Breakfast.
What images pass through your mind? A stack of pancakes inundated by a flood of maple syrup with islands of melting butter and a barrier of crispy bacon sitting off to the side? A frittata, steaming and pouring out with the aroma of peppers and onion?
A cup of Starbucks with a croissant that, well, would not be welcome in Paris.
Yes, breakfast is the “most important meal of the day” but who has the time or inspiration to do much about that. And I’m running late anyway, so …
We should all pause and listen to Rick Rodgers. No, I’m not going to be giving up my Starbucks entirely. But I could compromise on a weekday or two. And on weekends? Well, maybe it would be better to rush a little less out of the house and hustle more in the kitchen.
There are two worlds in Breakfast Comforts by Rick Rodgers, the master of comfort food. There are the “standard” things, like pancakes here, although Rick’s “standard” recipes can be considered superior for his recipes, say for Buttermilk Pancakes, have been tested and perfected. It’s the “non-standard” things in this book that will first give you pause and encourage you to stay home and “just make breakfast.” Thing like:
Bacon-and-Cheddar Cornmeal Johnnycakes
Asparagus with Fried Eggs
Classic Chicken Hash
Corned Beef Hash with Caramelized Onions and Chiles
French Toast Sandwiches with Cream Cheese
Roasted Mushroom Sandwiches with Goat Cheese
White Chocolate Scones with Meyer Lemon Curd
There are five chapters in the book, each one filled with a battery of breakfast ideas.
From the Griddle offers, of course, pancakes but in splendid array:
Almond-Crusted French Toast with Berries
Those Johnnycakes from New England
Sugar-and-Spice Pumpkin Waffles
Sweet Cheese-Stuffed Blintzes with Honey Blueberries
In Eggs, Glorious Eggs you’ll find breakfast ideas from America, Mexico, France and Italy:
Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict with Sautéed Spinach
Corn and Chile Strata with Mexican Chorizo
Three Pepper Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Pork Chops
Broccoli Cheddar Quiche
Breakfast is, for some of us, synonymous with a morning sugar rush. Rick understands the depth of addiction and attempts to satisfy those sucrose/fructose demands in Sweet Treats:
Ginger Apricot Muffins
Orange Brioche Rolls
Lemon-Glazed Raspberry Jam Doughnuts
Applesauce and Brown Butter Crumb Cake
If guilt demands that you eat some Savory Delights before hitting the crumb cake, then you have options, good healthy delicious options:
Grilled Cheddar Sandwiches with Bacon and Tomato
Cheese Soufflé with Fresh Chives
Spicy Veggie Hash with Sweet Potatoes, Peppers and Corn
Herb-Infused Parmesan Custard
Breakfast is, if anything, the place to stack the table with dishes On the Side. In fact, two or three of these and some OJ would make a perfect breakfast — alongside that crumb cake, of course:
Maple-Glaze Bacon with Black Peppercorns
Real O’Brien-Style Hash Browns
High-Rise Biscuits with Sausage Gravy
Classic Popovers with Fruit Jam
There is a lot to consider and a lot to eat in this book. I’ve ordered hash, but never considered making it. In his typical style, Rick elevates standard hash by adding in the caramelized onions and chiles. If you have never had your bacon accelerated by putting on brown sugar or, as Rick suggests, maple syrup then your life is about to begin again. You always like the syrup from your pancakes coating the bacon on the side of the plate, right? Well, why not just cook it that way from the beginning and get full flavor?
Some recipes here do take some time, like the Orange Brioche Rolls or the custard or the soufflé. But others, like the popovers, are just so simple you can have them well underway before the coffee has finished brewing.
You may have a lot of time for breakfast. Or just a little. But you have no excuse not to enjoy the pleasure of Breakfast Comforts. The recipes are well written, well tested, and very well enjoyed. Yes, you can be groggy in the morning, but these recipes can be easily followed. Just have a supply of coffee on hand and watch the sun rise.
Start with the maple bacon. Work your way up to the crumb cake.