IHOP

Every good day starts out with a good breakfast – wouldn’t you agree? I’m not a morning person, but usually a decent breakfast lifts my spirits and provides me with some power for the day. Okay, now that probably sounded like a statement from a cereal advertisement, but it’s true. If I don’t get anything to eat in the morning, you can be sure I’ll be grumpy until I get something.

When I was in America, friends recommended me to visit IHOP, a US based restaurant chain specialized in breakfast foods. IHOP is an abbreviation for “International House Of Pancakes”. In 2012 there were over 1500 IHOPs in 50 states as well as in Canada, Mexico, Guatemala and Puerto Rico.

What really overwhelmed me when I went there for breakfast was the abundance of dishes to choose from. As I already mentioned, I’m not much good at anything before breakfast. So, sitting in front of the menu which contained all different kinds of pancakes, waffles, omelets, French toasts, crepes, burgers, sandwiches and every imaginable combination of those dishes, internally I was just like “I’d be happy with a roll and some jam please…”.  

However, after coping with this sensory overload, I decided on a “Split Decision Breakfast” consisting of two French toast triangles and two pancakes. It was delicious, needless to say that I completely stuffed myself. In the end, the meal turned out to rather be a brunch than a breakfast.

If somebody is curious for the menu of IHOP, here’s the link:

http://www.ihop.com/menus/main-menu

Mouthwatering, isn’t it?

Finally, I briefly have to tell you about my absolute favorite breakfast, which I also got to know overseas: Canadian pancakes with bacon and salted butter or – obviously – with maple syrup. There's no better way to start your day :D

One time a year... Happy Easter!

One of the things I like most about Easter is the traditional Austrian Easter meal. It’s unique and I only get it this time a year, therefore it’s really special to me. Another reason why I am so attached to this custom is that it has stayed the same since I was a kid. For as long as I can remember I’ve joined my grandmother to the “Fleischweihe” (i.e. the blessing of traditional Easter food) in our local catholic church on Holy Saturday (the Saturday before Easter). Even though I’m protestant, this is the one time a year I attend a catholic service.
Back to the food: This year the pastor told us how the food we eat at Easter is actually connected to the spiritual reason behind Easter. Our traditional Easter meal consists of:

- Easter bread (which is sweet and has sugar on it but somehow still tastes like bread and can be combined with meat as well as with sweet stuff like jam). The pastor pointed out that it should remind us of Jesus as “Bread of Life”.

- Easter ham
Interestingly enough I learned that in the past lamb was eaten instead of pork. That is why it also served as a symbol for Jesus, the “Lamb of God”.

- Easter eggs
Probably the most famous food product eaten at Easter. Customarily, the eggs are colored. They stand for the resurrection, because like the chick leaves the darkness of the egg by pecking its way through the shell, Jesus left his tomb.

Apart from these three essential products, there can be added a lot more to make a perfect Easter meal. Some suggestions would be: vegetables like tomatoes, radish or carrots and something spicy like salt, pepper or horseradish. The Easter bread also tastes delicious combined with nothing but plain butter. I think there is a wide range of options for each kind of taste.
Finally, I’d like to show you a picture of my Easter meal 2013: