Bagel and schmear, oh bagel and schmear. Were there ever a more perfect weekend breakfast combo than bagel and schmear (and tomato, capers, red onion, and lox)? Waking to the realization that it’s still the weekend and not Monday morning like you thought is cause for celebration in the form of a real breakfast and not a hurried shake or just a cup of coffee like most mornings. The baby plays happily on her play mat, or studiously sits in her play chair where she can see you motoring around the kitchen and occasionally chirps at you to say “hey ma, I see you.” The cat watches the baby from a safe distance and occasionally commandeers one of the baby toys as her own (“I can haz this, human”). Rob gets to sleep in because I actually have other things to occupy me and don’t have to resort to annoying him for fun. But back to bagels and schmear!
There’s nothing more perfect than a crisp toasty but chewy, creamy, salty, sweetly acidic bite in the morning. Plus it’s an excuse to eat capers in the morning. Capers are not actually tiny salty peas. They’re tiny salty briny pops of deliciousness and they belong on bagels, in tuna fish, and anywhere else that can benefit from their magical flavor. Did I mention that they’re magical? There are few woes in my suburban world that can’t be fixed with a perfect breakfast bagel. Now I’ve gone and made myself incredibly hungry. What are your favorite bagel toppings? If you say plain bagel with butter I don’t know if we can remain friends.
Cooking While Caffeinated 