter and drizzle a little olive oil around the base of the stack.        Posted by Chubby Hubby 
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as everyone else is saying… eggs are definitely tricky, i can’t even quite say how i like them best.
that’s the fun part of being the girl, seeing what the guy will whip up and if he can even whip up anything at all! corn fritters would definitely seal the deal again.
Posted by: Vanessa | 1 August 2006 @ 7:07 pm
hhmmm…..i need to pass ur blog link to my husband (in 2 weeks).
Posted by: yvy | 1 August 2006 @ 9:53 pm
aaahh, that’s so delicious and sweet! I want later my own chubby hubby who makes fritters for me..!
Love you site, you write so amusing and passionate. Very cool pics! You’re a great example - have just started my own blog… hope you’ll check it!
Posted by: Julia | 1 August 2006 @ 10:07 pm
Hey CH, how about starting a “Teach Hubbies Everywhere How-to-cook (and know what to cook)” class? You could do a podcast
!
I’ve said you were a lucky man for quite a while now, but I guess S. is not doing too badly either!
Posted by: Vivilicious | 1 August 2006 @ 11:16 pm
Yes, I love Bill’s cookbooks! Classy but simple. I attempted the corn fritters myself, tasted great except my food processor went nuts and pureed the corn mixture so the texture wasn’t great. Should try again…
brenda
Posted by: Anonymous | 1 August 2006 @ 11:43 pm
Your wife is one lucky lady! These fritters seem easy to make yet delicious, definitely something I will have to try instead of cold cereal this weekend.
Posted by: risingsunofnihon | 2 August 2006 @ 2:16 am
Hiya dearest Chubby Hubby!!
The picture is to die for…simply beautiful, along with all your other pictures as well! Thank you so much for sharing, I will definitely make this for brunch this coming weekend! I can’t wait!
Posted by: Kimmmie | 2 August 2006 @ 8:42 am
i once tried these corn fritters from a recipe from bill granger’s sydney food book. My hubby loved it. I made an indian-inspired chutney with mustart seeds and curry leaves and it went brilliantly well together.
Posted by: shaz | 2 August 2006 @ 9:38 am
your blog makes me want to cook, though i can’t really. now it makes me realise a possibly better alternative, finding a guy who can cook.
not to let him cook for me but to learn from him.
Posted by: amaranthine | 2 August 2006 @ 10:42 am
Wow…lucky girl you have there! Love the food and pics…your passion shows through!
Posted by: Deb | 2 August 2006 @ 11:42 am
Nice easy recipes these days!
I think you’re going to motivate and start a new revolution of men who cook (well).
Posted by: Frederico | 2 August 2006 @ 11:50 am
Frederic: I’ll have to take your word for it. Thanks for sharing
Nicholas: Definitely. Of course, I also occasionally stick her with the washing up. Heh heh.
Monkey Gland: Well, if you can find someone to shake her tail AND make brekkie for you, you better hold onto her mate!
l: A trip to Sydney is simply not complete without a brekkie at bills. Although, I’ve yet to share a table with Nicole Kidman…
Ana: Thanks.
Janice: Thanks for the kind words. Cool blog.
Cherie: Well, I learnt over time that if I want a happy wife I better let her stay in bed in the mornings.
Zzzrbyte: What, no photo of her dancing around? Rats. Good job though with the fritters. Glad they worked for you.
Bea: Thanks. Yah, I find everyone has their own way of eating eggs. And then there are the wierdos who don’t like them at all.
Vanessa: Not sure if my breakfasts sealed the deal with S, but I do think it helped. It couldn’t have been by buddha-esque belly.
Yvy: I just hope I won’t be getting hate mail from husbands soon.
Julia: Thanks. I’ll jump over to take a look at your site soon. Welcome to the wacky world of blogging.
Viv: Podcast huh? Only if I get to wear a cool mask and tights like Nacho Libre. ;p
Brenda: Food processor? Oh dear. These shouldn’t actually be processed. Takes away the lovely crunchy texture.
Risingsunofnihon: You should definitely try them. Good luck.
Kimmie: Most welcome. I hope you find them as delicious as I do.
Shaz: Ooh, I love the idea of mixing Indian spices and condiments with this. I was also thinking of adding fresh crabmeat to it.
Amaranthine: Time to start cruising cooking schools. Hmmmm… maybe we can convince Shermay to do a Singles Night at her cooking school. That would be fun to organize.
Deb: Thanks.
Fred: Thanks. Technically, most of the most famous restaurant chefs in the world are men. So, why should we be lazy at home? Especially when are partners deserve some gastronomic pampering from time to time. Right?
Posted by: Chubby Hubby | 2 August 2006 @ 1:08 pm
In my next life, I’m gonna marry a cook. At least I get the sleep in. *sigh…
Posted by: Hijackqueen | 2 August 2006 @ 2:42 pm
It’s peak of corn season here in the North Bay!
I’m inspired to make these for my darling hubby. We celebrate 18 years of wedded bliss in a few weeks. He let’s me sleep in, but only does coffee and toast.
Great post!
Tootles,
Anni
Posted by: anni | 2 August 2006 @ 8:40 pm
you’re possibly the sweetest thing alive. your wife is lucky to have you and vice versa! all the best and here’s wishing you guys to a lifetime of bliss and happiness (:
Posted by: Anonymous | 3 August 2006 @ 1:35 am
Not only is your cooking inspiring, but the way you write about your wife (in this and other posts) is truly heartwarming.
Posted by: Tokyoastrogirl | 3 August 2006 @ 2:27 am
singles night to learn cooking is definitely an idea worth exploring…
if it’s really on, keep me in the loop. thanks!
Posted by: amaranthine | 3 August 2006 @ 10:08 am
hi! new fan of your blog… your photos are delicious!
I think that if your husband (or anyone) is making you breakfast, especially corn fritters!!, then it will be much appreciated..
the most i do is waffles/pancakes, eggs, sausage, but your pictures make it tempting to try.
Posted by: joanh | 3 August 2006 @ 10:54 am
Those corn fritters looks babelicious! I can’t agree more that it is the sweetest thing for a guy to do so for his loved one. Those are super brownie points.
Hey, do keep me in the loop if you do manage to organise a Singles cooking.
Posted by: Cin | 3 August 2006 @ 11:00 am
Lucky wife you have there, I’m going to show my BF your blog today!
Great recipes and reviews always!
Posted by: miss.e | 3 August 2006 @ 2:03 pm
Lol, lucky wife you have there… Is there any simple breakfast stuff that doesnt require baking? My man only know how to use microwave ( he microwaves everything, skill from Uni) which I don’t own at home but still loves to hv him cook from stove lol….
Posted by: Panffy | 6 August 2006 @ 8:25 pm
so where do you manage to get “fresh corn” on a sunday morning at 8AM? Or did I read this wrong. I cooked up some corn two days ago, and there are still two cobs in the fridge, I’ll have to give your recipe a try with “leftover” fresh corn.
Posted by: chezlamere | 7 August 2006 @ 4:41 am
Chezlamere: Hi, I tend to pick up a couple of ears of sweetcorn whenever I spy them at the local Japanese supermarket I go to. They’ll keep for a few days in the vegetable crisper in the fridge. If you don’t make the fritters with them, you could always make a creamless creamed corn, another one of my fave corn recipes.
Posted by: Chubby Hubby | 7 August 2006 @ 9:19 am
The mask and tights can be arranged!
Posted by: Vivilicious | 7 August 2006 @ 7:28 pm
It’s so sweet of you to make your wife breakfast. When I get married I hope my husband does the same..hahaha.
I never thought making someone breakfast would be that complicated, probably because I never planned on making breakfast for anyone. I’ll definitely try making your corn fritters and serve them to my family!
Posted by: Jup | 19 August 2006 @ 4:02 pm
For a canadian-style breakfast, you could serve these with some maple syrup (the real stuff) on the side. These also make a great light lunch or dinner served with some thai sweet chilli sauce and a crisp salad.
Posted by: Mrs H | 4 November 2007 @ 2:47 pm
hi! i just made these for dinner- my hubby went fishing and i decided to pamper myself! they were absolutely delicious! thanks for the great recipe and beautiful pics!
Posted by: charlotte s | 29 June 2008 @ 5:19 am
That looks absolutely delicious - yum to the whole lot *wipes slobber off mouse*
Posted by: Jo (Laquet) | 6 January 2009 @ 1:13 pm