An episode of QI the other day taught me —among many other things, of course— that the word 'jentacular' means 'pertaining to breakfast'. I.e. toast or muesli could be described as jentacular, as opposed to Bill Bailey's suggestion that it is the word Jennifer Anniston's friends use to express how fabulous she is looking.
In my opinion, when it comes to choosing the best/most important/most enjoyable meal of the day, breakfast would win hands down, every time, without a doubt. It genuinely boggles me that half of people in the UK skip breakfast at least once a week, with 15% omitting the Great Morning Meal altogether. Personally, most days I am awakened by the sensation and sound of my belly rumbling for its first fill of food, so the thought of saving myself until a mid-morning snack or —heaven-forbid— all the way until lunch leaves me feeling weak and empty, not to mention despondent at missing the joys of the first culinary concoction of the day. Although I would be hard pressed to choose between waffles and American-style pancakes, if pushed to declare my favourite meal as ruler above all I would have to proclaim my love for the hearty (if not always entirely healthy) English Breakfast. With its many variations regarding type of sausage, variety of bread, or style of egg, the joys of this first spread of the day and its myriad of choices present a perfect expansion of the dreary cornflakes/toast/tea mundanities we face each morning. So, be it a bacon butty, a homemade pastry, a smörgåsbord of fresh fruit, or deconstructed Lucky Charms, the possibilities, as you can see below, are endless.
I came across @symmetrybreakfast the other day. Not only does it cater to my unequivocal love of the morning meal, but also to a penchant for clean, uniform layouts and visual cohesion. Run by Michael Zee in London, the account showcases each creatively assembled and meticulously arranged breakfast he prepares for himself and his boyfriend every morning. Most are homemade, while others feature dishes from their neighbourhood eateries in Hackney, or present those from their holiday travels. I totally love the bird's-eye view, and think the aesthetic continuity with varying presentations is a much more interesting format for food photography - particularly on instagram where you can't go three or four 'taps' without coming across a generic picture of a coffee, a cocktail or a salad.
Cinnamon Danish with fruit, kiwi, banana and blueberries with a cappuccino
Homemade mantou bao with twice cooked sweet sesame pork and mango tapioca boba tea
Homemade sausage and egg muffin with hashbrowns, orange juice and a caffè latte
Baked eggs with avocado, smoky paprika, toasted sourdough and a caffè latte
Sweetcorn fritters with roast tomatoes, avocado, toast and a poached egg with a delicious caffè latte, The Laundry E8
Homemade Summer Fruit Tart with a macchiato
(I could go on reposting these photos forever, but it makes more sense for you to go straight to their instagram or tumblr yourself..)
