Eating in Leeds

Perfect big breakfasts

Breakfast is rather overlooked nowadays. It's an important - nay, crucial - meal and yet it so often spirals into a rushed bowl of cereal on your way out the door, or a bit of dry toast eaten on the bus. But balls to rushed bowls. Tosh to dry toast. Bring back the big breakfast, we say - it's time to get a-chomping.

Full English

Bacon, eggs, sausages, hash browns, tomatoes, toast, beans, mushrooms et al - the Full English (and yes, those capitals are warranted) gets everything bar the kitchen sink involved. Lets just say you need to be fully prepped for this stonker of a meal - there'll be no swallowing without chewing in a sleepy-eyed daze - you need to be alert and sprightly.

*Itchy's Tip: Whack the hash browns in the toaster and the scrambled egg mixture in the microwave to save yourself some cooking time, then have a post-brekkie nap to burn off those excess calories.

Eggs Benedict

So simple, so quick, and yet so hard to get right. We're talking golden runny numbers that eek all over your plate/fork/face; not hard, smelly blobs that sit there unwanted and untouched. Hungover souls should use salty bacon instead of ham as a base, and people who need to suck up for doing wrong should use fancy smoked salmon and spinach instead.

*Itchy's Tip: Put a bit of vinegar in the boiling water and swirl it to make a whirlpool before dropping the egg in to help it cook in the proper circular way.

Pancakes/Waffles

You know everyone thinks Americans are fat? Well they are. You want proof? They believe in sweets for breakfast. Still, there's nowt wrong with that - the best bit about sugar filled breakfast snacks is that you can use them to send you into a sugar coma - just add maple syrup, cream, sprinkles, sherbert... the world is your oyster.

*Itchy's Tip: Create the illusion of being healthy and make a fruit compote to drizzle atop your decadent day starter. Just mush some raspberries or some other soft fruit through a sieve and mix with icing sugar for fresh and fruity sweetness.

Omelettes/Frittatas

For fickle types like Itchy, omelettes (and their Spanish counterpart frittatas) signify non-committal bliss. Depending on your mood you can chuck anything and everything into this yolky mess and it'll never be the same. Plus the messier you make it, the better - it all helps mix the flavours up.

*Itchy's Tip: If you can't face a brekkie without a carb fix whack your eggy concoction in a crusty roll and take it as an 'eat on the way to work' morning sandwich.

Burritos

Arriba arriba... make like the Mexicans and kick start your day with something spicy. Yes it's lardy, yes it'll probably send you into a post-eating naptime slump, but by golly will it fill you up. We're talking potato, eggs, peppers and maybe some sausage, all rolled up in a flour tortilla with various dips yum yum yum.

*Itchy's Tip: For added flavour try adding chorizo instead of normal sausage, some chilli for extra kick and maybe a slice of cheese or two (we like grilled halloumi). If you're going to be this indulgent you may as well go the whole hog.

Christine Fleming

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