Post by Alison Hein.

For the Gourmet is a chef-operated company that sells global specialty food and cooking products online. I learned about the site when my friend Lisa presented me with one of their products – yuzu marmalade. All sorts of recipe ideas began to buzz through my head – yuzu crème, yuzu marmalade-filled puff pancakes, yuzu berry toast, yuzu mini-bouchées… But first, better investigate, as the only yuzu I had used until then was found in my rich, fragrant shower gel.

What I learned: yuzu is imprecisely called Japanese grapefruit. First, it originated in China. Second, it is believed to be a hybrid of sour mandarin and Ichang papeda (an ancient cold-resistant citrus fruit). Yuzu does, however, resemble a small grapefruit in appearance, so I guess that part is okay. Sometime during the Tang Dynasty (617 to 907) yuzu was introduced to Japan and Korea where the fruits’ juice, zest and rind are still commonly used in local cuisine.

Whew – what to do with that information? Better taste it. So, I cautiously opened my jar of exotic, amber marmalade, dipped in a tiny spoon, and tentatively tested. Wow! What was that? Intense concentrated citrus flavor packed into a tiny, tiny bite. Orange, grapefruit, sweetness, kick… Lovely and tingly – flavors that could really wake you up in the morning. Maybe too strong to spread on toast, but how about in a pastry? With a rich, sweet cream filling to harmonize with the bright yuzu tang? The pastries had to be beautiful and exotic, just like yuzu. Something like filled pinwheels, maybe? Ironically, when finished, they resembled edible Chinese stars (which would make a great name for this recipe if it didn’t further confuse matters).

I may have cheated a little, using packaged puff pastry, but I wanted you to enjoy your exotic, orangey, grapefruity, breakfast in bed while the day was still young.

Ingredients
1 puff pastry sheet (generally sold as 2 in a package)
1 egg, separated
4 ounces whipped cream cheese
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup yuzu marmalade
Sugar for pinwheel tops

Preparation
Thaw puff pastry sheets, per package instructions. Lightly grease a baking sheet and preheat oven to 350°. Lightly beat egg white and set aside. Whip together cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk and flour to the cream cheese mixture. Set aside.

Carefully unfold a pastry sheet onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll and trim the pastry sheet into a 16×8-inch rectangle. Cut into 8 equal 4 inch-squares.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling in the center of each pastry square, and top with one teaspoon of yuzu marmalade. Cut 1-inch diagonal lines from the corners of the pastry toward the center filling. Fold every other corner up over the filling to the center. Pinch ends lightly to seal. Place the pastries on the prepared baking sheet. Brush top center of pastries with beaten egg white, and dust with sugar.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the pinwheels are golden brown. Transfer the pinwheels to a wire rack and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 pinwheels.

NOTE: Yuzu marmalade can be purchased in many Asian groceries, or online at For the Gourmet.

Tags: bed, Breakfast in Bed, Breakfast Recipes, Charles P. Rogers, Recipes, Yuzu Cream Pinwheels

Post by Alison Hein.

The Internet is a great source of irritation… uh, I mean information. Such as in setting the record straight on things you (or I) may have gotten a little mixed up over the years. Peek in just about any cookbook, and most will hold Irish Soda Bread recipes similar to the one I am about to share with you – lush with plump, sweet raisins and underscored with a whisper of nutty caraway. But do a little online research and you will learn the sad truth – traditional Irish soda bread calls for only four ingredients – flour, salt, baking soda, and sour milk. Add sugar and it becomes tea cake. Add raisins and you’ve got spotted dog. Really? Spotted dog?

Baking soda, known as bread soda in Ireland, gives quick breads their rising power when mixed with an acid such as sour milk or vinegar. This down and dirty alternative to yeast allows you to mix up, bake and enjoy a piping hot, homemade loaf of soda bread in less than one hour.

On St. Patrick’s Day, do what I do. Bake your soda bread the night before. In the morning, slice a couple of pieces and toast them to a crumbly gold. Swathe them with melted Irish butter, then gobble them down for a piping hot, holiday breakfast in bed.

Ingredients
2¼ cups flour
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup (one half stick) cold butter
¾ cup milk
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 egg
1 cup golden or dark raisins
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.

In large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut butter into small pieces and cut into dry ingredients until crumbly. Add milk, vinegar and egg to separate small bowl. Mix well, then add all at once to dry ingredients, stirring until just mixed in. Add golden raisins and caraway seeds and mix in gently.

Lightly flour your hands. Shape batter into a slightly domed round and place on baking sheet. Dip a sharp knife in some flour and cut a cross in the top of the bread. Do not cut all the way through. Place in oven and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown.

Tags: Breakfast in Bed, Breakfast Recipes, Charles P. Rogers, Recipes, Soda Bread

Post by Alison Hein.

Rich decadent chocolate, thick cheesy fondue, even healthy fruit-filled muesli – all culinary gifts from our friends in Switzerland. Now, consider rösti, a traditional farmers’ breakfast, the Swiss equivalent of hash browns. Full-bodied potatoes (either cooked or raw) are grated, seasoned, shaped into thin patties, and fried to a crispy golden brown.

Potatoes in any form have a satisfying addictive quality. And I’m pretty sure that once you try rösti, you’ll be hooked. While the basic recipe is simple, the personalized variations are endless. In this case, I’ve cooked the potatoes in advance (which makes grating easier and cooking time faster) and added some piney rosemary and fragrant thyme for a flavorful accent.

Skip the herbs and add some chopped sautéed onion or garlic, if you like. Add cooked bacon, ham or mushrooms to the grated potato before frying. Or melt a little cheese on the rösti in the last minute of cooking, and consider different toppings. Smoked salmon and a little crème fraîche looks and tastes wonderful, and is perfect for a light dinner.

Rösti, which has no egg to bind the grated potato, can be difficult to flip. You must firmly press the potato down with a spatula while cooking. And when making a large size, you may need to turn the rösti onto a plate, then carefully slide it back into the frying pan to finish. Individual portions are easier to prepare and make a beautiful, personal presentation.

Merzi, Switzerland, for a crispy, golden brown, potato-y breakfast in bed!

Ingredients
1 medium Yukon Gold potato (about 6 ounces)
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 egg (optional)

Preparation
Place potato in heavy saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil over high heat and cook until cooked through, but firm when poked with fork (about 20 minutes). Cool and place in refrigerator overnight, or at least 2 hours.

Peel and grate potato; place in small bowl. Add rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and mix well. Add butter and olive oil to a small (6-inch) heavy frying pan and heat over medium heat until melted and mixed together. Add potato mixture to pan. Stir and cook for about 1 minute, then spread and shape potato mixture to fill pan. Press down firmly with back of spatula to form a solid cake. Continue to cook on medium to medium low heat until golden brown, about 5 or 6 minutes. Flip rösti*, press down again with spatula, and continue to cook until golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove to plate and keep warm until ready to serve. If you like, fry an egg sunnyside up. Place egg on top of rösti and serve immediately.

*NOTE: If the rösti is small, you can flip carefully with a spatula. For larger röstis, place a plate over pan when cooked halfway and carefully flip over onto plate. Gently slide rösti back into pan to continue cooking.

Makes 1 rösti.

Tags: bed, Breakfast in Bed, Charles P. Rogers, Children, family, Recipes

Post by Alison Hein.

By now you must realize that I am obsessed with food – I write about food (as you know), I dream about food (maybe next time) and sometimes I make things up about food. Case in point: a recent exchange with an old high school pal through Words with Friends:

Me: Nice word. Remember that awesome French toast your mom used to make?
Laura: Thanks. Huh?
Me: Good move. You know the crunchy one with bread crumbs?
Laura: Thanks. My mom?
Me. You’re kicking my butt. Yeah, your mom. It was amazing.
Laura. Heh, heh. Don’t know what you’re talking about, but it sounds delish.

A brief canvas of other old friends also came up dry, so I went to work in my kitchen to turn fabrication into reality. I like the soft eggy center and rich flavor of Challah bread for French toast, so I started with a standard egg/milk dip for the bread, followed by a good roll in plain unadorned bread crumbs. A slow sauté in melted butter, and voila! My (fantastical) memory! A warm eggy center encased in a crisp, crunchy exterior – a flawless foundation for a generous splash of Vermont maple syrup. Then, to dress it up a bit, the crunch on crunch texture of sweet almond topping.

Treat your kids to homemade French toast sticks by slicing the Challah into strips before breading. They will love it for its dip-ability. Better yet, add some almond topping to their next ice cream sundae for sweet some caramel crunch. Whatever you decide later, you are now well positioned for a crunchy, fantastical breakfast in bed.

Ingredients
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
8 slices Challah bread (or other soft, eggy bread)
2 to 4 tablespoons butter
Caramelized almond topping (optional)

Preparation
In large, shallow bowl, whisk together milk and eggs. Dip bread slices into the egg mixture, turning once to completely saturate. Roll and cover in plain breadcrumbs. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in heavy skillet. Add bread slices and cook over medium to medium-low heat, turning once, until golden and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes, adding more butter as needed. Place French toast on plates, and top with caramelized almonds, if you like. Serve warm with maple syrup.

Makes 4 servings.

Caramelized Almond Topping
½ cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla

Preparation
Add all ingredients to small bowl and mix together until almonds are well coated. Turn mixture out into heavy pan and cook over medium to medium low heat for about 5 to 7 minutes until sugar is melted and almonds are lightly browned). Almond mixture will be wet and gooey at this point. Turn out onto waxed paper and allow to harden and cool completely.

Makes 1 cup of topping.

Tags: bed, Breakfast in Bed, Charles P. Rogers, Crunchy French Toast, family, Recipes

Valentine’s Day at Chez Moi
Post by Alison Hein.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and you’ll be surprised that for once I will not advise you to enjoy a lazy breakfast in bed. Instead, I encourage you to get up and create your own pop-up restaurant, and offer your loved one a divine, romantic breakfast tasting menu.

My personal pop-up restaurant, lovingly named Chez Moi, appears in a quiet corner of our living room once a year. I use red tablecloths to create a lush fabric background, drag a small garden café table out of storage, and drape that in red as well.

To set the table, I arrange a few graduated cake plates to form a tower, then fill tiny dishes with delicious little bites of food. Page through prior posts for inspiration if you like. Fruit salad is a good choice – sweet and fresh – adding lovely color to the tasting array. And, mini-heart toast (cut from sliced bread with a cookie cutter) is a perfect holiday addition and  silver dollar pancakes also never fail to delight:

My tasting menu this year will include Poached Eggs with Mornay Sauce – gently simmered eggs with a soft, molten center, topped with a light drizzle of cheese and garnished with fresh parsley. Perfect for heart-y toast dipping.

And after all this work, don’t be surprised if you soon receive a Valentine’s invitation for a future divine, romantic breakfast in bed.

Poached Eggs with Mornay Sauce

Ingredients
1 sprig fresh parsley (about 1 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons grated cheese (gruyère, cheddar, or Swiss)
2 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash and dry parsley. Chop finely and set aside. To make cheese sauce, melt butter in small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth, thick paste forms. Whisk in milk and cook until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add grated cheese and stir until just melted. Set aside and keep warm.

Eggs should be as fresh as possible for perfect poaching. To poach eggs, fill a heavy saucepan with enough water to cover eggs (3 to 4 inches) and heat until very hot and simmering, but not boiling. Break eggs into individual small dishes. Or you can use an egg poacher. Carefully pour the first egg into the simmering water. Immediately use a wooden spoon to wrap the cooking white around the egg yolk to prevent the white from feathering. Repeat the process with the second egg, and cook for about four minutes, until the white is firm but the yolk is still soft. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and drain. Trim edges if necessary. Place each egg in a small dish. Top with cheese sauce and garnish with a little fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with toast, if you like.

Makes 2 servings.

Tags: bed, Breakfast, Charles P. Rogers, family, Recipes