Happy September!

Well, Happy September 1st, friends!  September is a month full of beginnings.  It is the beginning of the school year, the beginning of autumn, and the beginning of the football season!  But one thing I bet you didn't know about September is that it is deemed "All American Breakfast Month." Yes, that's right, Americans do many things well, but we excel at breakfast!  Incidentally, Sept 15th marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage month, and if there is one thing I love, it's Mexican breakfast!  Mexican-Americans take breakfast to a whole new level!

My favorite thing to eat is chorizo con huevos (Mexican sausage cooked together with eggs) and papas fritas (fried potatoes).  You can't forget the frijoles (beans), tortillas and slices of aguacate (avocado) to complete the meal.  I prefer to make my own chorizo at home, using ground pork and spices, because it is less fatty than the store-bought chorizo.  I'm not picky about my flour tortillas--good ole' Mission are just fine--but my corn tortillas must be El Milagro brand.  There is none other as good as El Milagro.  The first time I ever had them, it was love at first taste, and there is no going back!  Unfortunately, they are not readily available at Kroger or Trader Joe's.  You have to go to a Mexican grocery store in order to find them.  But they are usually really inexpensive--a buck and some change for 3 dozen--thus making the additional effort worth it.

Another really popular Mexican American breakfast dish is Beef Barbacoa tacos.  This beef is stewed for hours until it falls apart.  It is really delicious and makes for an excellent breakfast taco.  You can usually find some fresh on Saturday or Sunday mornings at your local Mexican grocery store.  Traditionally they are served with lime and cilantro, but you can top them with chile (salsa), or whatever else you fancy.


If time is of essense, a really simple Mexican breakfast is migas, which is fried strips of corn tortillas cooked in scrambled eggs.  My husband and I use a shortcut version of migas.  We crumble and fry a handful of corn tortilla chips in olive oil and then add a beaten egg mixture.  You can add anything you like--sometimes we add spinach in order to convince ourselves that we are healthy eaters.  It cooks really fast and is great served with salsa (or even ketchup).

Whatever you choose to eat for breakfast--pancakes, barbacoa, an omelette or chorizo--remember that "American breakfast" is both a point of view and an opportunity for gastronomic creativity.  ¡Buen provecho!