Have Yourself a Merry Little Breakfast

The family dinner is a staple of the holiday season – but what about the most important meal of the day?

Breakfast is also a time for family togetherness around the holidays, and many people around Pickerington use the season as an opportunity to roll out signature recipes. That includes local restaurant owners, whose families are the beneficiaries of their well-honed culinary skills.

Olde Pickerington Village breakfast favorite Village Crêpe celebrated its one-year anniversary in November. Owner Wayne Moore’s goal in opening the restaurant was to “give something special to customers that wasn’t a typical Bob Evans experience,” he says, so he knows a thing or two about exceptional breakfast options.

One of Moore’s favorite breakfast recipes is spicy cranberry preserves. They’re especially delicious when paired with goat cheese, he says, and make a great filling – appropriately enough – for crepes, which he happily serves to family.

Award-winning Greek restaurant Café Mediterranea, which has been in business for more than seven years on Hill Road North, has a menu full of vegetarian options and classic Greek favorites. Owner Dedo Attia is especially proud of the healthy options his restaurant offers.

Attia brings the traditions of Greece home with him during the holidays, and one of the breakfast favorites around his household is hummus and pita. The dish is a trusted standby in the world of Greek food, and Attia can always count on it to be a crowd-pleaser.

Holiday breakfasts are a favorite for local families

Lauren Novelli is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pubgroupltd.com.

Spicy Cranberry Preserves

• 2 lbs cranberries, rinsed and sorted

• ½ cup water

• 2 tbsp. red wine

• 1 cinnamon stick

• ¼ tsp. fennel seed

• 2 whole cloves

• ½ tsp. allspice

• ½ tsp. ginger

• 4 cups sugar

Combine cranberries with water in non-reactive pan. Cover and bring to boil. Grind cloves and fennel with mortar and pestle, and add to cranberry mixture. Add cinnamon stick and remaining spices. Uncover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in sugar half a cup at a time, allowing preserves to return to boil between additions. Continue to cook until preserves reach 214 degrees (about 20 minutes).

Off heat, let jam sit for 5 minutes before stirring. Enjoy.

Greek Hummus

• 16 oz. chickpeas

• 6 oz. tahini sauce

• 3 tsp. garlic

• 3 tsp. salt

Mix all in blender until the mixture is fine and creamy. Serve with pita bread.