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It's what's for Breakfast |
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Written by Holly Bea Weaver
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Thursday, 08 March 2007 |
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 There’s nothing quite like waking up on a Saturday morning, grabbing a newspaper and a friend and heading out to your favorite breakfast joint.
It can be a dive, it can be a Waffle House, or it can be the home of the most opulent champagne brunch on the planet — it’s all about personal preference, and starting the day right.
Of course, your favorite breakfast joint can be your very own home. I love to whip up some huevos con chorizo with tortillas and hot sauce on the weekends, while my husband is a fan of oatmeal made from scratch or poached eggs. But some of my favorite breakfast moments at home are when we have guests at “Holly’s Make Your Own Damn Bed & Breakfast.”
That’s what I lovingly call my home every time we invite guests in for a weekend.
It makes everyone laugh and it sets the bar low, which means any extra effort I make while they are staying with us makes a big impression. And I always treat them to at least one great breakfast.
going out for breakfast
 If you don’t want to whip up breakfast at home?
Not a problem, especially ’round these parts. Two of my favorites in Fort Collins are Café Bluebird and Lucile’s. Each has its own special vibe, but each is the kind of place that makes you feel instantly comfortable the moment you walk in the door.
The food at Lucile’s celebrates everything great about breakfast in New Orleans, without the plane ticket.
Yes, it started in Boulder, but this doesn’t feel like a chain restaurant. Known for “Lucile’s Creole Cooking,” Lucile’s in Fort Collins is located in a cool, funky yellow house.
There’s Cajun music playing, lots of framed posters and art of New Orleans/Louisiana flavor, and then there’s the food. From fresh, enormous beignets (four per order, served piping hot) to Eggs Ponchatrain, Creole Omelet and other Bayou treats. My husband scarfed down Crawfish Etoufee with a side of collard greens.
Lucile’s, 400 S. Meldrum St. Call 224.5464. Hours: 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Café Bluebird is another great place to start the morning, although it has a completely different atmosphere.
While it feels far more like a restaurant than Lucile’s, it’s still really comfortable. Expansive windows let the light stream in, and there are some pretty cool wall murals, too. The layout is a great use of the space, although the booths aren’t expansive. You’d better like who you’re with if you’re fitting four in a booth.
The menu is more traditional than Lucile’s, but here’s the best reason to go: the blueberry coffee cake. It’s huge, moist and it’s got a great crumbly sugary topping.
Café Bluebird is known for its hollandaise sauce, which is featured on quite a few of the menu items. Another thing I really like is that they offer half orders. And did I mention that their iced lattes come with whipped cream, too? No wonder there’s often a line out the door.
Café Bluebird, 524 W. Laurel. Call 484.7755 or go to www.cafebluebird.com. Hours: 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
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 RECIPES
Picante Potato Pie
This is so easy and yummy, and you can make it the night before and re-heat the whole pie in the morning.
Ingredients:
1 package (12 ounces) frozen hash browns, thawed (about 2 1/2 cups)
5 eggs, beaten
2/3 cups Pace picante sauce
1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 green onions with tops, sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 crisply cooked bacon slices, crumbled
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate. Combine all ingredients except bacon. Pour into pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Bake 5 more minutes. Serve with avocado slices and fruit.
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Magical Puffed Pancakes
Cooking this is like watching a science project in action. The first time I made it, I had a blast watching “it” happen before my very eyes. Everyone raves about this when I serve it. I refused to leave a Bed & Breakfast in California’s Paso Robles Wine County until they gave me the recipe.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup shredded Swiss, White Cheddar or Jack Cheese (I use Swiss)
1/2 lemon
2 medium apples or pears
Powdered sugar
Interesting pancake syrup, like lemon, raspberry, spruce
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Make sure the top shelf of the oven is placed about mid-way down, with some room above it. You’ll find out why later.
Heat butter in a 13 X 9 X 2 glass pan until hot and bubbly. Thinly slice apples or pears and pour lemon juice over the slices. Set aside.
Beat flour, milk, salt and eggs until well blended. Pour into the glass pan. Bake until the sides of the pancake are puffed and deep golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. It’s fun to watch this happen-the pancake literally crawls up the sides of the pan. It’s so cool.
Sprinkle with cheese and put back in the oven for 2-3 minutes for the cheese to melt. Remove the pan from the oven, cut into eight pieces. Put a piece on each plate, plate 2-3 fruit slices over melted cheese and sprinkle with powdered sugar. I drizzle the syrup over it before I serve, but you can also put the syrup in a pretty bowl on the table and let your guests do the drizzling.
The pancake mixture can be made the night before and stored in the frig in the morning. Bring it back to room temperature and starting cooking from there.
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Frozen Fruit From Weaver’s Country Oaks B & B
I refused to leave another Bed & Breakfast without a recipe — this time in Indiana’s Amish country. This breakfast treat was so unique and delicious, I couldn’t help myself. The ingredients sound crazy, but trust me. You make it the day before and then just zap it for a few seconds in the microwave before serving.
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 cup hot water
1-12 ounce can of frozen orange juice
6 diced bananas
1-8 ounce can of crushed pineapple
1 package of 16 ounce frozen strawberries, sliced
1 cup lemon-lime soda
Dissolve the sugar in hot water. Add the orange juice, pineapple and strawberries. Mix until orange juice and strawberries thaw and the berries separate. Add bananas and soda and stir. Freeze. (I freeze individual portions in glass bowls, though you can freeze it in one big bowl and scoop out individual portions.) Microwave for about 5 seconds before serving.
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Tips for Serving Breakfast at Home
1. Put out the placemats and use nice dishes. It makes your guests feel special.
2. Use nice glasses for the juice. I learned this while having breakfast with friends in Tampa. She served orange juice in crystal goblets, which looked great.
3. Fresh fruit helps fill the plate. Even if you only serve a slice of quiche, put half of a banana, some grapes and a slice of orange or apple and the plate looks full.
4. Make sure you have both decaf and regular coffee on hand. I didn’t start drinking coffee until I was 30. When friends came in from Chicago to spend the night and woke up to no coffee in the house, I learned a BIG lesson, and made a hasty trip to a local convenience store. Before your guests retire for the night, ask their coffee preference and have the coffeemaker loaded, so whoever gets up first can flip a switch and make nirvana.
5. Have a few recipes that are easy, easy, easy to make, so you don’t spend all your time slaving in the kitchen instead of enjoying your company.
6. Make sure to put on the morning music. And make it fun. Salsa music, anything Frank Sinatra, acoustical guitar — it helps set the mood for the day.
7. Bloody Marys, mimosas and screwdrivers always make the morning festive. For a different twist, I’ll serve my Bloody Marys with a dill pickle or pickled green bean for garnish.
8. Have a nice robe or good pair of PJs, so you don’t have to shower and gussie up before you get breakfast going. Eating in your jammies can be part of the fun and keeps things relaxed.
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