American detectives are much more prone to indulge in hearty morning meals. In the midst of masses of detail on Indian religious rituals, customs, and foods, such as lunches of green chili stew, Tony Hillerman's detectives' breakfast shows you what kind of men they are. For example, Joe Leaphorn's breakfast makes him miss his recently dead wife Emma:

He showered, inspected his face, decided he could go another few days without a shave, made himself a breakfast of sausage and fried eggs — violating his diet with the same guilty feelings he always had when Emma was away visiting her family. (A Thief of Time, p. 98)

Jim Chee, Hillerman's other detective, lives a bachelor life. After one restless night:

He rose early, made coffee, and found four Twinkies abandoned in his otherwise empty bread box to round out his breakfast. It was his day off, and time to buy groceries, do the laundry, check three overdue books back into the Farmington library. (Thief, p. 270)

When Chee breakfasts alone in Washington DC, it's a "cheese omelet in the hotel coffee shop" (Talking God, p. 183). Leaphorn also eats a late breakfast in the unfamiliar atmosphere of his hotel coffee shop, but we don't hear what food this alien environment has to offer him. (p. 211)

Check out Mae Sander’s blog: MAEFOOD.BLOGSPOT.COM.