Peter Gordon on Breakfast New Zealand Style before UK publication of Fusion

New Zealand born Peter Gordon which some call the pope or godfather of Fusion cuisine, starts Morning Glory (FT Week-End, February 20-21) with theses words:

"I’m at Heathrow on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Waiting to board my 24-hour flight to the other side of the world my thoughts turn to food: I’m already planning where I’ll go for breakfast once I arrive in Auckland. Long-haul flying and traveling always have this effect on me."

I guess it can be a way to dull the dread (or should I say boredom) of being on a plane for so long.

Peter Gordon in his piece shares the recipe for one of his own creations Banana and pecan French toast with lardons. He also notes the contrast between New Zealand's morning combination of sweet and spicy, meat and fruit and fish or egg adventures and a traditional British Breakfast.

He also mentions his favorite breakfast spots in Auckland as Dizengoff in the suburb of Ponsonby and Gala in Mount Eden.

In Wellington, Cafe L'affare gets his vote.

Peter Gordon covered the topic of Breakfast (and Brunch) in another article also titled Morning Glory written for Waitrose Food Illustrated in December 2007.

Many more recipes in that Morning Glory 2007.

Not everyone will go for his Mackerel Eggy Bread with Bacon, Watercress, Radishes and Saffron Aioli maybe because Mackerel is not fashionable. I would give this flavor mix a try (picture below from Waitrose Food Illustrated)

He traces his fondness for breakfast and brunch to his childhood and looks at the cons and pros of a rich meal to kick off the day.

"It seems that what most of the great brunch dishes have in common is a lot of butter, eggs and calories. But that’s OK, because, in theory, you have the rest of the day to burn it off and eat healthily. There’s also something really lovely about having friends round for brunch, rather than dinner, because you have the whole day ahead to hang out with them and it’s still daylight when they leave."

Peter Gordon most recent book was originally published as A Culinary Journey in New Zealand (October 2009) and will be released in a slightly revamped UK edition as Fusion, A Culinary Journey by Jacqui Small on March 4, 2010. I am not sure if a US edition is planned.

He describes the essence of the book in the following sentence:

"In this book alongside the recipes I also delve into the history of ingredients from all over the world, their travels and final integration into foreign cuisines around the globe. Food is on the move and it's always been that way - to force it to conform to political boundaries smacks just a little of culinary fascism."

Breakfast in the Antipodes.