BREAKFAST AT "TI-FUNNY´S"

Sunday morning 9:00 A.M. A village in the middlle of Castilla moodlands. Shops and cafés are closed. The fridge empty.

How can I do to have a breakfast under these adverse conditions?

This is not an Agahta Crhistie´s crime scenario, nor a plot of thriller movie (but it could be). This is the beginning of my strory for breakfast.

I was recently invited by a good friend of mine to spend the weekend at his home town. This village is located in the region of Ribera del Duero, north of Madrid, and very famous for its excellent wines. We were supposed to spend the night in an appartment owned by a relative of my friend. The flat was empty and was used only  for  vacation periods.

I was perfectly aware on how much my friend enjoys oversleeping on weekends. So on Saturday night, before going to bed, I asked to him:

- Where do you think I could have breakfast tomorrow morning? I think I will be up soon before you. I wouldn´t like waking you up.
- What time will you wake up? - asked my friend.
- Well, about 9:00 - I said. Usually on weekends, I don´t stay in bed for longer.
- Ups! That time you´ll find everything closed - he said to me.

As planned, next day I was up at 8:45 AM. I thought that maybe I could find something in the kitchen. I was surprised to find some forgotten products, such as flour, sugar, salt, instant coffee... but few things more. Water, soft drinks and half an open pot of margarine. I found even pots and pans for cooking!!

"Something could be done" - I thought - "but much better if I go outside for a proper breakfast" - which is what every reasonable person must think in this situation.

So it was 9:15 AM and out I went for a morning walk. My hope was to find a café open in the village. A toast and a warm coffee were somewhere waiting for me. But the village was quite, and my friend was right. Everything was closed. A thick fog spread from the river, no pedestrians were to be seen walking on the streets, cafés were closed. Those were the perfect ingredients for a horror movie. Suddenly, I remembered that the day before I had seen the village bakery. Bakeries, I said to me, are always open early in the morning (even on Sundays). That was my only hope so I speeded up. It was 9:45 AM. I froze. The bakery was also closed.

I was desolated on my way back to the appartment. My friend was still in bed. I could´nt  resign to have my comforting Sunday breakfast. There were not many things in the kitchen cupboards. But as we say here: "Hunger racks one´s brains". And I was very hungry.

And it was at that very moment when I had the idea of cooking "Funny Sticks" or, as I called them, "Stick Funny´s". Which finnaly turned into "Ti-Funny´s".

Eventually, I had an acceptable breakfast, I had my "Breakfast at Ti-funny´s" (as Audrey Hepburn did hers in front of Tifanny´s windows, with her croissant on one hand and the coffee on the other).

I have to admit that eating my "Ti-Funny´s" cannot be an out-of-this-world experience. But on a desperate situation (as I was) it can get you out of a tight spot.

Ti-funny´s and instant coffee (black coffee)

This is the recipe:

- Flour (1 glass)

- Water

- Margarine

- Salt

- Sugar (1 spoon)

- Olive oil (for frying)

1. You prepare a soft dough mixing the flour, water, margarine, sugar and salt. To be honest, I don´t remember the accurate amounts. But the dough shouldn´t be very tough.
2. Leave the dough stand for 1/2 hour.

3. Shape the sticks with your  hands.

4. Fry them.

5. Drain the excess of oil and sprinkle with sugar.

6. Better eat with some coffee or hot milk to dip them in.

(These "sticks" will be delicious with marmelade spread).