Waking up in the morning should not be a dull affair.  Anything with a copious amount of Mexican chorizo can never be dull.  See where I’m going here? why not start your day with a zesty punch of flavors that will keep you going all day long. (Or at least until lunch time.)

This dish was directly inspired by my friend Ben at What’s Cooking and his recipe for Huevos a la Mexicana. One look at that glorious image and I wanted something similar as soon as I could get it cooked.

My version relied on what I had hanging out in the house.  I’d bought some Mexican chorizo and Anaheim peppers a few days before. I had some salsa and I always have cilantro, tomatoes and seasoning blend vegetable mix in my freezer, so I was on my way to a dish that I’ll most definitely make again.

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I think I was 19 the first time I tried this dish. I think I had it at don Taylor’s Omelette Express in Santa Rosa California, but if so, it’s no longer on their menu. No matter where it was that I tried this dish the first time, I was an instant convert.

Omelets are one of my culinary weaknesses.  For me they are on the same order of obsessive magnitude that some people hold chocolate.  The very nature and versatility of the omelet is mind boggling. Whether it be the classic folded French version or the currently more popular Italian frittata, there seems to be no limit on the flavor combinations possible and I think I may have tried them all.

Even after years of experimenting, I always come back to this simple dish. It satisfies a craving for me. Even though it’s been years since I last made this it instantly took me back to a time in my life where the world was exciting, my culinary horizons were expanding and the road forward didn’t seem like it was going to be paved with as much blood, sweat and tears as it has been. Food can do that.

This one is comfort food folks.  Make it with love and share it with someone you care about.  It will make memories.

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Weekend breakfasts are one of the things that my family looks forward to.  Weekdays are a grab-and-go affair with the school bus showing up before 7:00AM and three kids to get out the door, so taking the time to sit and enjoy something together in the morning is something special.

Of course that doesn’t mean I want to spend hours making that breakfast. Weekends have a way of being more work than weekdays.  There’s always something going on, whether it’s for fun or just cramming everything out hat couldn’t be done during the week.

This recipe is one of my favorites for a quick yet satisfying weekend breakfast.  It’s been a favorite of mine in restaurants for years but it’s so simple to make that I rarely see a need to spend that kind of money on it.

I will say in advance that my Mexican friends and readers will probably take offense at my use of chunky salsa over a standard warm salsa rojo. In my defense, I grew up in Northern California where the standard salsa is a Pico de Gallo, a chunky salsa, so it fits for where I am in the world, and it’s available anywhere.  The more traditional version is wonderful as well.

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Just about every family has their own recipe for French toast, but aside from a few who might make the mixture the same way each and every time, there really is no need for a recipe. (Did I just hear Escoffier rolling in his grave?  Perhaps, but it’s a true statement.) The basic foundation is nothing more than bread, eggs and milk.  From there any flavor combinations that suit your fancy are fair game, from vanilla, to sugar to liqueurs, it’s all up to your tastes and creativity.

I prefer to make my french toast simply. I’m not a fan of heavy flavors, especially first thing in the morning.  So when I decided to make this dish for my sons, my only real question was what to top the French toast with, not what I should put into the custard mix.

I haven’t purchased any syrup since we moved, so that was out of the question.  Just dropping on a pat of butter would have suited my tastes just fine, but kids like syrup.  A quick scout of the freezer turned up a bag of frozen blueberries that had been slated for muffins, but with my wife leaving in a few days, I decided it was safe to use them, and my new go-to recipe for berry syrup was born.

A loaf of Texas style white bread, a bit of time with some sugar and water and viola! A breakfast that my kids raved about for three hours.  If that’s not a success, I don’t know what is.

Does your family have a specific French toast method? Is there a certain set of spices used?  Are you a fan of crunchy coatings or of the slightly softer traditional versions?  What do you pour over your French Toast?  Let us know will you?

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Frittata…  It sounds so alien, so elegant, so scary and difficult!  But if you think of it as what it really is, you’ll quickly learn to embrace the wonder that is a frittata.  you’ll find yourself eating them far too often.  You may make your family sick of them in a hurry, but you’ll never look back.

While the word Frittata may conjure some air of elegance and difficulty, it’s really just an Italian version of the omelet.  The basic ingredients are eggs, milk and perhaps a little cheese, and while I’ve seen some versions that looked very difficult to produce, for the most part the frittata is far easier to construct than a french omelet will ever be.  If possible, they taste better, too.

The only tool you really need for a perfect frittata is an oven-safe pan or dish that you can get screaming hot with nothing in it but a bit of oil.  The real secret is to start with a hot pan and a hot oven.  The rest of the work is done by the liquid and the eggs.  Basically all you as the cook have to do is stir a few ingredients and then peek at the oven every once-in-a-while.  In about 20 minutes, you’re done. (Note: larger frittata’s have longer cooking times.  That’s where the jiggle-test comes in as described in the recipe.)

The frittata is the perfect vehicle for any leftovers you might have on hand.  it gladly accepts meat, pasta, cheese, sausage, cooked greens of any type, vegetables or just about anything else you feel like tossing at it. One of my personal favorites is simply made with broccoli and some shredded cheddar and occasionally some leftover ham.  The fact that they are good and good for you is a bonus, especially considering the versatility of the dish.

Make them for dinner, make them for brunch, eat them for breakfast, my goodness they’re fun. I would eat them in a train. I would eat them in a plane. I think I’ll make up one in green. Or do you think that would cause a scene? *ahem!* OK, enough with that.

Enjoy the recipe, folks.

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This post is really the tale of a pizza and a calzone who came from very humble roots but grew to be loved by all who knew them.  It’s a tale of hope, triumph and gluttony, a must read, for sure. The Pizza was of Asian descent, while the Calzone was a Southern Belle, but both shared a common bond, a bond that kept their lives on a similar course and eventually led them to the same inescapable fate…

I ate ‘em, and they were good!

Both of these dishes were made for the Daring Bakers Challenge. This month’s event was hosted be the incredible Rosa, of Rosa’s Yummy Yums, whom I really need to thank, because I’d never even considered making my own pizza dough before now and having done it, I’m afraid I’m a bit of an addict.  This is really good dough! (Dough recipe is at the end of this post.)

The first night I made pizza, but being the guy I am, I wasn’t gonna settle for just any ol’ sausage and pepperoni rig.  I had a couple packages of Korean style ribs in the freezer that were calling my name, and they got the loving for the evening.

I wish I could tell you exacly how I made the topping for that particular pizza.  Unfortunately I really was cooking by the seat of my pants, so I can just give a hint at the ingredients.  The beef was braised in a combination of chicken stock, water, soy, hoisin, sweet chili sauce, plum sauce, onion, garlic, honey, seasoned rice vinegar, lime juice and cilantro fro about six hours.  The “Pizza Sauce” was a mix of hoisin, soy sauce and black bean garlic paste. To. Die. For!

As for the calzone, well, I’ve got the whole scoop on that one.  read on after the jump for a step by step guide to making your own breakfast calzone, Southern Style!

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We continue on today with our Halloween series and yes, I’ve come up with another use for cookie cutters. This is a variation on a “toad in the hole” (Also called a Camel’s Eye, Egyptian Eye, Bird in a Nest and a slew of other things. Not to be confused with the British “Toad in a Hole”, which is a batter cooked sausage and equally yummy.   Know of another name for this dish, a comment.) I’m calling “Ghosts in a hole”.  This dish is basically an egg cooked inside a slice of toast.  In this case it’s cooked in the cutout shape of a wee little ghostie who has wandered onto your breakfast or brunch table.

My thought on this was that it would be fun for the kids.  How neat would it be to have a Halloween themed breakfast, especially on the morning of the big event?  For parents, this is one of the simplest things in the world to make, so you won’t have to be rushing to do something complicated on the same day you’re still trying to keep the young ones on track (or distracted, if Halloween doesn’t fall on a school day for you.)

Either way, it’s a fun little way to start the day.  I hope you enjoy.

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, simple flavors are usually the most profound.  The art of great food is not necessarily about the number of ingredients, the amount of spices and flavorings, or even the technical knowledge of the person preparing the meal.  It’s about a perfect balance of flavors, textures and aromas.  This is true of the perfect serving of escargot as much as it is in the perfect plate of simple southern greens.  They are both beautiful experiences in their own right, and neither one is complicated.

The same holds true of this simple little dish.  It could be used as a tappas, an appetizer, a snack or even a great little brunch dish.  The ingredients are simple, straightforward and complimentary in ways that would not be possible had any other ingredient been added. In this case minimal is better, and if you try it, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Not only are these tiny tidbits a wonderful taste sensation, they are healthy.  Packed with Omega-3 fatty acids and lean proteins that we are all supposed to get more of. The cream cheese is low fat and so provides calcium without too much guilt. Of all the ingredients, only the bagels may cause worry for some, but they souldn’t.  The tiny addition in carb count is more than worth it. Top it all off with the fact that this dish weighs in at only 4 Weight Watcher’s points, and you’re golden.

Even my wife approved, and she’s not a salmon fan!

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Coming up with ideas for a simple yet hearty meal during the holidays can be a bit difficult, so why not try this approach?

I’d made some farfalle with broccoli, cauliflower and a sour cream sauce a few nights before, and was looking it over for lunch, but I wasn’t feeling any love for the dish as a leftover. since we’ve been doing holiday meals over the past week or so, I also wasn’t in the mood to find yet another way to recycle more turkey or ham. the simple solution…

Make a frittata!

Any pasta will work for this application, though I personally tend to stick to those with a white sauce. Amounts will vary depending on the amount you’ve got on hand, but this is a good general guideline.

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AB has never done me wrong. Oh, I’ve done his recipes wrong in the past, but on closer inspection it always turned out to be something that I did, vs. anything that was incorrect in the procedures or methods he handed out. He did us right again this time, and I thank him for it greatly.

My wife whipped these up for breakfast the other morning. All-in-all, it took roughly twice as long as it would have to use a mix, and the result was so much better that I’ll never consider the mix version again. To be honest, I don’t have a lot to say about these, or the process. Just that they were a hit with the entire family, from myself, to Mr. Seat of his Diapers, everyone loved them.

Even Buster our Boston Terrier managed to sneak a few bites. (Though I think Lil’ man might have helped!)

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