The beauty of making breakfast

Breakfast is a big hit at the Wight House. By popular demand,

breakfast often appears at the dinner table, ready for an encore

performance. It’s one of the few meals in our family’s food

repertoire that never gets groans or grimaces.

Since we rarely have time to cook a full breakfast on weekday

mornings, placing it on the dinner menu seems to award an appropriate

amount of respect for a meal that transcends its time slot. For all

of the evils that breakfast embraces -- fat grams and sky-high

carbohydrates -- it is the ultimate comfort food. Pancakes, waffles,

bacon, sausage, butter, syrup ... they may be bad for the diet but

they’re great for the soul.

Some of my favorite cookbooks are devoted solely to breakfast

foods. My copy of “The Breakfast Book” by Marion Cunningham is

covered with stains: the true sign of a well-loved cookbook. Just

reading the table of contents makes my mouth water. With creations

like Bridge Creek Heavenly Hots, Fresh Ginger Muffins and Featherbed

Eggs, this book honors the most American meal.

Each of my kids has a favorite breakfast food that tops their list

of special occasion treats. For Annie it’s a Dutch Baby. This is a

massive popover baked in a large pan rather than in restrained

individual portions. It is served hot out of the oven, raised high

over the rim of the skillet. I serve it with wedges of fresh lemon

and powdered sugar. One Dutch Baby just isn’t enough to feed the

troops. To keep quarrels to a minimum, I always have a second Baby

waiting in the wings.

Breck is young man after his father’s heart. His choice is Eggs

Benedict. English muffins, Canadian bacon, poached eggs and

time-consuming Hollandaise. He loves it, and that’s enough to

encourage me to bring out the whisk and create his favorite

masterpiece.

Mary Rose has a sweet tooth. That translates into pancakes or

waffles. If I really want to be a hero, toppings include fresh

strawberries and whipped cream. It’s even better if I throw a few

chocolate chips into the batter. Can you get too much of a good

thing? If you’re 9 years old, the answer is “no.”

Now, to infuriate the health-conscious, my entire tribe loves

breakfast meats. To quote Emeril Lagasse, “pork rules.” Just the

smell of bacon brings everyone into the kitchen. Whether I bake it,

fry it or microwave it, bacon works. Sausage comes in a close second.

Maple sausage has that very “breakfast” taste and has an intoxicating

aroma.

Feeling healthy? Oatmeal, fresh bananas and little brown sugar are

good all day long.

Omelets are a quick, one-skillet dinner. The only limit is your

imagination. Eggs, fresh spinach, shallots, mushrooms and brie make a

well-balanced meal. One large omelet or frittata can easily serve

four people.

Breakfast ingredients are simple. You probably have everything you

need in your pantry or fridge. Eggs, milk, butter and flour -- simple

staples that make any meal of the day memorable.

Baked German Pancake

(or Dutch Babies)

From “The Breakfast Book”

This eggy batter billows up to amazing heights and turns golden.

Serve with fresh lemon and powdered sugar.

3 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Butter a 12” skillet. Combine

ingredients in a blender and pour into skillet. Bake at 450 for 15

minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake another 10 minutes.

Serve at once with fresh lemon and powdered sugar.

Featherbed Eggs

From “The Breakfast Book”

6 slices buttered bread

salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups grated cheese (Cheddar, Gouda, Provolone, Brie)

1 1/2 cups milk

6 eggs, slightly beaten

(any meat, herb, fruit or vegetable of choice)

Arrange bread in a shallow, buttered baking dish. Spread with

cheese and ingredients of choice. Combine milk and eggs. Pour milk

mixture over the bread and cheese. Refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour until puffy and lightly golden.

* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column runs

Sundays.