Brown - Cakelove in the morning: recipes from my favorite meal

In CakeLove in the Morning, Warren Brown covers it all: pancakes and French toast, frittatas and omelets, quick breads and cereals, bacon and biscuits. He adds his own trademark twists on classic recipes so youll soon be making Coconut Waffles with Bananas Foster, Breakfast Lasagna, Chai Oatmeal, or Multigrain Rum Raisin Scones. With recipes as delicious as these, youll never reach for a box of pancake mix again. As always, Brown leaves no cabinet unopened and covers all the spreads, sauces, and salads that go along with your favorite breakfast and brunch dishes. With this collection of recipes, youll have everything you need to make that first meal of the day a memorable one.

Published in 2012 by Stewart, Tabori & Chang
An imprint of ABRAMS

Copyright 2012 Warren Brown
Photographs copyright 2012 Joshua Cogan

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Brown, Warren, 1970
Cakelove in the morning / Warren Brown.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-58479-894-1
1. Bread. 2. Breakfasts. 3. Baked products. 4. Cooking (Eggs). 5.
Cookbooks. I. CakeLove (Bakery) II. Title.
TX769.B838 2012
641.815dc23
2011032784

Editor: Jennifer Levesque
Designer: Alissa Faden
Production Manager: Jules Thomson

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TO POPLAR
You are my light.
LOVE, DAD

CHAPTER 1
French Toast, Pancakes, and Waffles

CHAPTER 2
Eggs, Frittatas, and Quiches

CHAPTER 3
Muffins, Scones, and Biscuits

CHAPTER 4
Quick Breads, Sticky Buns, and Cakes

I began cooking all the way back in grade school.
My mother rightfully thought my sisters and
I should know our way around the kitchen, so we
traded off on lunch duty. The first full meal
I ever cooked was a Sunday brunch. I knew then
and there that my future would somehow be
centered around the kitchen.

BY HIGH SCHOOL, omelets had become the center of my world. I made them hugeas large as possible, filled with everything I could chop, dice, and saut, laying it all on a bed of fluffy eggs under a blanket of cheese. I especially liked it when the spatula bent under the weight of each family-size monster. Im glad to say that my interests have broadened.

My inspiration for the recipes in this book comes from years of happy times and family gatherings around the breakfast or brunch table, especially for holidays and special occasions. Whether it was my dad and his pancake breakfasts, French toast prepared by my mom, brunch at Stouffers Hotel in Terminal Tower, right in the heart of downtown Cleveland, or Mothers Day breakfast-in-bed served to my mother by my sisters and me, breakfast has been the basis for many memories that I treasured long after the meal was over.

I really love the whole experience of brunch: the gathering of friends and family in a relaxed atmosphere, everyone grazing for hours on all types of food. Conquering the enormity of any brunch buffet has been a real challenge over the years; Ive even developed the habit of munching on a few pieces of fresh cantaloupe when I feel fullsomehow that settles everything in my stomach to make room for more!

I hope this book dispels the myth that you have to wake up at the crack of dawn to cook a good breakfast from scratch. There are a number of recipes included here that can be prepared very quicklyor made in advance to have on hand and grab quickly while on the run.

But if you dont have to rush, then dontespecially when it comes to brunch. Its usually the only meal of the day anyway, so a few extra minutes spent cooking this or baking that wont hurt. Brunch is for the weekends when, hopefully, were all taking time out from the rest of our life. And thats why I love it. The food is great, but its all about the time I can take to kick back and leisurely prepare something fun that I can eat while enjoying the company of my family. Theres simply nothing else Id rather be doing.

Another thing I love about the recipes in this book is that so many cross over with baking cakes. One way or another, the core ingredientsbutter, sugar, grains, eggsmake an appearance on just about every page. This helps keep the shopping list short! But the real bonus is that the more comfortable you are with baking, the easier it will be to follow the directions for each recipe. And if youre not an experienced baker, dont fret: I like to break down every recipe so youre guided every step of the way.

And yes, while a balanced breakfast is an important part of a healthy diet, these pages are filled with rich foods that make it easy to want seconds. Go ahead, because if youre really enjoying brunch, you can put the diet on hold. This isnt cooking for every day, so we can make room for a treat.

Creating and cooking my way through these recipes allowed me to keep a safe distance from the type of baking we do every day at CakeLove. It brought me back to those early years in my parents kitchen when the world was my omeletand I fell in love with cooking all over again.

Happy baking!

Always use the best ingredients available. Make sure your eggs are fresh and your spices even more so. Choose quality bacon and sausage, not the kinds filled with nitrates and other chemicals. Cook with the seasons when it comes to fruits and vegetables. These recipes are very adaptable, so I encourage you to make substitutionsespecially when its a question of quality.