Weekend Cooking: Food & Wine's 20 Best Breakfast & Brunch Recipes (Kindle Edition)

Hello and welcome to Weekend Cooking! I don't know about you but breakfast and brunch are two of my favorite meals to cook. There are so many possibilities and there is no right or wrong combination. You can let your imagination go wild and you don't even have to have fancy ingredients. It's also a prefect way to use up leftover items in your refrigerator. That's why when I saw Food & Wine Magazine's 20 BEST BREAKFAST and BRUNCH RECIPES available for an amazing .99 at the Kindle Store, I jumped on it!

What's Inside...

Within this 61 page collection are favorite recipes from chefs and cooks, as well as Food and Wine's very own test kitchen. These recipes are not complicated - they are simple, elegant and smart ideas that I'm sure I'll be using often. The categories include: Egg dishes, such as omelets, frittatas, and sandwiches, to breakfast biscuits, pancakes, and muffins. It covers a wide range of dishes that would please even the pickiest palettes.  

Each recipe includes a beautiful photo of the finished product along with a brief introduction to the recipe by it's contributor. As a foodie, I always find it interesting to know the inspiration behind the development of a good dish. 

My Thoughts:

After purchasing a cookbook, I am always anxious to flip through the recipes and mark the ones that appeal to me. Many times, I am disappointed by either the 'special' ingredients I'd have to buy, or the difficult cooking method that makes me wary. But I am thrilled to say that when I scanned these recipes, I didn't have those feelings at all. There were many recipes that I immediately wanted to try and the ingredients were right there in my pantry. That made a huge impression on me right away. Another thing I like about this cookbook is the portion sizes. In some cookbooks, the recipe makes enough portions for a small dinner party and that is just way too much food for two or three people and I always have to cut the recipe in half and hope it turns out. That isn't necessary here. The photos that are included are very nice and even though the Kindle version doesn't do them justice, you still get a clear idea of what they're supposed to look like. I also enjoyed the introductions because, as a lover of foodie television, over the years, I have become familiar with certain chefs and its fun getting to know them a little better through their food. 

One of the recipes that I tried immediately was from Chef Spike Mendolsohn from Washington, D.C. Chef Spike was a contestant on Top Chef in the earlier seasons and though he didn't win the title of Top Chef, he has made quite a name for himself and has been very successful. His recipe for White House Honey-Oat Muffins jumped out at me right away. The dish was inspired by the honey bees that have made the White House their home. 

WHITE HOUSE HONEY-OAT MUFFINS

iNGREDIENTS

3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour

3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

1.  Preheat the oven to 375. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, mix the oats with the whole-wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, coriander and salt.

2.  In another bowl, whisk the honey with the buttermilk, canola oil and eggs. Pour the honey mixture into the dry ingredients; mix just until combined.

3.  Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake for about 18 minutes, until they're golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.  Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  

I like this recipe because these muffins are perfect for breakfast: They're not too sweet because there's no sugar, only natural honey and they're made with half whole-wheat flour and oats. They are so simple to make and they turned out beautifully the very first time. I have one of these muffins with a cup of yogurt and I've got a great breakfast without feeling like I've been bad. If you're lucky enough not to have to worry about fat intake, you could spread a little honey butter on your muffin and that would be divine!

So that's just one of the many recipes that caught my eye from this cookbook. There are many more that I intend to try and I'll share them here on another Weekend Cooking post. The decision to add this cookbook to your Kindle Library is a no-brainer, especially considering you can pick it up for .99 right now! I promise you won't regret it! 

For more Weekend Cooking posts, please stop by Beth Fish Reads each and every Saturday for more foodie ideas and recipes. 

20 BEST BREAKFAST and BRUNCH RECIPES

Author: Food &Wine Magazine

Publisher: American Express Publishing Corporation

Published: December 20, 2012

Length: 61 pages

Source: Purchased