America's Best Breakfasts - Cookbook Review + Recipe

America's Best Breakfasts by Lee Brian Schrager and Adeena Sussman is part cookbook part travel book and manages to do both well.  The book is divided into regions and each region has about 15 recipes all from different areas in that region.  And we don't just get the recipe - we get the story.  We see the people and the restaurant behind the food.  They talk about about why the recipe came to be, who it's a favorite with, and why the serve it.  Some stories are more detailed than others.  Some recipes just come with a paragraph or two while others take up several pages with pictures of the people, the place, and the people who love it.  There are a scattering of inserts that don't include a recipe but instead focus on an area or a restaurant or bakery that is particularly iconic.  Not only did the recipes make my mouth water and make me want to get cooking but they made me want to grab my car keys and take a road trip to some of the fabulous diners, restaurants, and bakeries listed.  There are a few that aren't that far away and I can hear them calling my name!  I can guarantee that next time I travel a bit far from home I'll be checking this book to see if there's one of these yummy looking places close by.

The recipes are just as varied as the areas they represent.  There are sweet recipes - like Chocolate Doughnuts and Creme Anglais, Graham Cracker Waffles, Brioche Cinnamon Buns, and a delicious looking Summer Granola.  There are savory recipes such as a Fritatta with Seasonal Greens, Pho Bo (beef noodle soup), Corn and Andouille Skillet Fritters, and Oven-Baked Eggs with White Beans, Roasted Tomatoes, and Olives.  The variety in this book is amazing from standard breakfast fare like morning glory muffins, lemon-blueberry waffles, and shrimp in grits to the more unusual foods such as kimchi pancakes, Malawach (Yemenite Fried Bread), and Breakfast Pang with Fennel-Maple Glazed Bacon I think there's something for everyone in America's Best Breakasts.

The recipes themselves are laid out simply with ingredients that aren't too difficult to find (and they seem to offer quite a number of substitutes for more regional ingredients) and easy to follow steps.  I'm not one to prepare complicated breakfasts and breakfast time but the majority of these recipes would be great for anytime of day.  I think I will try this recipe from Imperial in Portland, Oregon.  Partly because of it's simplicity, partly because the chef de cuisine is Doug Adams who was one of my favorites on Top Chef Season 12, and partly because I might have been a bit too enthusiastic in my basil plant buying and now have a major surplus!

Caramaelized Grapefruit with Basil Sugar

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 large ruby red grapefruit, half and seeded.

3 large bright green, unblemished basil leaves (patted dry of all moisture if rinsed), plus more as needed

1/2 cup sugar, plus more as needed

Julienned mint, for garnish

Preheat the broiler on high, or a grill pan over high heat.  Place the oil in a medium shallow bowl and dip the cut side of the grapefruit halves in the oil to coat well.  Broil the halves (face up) or grill them (face down) until slightly charred, 5 to 6 minutes.  Chill the grapefruit until very cold, at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in an electric spice grinder or coffee grinder, combine the basil and sugar.  Process until the sugar is bright green, adding more sugar if the mixture clumps or is wet, or an additional basil leaf or two to achieve the desired color and flavor.  Using a grapefruit knife or sharp paring knife, separate the grapefruit segments from the membranes.  Drizzle olive oil on top of the grapefruit, then generously sprinkle each half with at least 2 tablespoons basil sugar.  Garnish with mint.

What caught my eye: I love that almost all the prep work can be done well ahead of time - including grilling the grapefruit.  I think I could even do that the night before.  I also really like that I can use a grill pan instead of broiling it.  They also include other suggestions for the basil sugar that sound delicious such as dipping strawberries into it or rimming a cocktail glass with it. 

If you don't have a spice or coffee grinder you can use a food processor for the same effect.  I have a little 1 cup food processor I picked up somewhere for not all that much that I use for this kind of thing so I don't have to pull out my heavy food processor.

I'm looking forward to giving this bright and fresh recipe a try one morning.  It sounds like it's sure to bring a little sunshine into a dreary day!

I'm linking up with Weekend Cooking hosted by Beth Fish Reads

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review