One huge perk of working at an internet company is the access to unlimited cereal via our cereal bar. But, when you’ve eaten cereal everyday for the past year, all you yearn for in the morning is a substantial REAL breakfast. Enter, from stage right: smoked salmon. I saw this image on JessicaLettuceTomato, and knew it was a winner. Smoked salmon, creme fraiche, scrambled eggs and toast. Simple, delicious and fast.

Don’t forget a really sharp knife when slicing smoked salmon–you want the paper-thin slices to melt in your mouth! It’s also safer!

Chroma Salmon/Ham Slicer type 301 by FA Porsche

WMF Spitzenklasse Salmon Slicer, 17-inch

Arcos Color Prof 12-in Salmon Knife with Granton Edge

Cannelle et Vanille is one of my favorite blogs out there. It’s written by Aran and wonderfully styled, photographed and curated. She has a true artist’s sensibility and I never walk away from her blog without feeling totally amazed and absolutely incapable!

This is an image from her post “Pear, Hazelnut and Brown Butter Cakes”.

Here is her recipe with suggestions by me!

“Pear, Hazelnut and Brown Butter Cakes
makes a dozen mini bundtcakes
1 cup (125 grams) superfine brown rice flour
1/2 cup (50 grams) hazelnut flour
2 Tbs (20 grams) tapioca starch
1/8 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
10 Tbs (140 grams) unsalted butter, browned
1/3 cup (85 grams) brown sugar
1/3 cup (100 grams) maple syrup
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
2 eggs
2 pears, grated
1 cup (200 grams) superfine sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Place the butter in a small saucepan (Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Saucepan) and cook it until the milk solids start to turn brown on the bottom of the pan and smells nutty. Strain it and let it cool slightly.

In a large bowl (Sur La Table White Stoneware Batter Bowl), whisk together the first seven ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, maple syrup, eggs and vanilla bean. Add the cooled brown butter and whisk. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients and whisk until incorporated. Fold in the grated pears.

Divide the batter in the mini bundt pan mold (Wilton Excelle Elite 6-Cup Mini Bundt Pan). Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes.

Let them cool for a couple of minutes in the pan. Remove the cakes from the pan and toss them in the cinnamon sugar.

Just the name of this dense cake makes my mouth water. Innovative blogger Bless Her Heart posted this recipe after she experienced a dip in the temperature. The same has happened here in Los Angeles, and with the turn of the weather,  all I think about are pumpkins!

Bless Her Heart’s recipe here:

Pumpkin Cake w/Oatmeal Streusel and Maple Whipped Cream

Ingredients for the Streusel:

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 stick of butter, cut into small cubes and chilled

Ingredients for the cake:

2 1/2 cups of all purpose baking flour (unbleached)
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 can of pumpkin, or 15 oz. fresh pumpkin puree
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
1/2 stick of butter, melted
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix up the streusel first:

Mauviel Copper Mixing Bowl – Medium

Combine the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger and salt in a medium bowl.  Using your fingers, quickly pinch the butter cubes into the oat mixture until it’s crumbly.  Store in the fridge, until you’re ready to use it.

Prepare a bundt pan by rubbing it with melted butter and dusting with all purpose flour.

Kaiser Bakeware & Alfi Carafes BUNDFORM, CLASSIC 9 1/2″

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together all of the dry ingredients for the cake.

In a medium bowl, mix the pumpkin, eggs, melted butter, oil and vanilla.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed.  Pour 1/3 of the batter into the prepared bundt pan.  Sprinkle some of the streusel mix onto the batter.  Repeat the layers until all of the batter and streusel are used.  Bake for about an hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean [try the Ateco Cake Tester, instead!].

Ateco Cake Tester

Place the cake pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes and then turn the cake out onto the cooling rack to finish cooling. Serve warm or cool, with or without Maple Whipped Cream

Maple Whipped Cream:

In a chilled bowl, mix (on medium-high) a half pint of whipping cream until it starts to stiffen, then add 1/4 cup of real maple syrup and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract.  Continue to mix until your whipped cream is stiff enough to hold it’s dollop…but before it turns to butter.

Make your appliances work for you–make cookies in your waffle maker! Don’t want to turn on the oven? Feeling like you need cookies, right-this-instant-or-you’ll-explode? We’ve all been there. Paula Patton’s photo of Waffled Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies stopped me cold. The blog Dishing Out the Good Stuff really knows how to dish it out!

Waffled Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies  (makes 24+ cookies)
(from The Wafflizer)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soada
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup quick-cook oats
3/4 cup semi-sweet mini-chocolate chips (regular size are too big to work well)

Method:
1. Preheat waffle iron.
2. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until smooth.  Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing well.
3. Stir in all remaining ingredients, mixing well.
4. Spray the waffle iron grids with nonstick spray or brush with oil.
5. Using a small scoop place a small amount of dough onto each waffle section (some waffle makers have only one section, some have two and others have four.)
6. Close the waffle iron and cook until the dough is set and just beginning to brown. (Mine took 1 minute and 10 seconds — some may take 2-3 minutes)
7. Remove carefully from the grids. Cookies will be soft. (I used wooden bagel tongs and a flexible spatula.) Transfer to wire racks.
8. If desired, drizzle with ganache or light mix of chocolate frosting.

Applica / Grill and Waffle Maker / G48TD

Waring Pro Professional Stainless Steel Belgian Waffle Maker

Cuisinart 6-Slice Waffle Maker

A $20 cast iron skillet will last a lifetime. I like those numbers!

Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

Perfection: home fries and over easy eggs cooked in a cast iron skillet. The Parsley Thief makes a ho-hum breakfast into something really beautiful with her simple recipe and drool-worthy pictures. The Parsley Thief’s cooking instructions below:

“Begin by peeling 1 1/2 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes. Cut them into 1/2″ pieces & add them to a pot. Fill the pot with water & bring it to a boil. Simmer them for just 3 minutes. You just want them parboiled & not cooked all the way through.”

“Drain them & heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of canola oil to the skillet, add in the potatoes & arrange them in a single layer. Let them sizzle away, undisturbed for 5 minutes, or until they begin to brown. Give them a toss, arrange them back into a single layer & cook for another 5 minutes.
Once they begin to get golden, crack 2 eggs {gently} over the top. If you want the yolk to stay perfectly in tact, you can crack them into a small bowl first.”

I am one of those people that cannot face my day without a hearty breakfast and when waffles are on the menu, I am one of those people that cannot exercise any self restraint. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with a pat of salty butter with sticky sweet maple syrup…it’s waffle heaven. Of course the beginning of any good waffle recipe is the batter, waffle maker , and waffle stand cooling rack . This recipe from Better Home and Garden via Apartment Therapy is an interesting one—these waffles are called “overnight yeasted waffles” and are less sweet and less dense than traditional waffles.

ingredients

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 package active dry yeast

1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-3/4 cups milk

2 eggs

1/3 cup cooking oil or butter, melted

directions

1. In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, yeast, vanilla (if desired), and salt; add milk, eggs, and oil. Beat with an electric mixer until thoroughly combined. Cover batter loosely and chill overnight or up to 24 hours.

2. Stir batter. Pour about 3/4 cup batter onto grids of a preheated, lightly greased waffle maker (I like the Cuisinart Nonstick Waffle Iron). Close lid quickly; do not open until done. Bake according to manufacturer’s directions. When done, use a fork to lift waffle off grid. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm. Discard any remaining batter. Makes about 16 (4-inch) waffles.

If you’re an American and were born in the last thirty or so years, you’ve probably never heard of egg cups and egg spoons .  This clever serving set has been around for hundreds of years, and although virtually obselete in the US, is still popular in Europe.

The Egg Spoon & Egg Cup set above is just $16.99 at ChefTools.com .  The way to use this is to make a hardboiled egg, then place it in the egg cup.  Crack just the top and then eat the egg with a spoon – kind of an old fashioned thing, huh?

Although this is the traditional use of an Egg Cup & Spoon, you can also use the bowl to hold miniature egg creations.  I sometimes like to make scrambled eggs and then put them in the cup, and serve as a side dish with waffles or pancakes.

Mini Scramble Recipe (serves 4):

-4 eggs
-2 pieces of honey maple bacon
-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
-1 pat butter

Grate about 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese (or even easier, buy the pre-shedded cheese!) Heat up a small frying pan , place 1 pat butter in pan and let spread around surface of pan. Place the two strips of bacon into the pan and cook until crispy.  Once crisped, remove from pan and set aside.  Crack the 4 eggs directly into the pan.  While they are cooking, chop the bacon into small pieces. When the eggs start to get slightly firm, start scrambling.  When it looks like eggs are almost the texture you want, sprinkle the cheese and bacon in.  Once cheese has melted slightly, remove pan from heat.  Scoop eggs into the egg cups and voila – mini cheddar bacon egg scramble!

The kitchen is a great and often unexplored part of everyone’s home. Whether hosting a get together or making it a hands-on experience for you and the hubby, or even hosting your own Iron Chef competition among friends, here are some gadgets to make getting messy in the kitchen more fun.

How adorable would it be to bring a giant cupcake to the next birthday party you’re attending? It’d make a kitschy and fun gift for the cupcake lover in all of us. Don’t forget the sprinkles!
Giant cupcake pan , $29.95.

On to the opposite of giant baked goods, mini donuts! This mini donut maker , $24.95, is a steal and would make a great surprise breakfast for a special someone or a nice treat to bring into the office. Plus, you don’t have to worry about frying these tasty treats with the easy non stick pan that works like magic.

Lastly, I came upon this one by chance but it was too genius not to post about…an all-in-one breakfast sandwich maker , $99.95! Cook eggs, bacon, and toast english muffins all at the same time. Perfect for a multi-tasker or someone who doesn’t have time to make breakfast in the morning. Wow your family one morning; they’ll be wondering how you churned out a homemade breakfast as quickly as you did!

Looking for something sweet to do for your honey this weekend? Yes, Valentine’s Day has passed, but romance should be spontaneous and not just a one time of year event.  What about breakfast in bed?! Need a little inspiration? Well, that’s what your beso buddies are here for!

When planning the perfect way to pamper your significant other, the first thing to think about is the menu. To that end, I’ve included a scrumptious recipe for buttermilk pancakes, from Bon Appetite . If you want to make them a little pinkish, substitute raspberries or strawberries instead of blueberries, or add a little berry yogurt and hold back a bit of the buttermilk:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• Pure maple syrup

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 250°F. Place baking sheet in oven. Whisk first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, eggs, and 2 tablespoons butter in medium bowl; stir into dry ingredients. Fold in berries.

Heat large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat; brush with butter. Drop batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto griddle. Cook pancakes until brown, brushing griddle with more butter as needed, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to sheet in oven to keep warm. Serve pancakes with maple syrup.

To make this an even better surprise, try cooking the pancakes in a heart-shaped mold, such as these, from Norpro:

To add balance, I suggest pairing the pancakes with a protein of some sort – whether that’s turkey/chicken, pork or tofu sausage, bacon or eggs is up to you. A nice dish of fruit, in addition to the fruit in the pancakes, makes a lovely side. So does a champagne cocktail!

So…how to serve…

First, you will need a tray, like this Bamboo serving table :

If you’re making a breakfast meat, you can present this on the same plate as the pancakes, but the fruit ought to be plated separately, in its own little dish. Not only will this add a pretty distribution of color on the serving tray, it will also keep the syrup from coating the fruit and making a big, goopy, too-sweet mess!

Warm the syrup and pour it into a graceful creamer or sauce pitcher, like this one from Mikasa :

Place a single red rose into a bud vase. Depending on your style, you might like either crystal or brushed stainless steel:

Tuck a delicate napkin to the left side of the pancake plate. Top with a fork, and place a knife and spoon on the other side of the plate.

Fill a champagne flute with a beverage of choice (sparkling wine/champagne alone or with orange or cranberry juice). Add a fresh violet, to rest just on top of the liquid, if available in your area (yes! they’re edible!).

Add a cup of coffee or tea, if that is what your true love’s heart desires.

Viola! If your sugar didn’t love you before, this ought to do the trick.

Strawberries are a delicious way to add more antioxidants and fiber to your diet.  According to the California Strawberry Commission, a serving of strawberries, just 8 berries, contains more vitamin C than an orange, and 2 grams of fiber!  What’s even better, is that a cup of strawberries contains just 50 calories.

I’ve found that the best and fastest way to get my daily intake of fruits and veggies is to make a power-packed morning smoothie. Here’s a strawberry smoothie recipe to get you started.  It also contains blueberries–another superfood!

Strawberry & Blueberry Smoothie

• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 banana, peeled
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1 individual size container of yogurt

Combine all ingredients in a blender, or smoothie maker, and blend until mixture reaches desired consistency.  To add a little zip, replace some of the milk with orange juice.  Yogurt can be any flavor, depending on what you like.  I’ve also added a handful of uncooked quick oats to this recipe for increasing my whole grain intake.