Fast Break Breakfast

Today is not just any SSSS. No sir, today is an S-5: Surprise Selection Sunday Sunrise Sustenance.  Yep, it's Selection Sunday which means today is also the kickoff for the 2nd Annual ITWOP Bracket Challenge.  More on that later, first the food.

My plans took a last minute turn yesterday when I learned that figs aren't in season (can't they be imported from South America like every other fruit in the winter?).  But the menu's dramatic turn was also an opportunity to tie it into the Bracket Challenge. Here's what I decided to serve.

Big Ten Tropical Fruit Salad:  For those of you who don't follow collegiate sports, the name "Big Ten Conference" is a fallacy.  There are actually eleven teams in the conference.  And so I made a fruit salad with:

1. mango
2. banana
3. papaya
4. grapes
5. strawberries
6. kiwi
7. mandarin oranges
8. pineapple
9. and a honey
10. + lime juice
11. + ginger dressing

Hardwood Toast with Berry Madness:  Most french toast yield bread that's a little soft on the outside from the egg mixture.  So based on a recommendation from P/P (who's also experimenting in the kitchen a bit) and Himom (last year's Bracket Challenge champion) I went for a corn flake and almond crusted french toast to more closely resemble the gleaming maple boards of Cameron Indoor Stadium.  And fresh squeezed orange juice (used in lieu of the liqueur) gave the berries a different flavor and made them more interesting to eat on the french toast without any syrup.

Magic Mushrooms in a Bird's Nest: There's nothing magic - or otherwise funny - about the wood-ear mushrooms I used in place of chanterelles in this culinary send up to one of the most discussed games in NCAA history, the 1979 championship game featuring two men destined to change the sport.  

Now on to the tourney.  If you took part last year, I hope you come back.  If you didn't play last year, there's no better time to join that now.  You don't need to be a college basketball expert.  On the contrary, based on the top few results from last year it's better if you're not!  

The teams and seeds will be set by 7:00pm EST tonight and the games start on Tuesday afternoon.  To join, simply visit http://y.ahoo.it/AqRQUo9y and log in to your Yahoo! account (required, but free).  It's a public league so invite your friends, neighbors, spouses, kids, and anyone else you want to beat and public mock.  Remember, you can sign up now and then need to make your picks between 7pm tonight and Tuesday morning.

Good luck to all!

P.S. - yeah, I know I was stretching it with the names.