Breakfast According to Mrs. Beeton

In Mrs. Beeton's Dictionary of Every-day Cookery you will find an entry for Breakfasts. This is what she has to say on the matter:

"It will not be necessary to give here a long bill of fare of cold joints, &c., which may be placed on the sideboard, and do duty at the breakfast table. Suffice it to say, that any cold meat the larder may furnish should be nicely garnished and be placed on the buffet. Collared and potted meats or fish, cold game or poultry, veal-and-ham pies, game-and-rumpsteak pies, are all suitable dishes for the breakfast-table; as also cold ham, tongue, &c. &c.

The following list of hot dishes may perhaps assist our readers in knowing what to provide for the comfortable meal called breakfast. Broiled fish such as mackerel, whiting, herrings, dried haddocks, &c; mutton chops and rump-steaks, broiled sheep's kidneys, kidneys a la maitre d'hotel, sausages, plain rashers of bacon, bacon and poached eggs, ham and poached eggs, omelets, plain boiled eggs, ceufs-au-plat, poached eggs on toast, muffins, toast, marmalade, butter &c. &c.

In the summer, and when they are obtainable, always have a vase of freshly gathered flowers on the breakfast-table and, when convenient, a nicely arranged dish of fruit: when strawberries are in season, these are particularly refreshing; as also grapes, or even currants."