Let me begin by warning you that this book could create a lot of trouble and work if you decide to purchase it. Before you know it, you will be baking fresh bread and muffins for your family. Mixing up your own waffle and pancake mix (No, not the kind that comes out of a box with the picture of somebody's aunt on it.). Scrambling a pretty fine omelet, or perhaps trying your hand at a batch of jam and preserves just for fun.
I know - because I've run into that kind of trouble already. I can't remember when I last received as many compliments from my husband as I did for the Challah bread recipe I made from this book. You know what that means - I'll have to bake it again.
I'm a big fan of breakfast and, when inspiration for all else fails, it's a great fallback for a satisfying meal at any time of the day. When entertaining overnight guests, a special breakfast can help them feel especially pampered. That's why it was a pleasure to find a book that gives breakfast recipes and instructions that go beyond a simple plate of scrambled eggs and bacon.
Author Carrie Levin is the chef and owner of the Good Enough to Eat® restaurant on the Upper West Side of Manhattan that was opened in 1981. It has become a popular hangout for locals and tourists alike and many of the recipes in this book are among the favorites on the menu.
The recipes are written in a very approachable style, with a lot of humorous commentary and anecdotes provided by Levin. For example, when Levin describes the process of baking bread she provides this unusual metaphor as a description:
It was when I became a mother that I discovered the proper metaphor for baking yeast breads: babies! They both cry out for attention and tender loving care. They both are capable of surprising and humbling you. They dislike cold drafts. They are not amenable to instruction, good intentions, or wishful thinking, but are rather osmotically reactive to their immediate environment.
Poetic descriptions aside, Levin conveys instructions that provide a cooking lesson as much as a recipe. For example, although I enjoy omelets, creating a smooth, non-lumpy one has always been a hit or miss proposition. But after attempting the recipe for the Vermont Cheddar-Apple Omelette I've finally mastered the technique.
There's even a bonus section where Levin compiles brunch menus for different entertaining occasions. With each menu she gives step-by-step directions for the order of preparations so that everything is ready to serve at the same time.
My one caveat about this cookbook is that many of these recipes require multiple steps, with references to other recipes in the book. Take the Hole-in-the-Bread recipes, for example. If you wish to recreate the dish as served in the restaurant, you'll first need to bake the Whole-Wheat Bread recipe before you even crack an egg to start this dish. That's why you need to read a recipe very carefully in advance, and most advisedly the day before you plan to cook it, in case a little last minute bread baking is part of the instructions.
But as long as you are willing to plan ahead and take some extra time, you'll discover that this book can raise a meal as ordinary as breakfast to something worthy of a special occasion. It will help you to create a special breakfast for yourself, your family or friends, no matter what time of the day it is.
To whet your appetite for this book, the publisher has provided links to several of the delicious recipes along with anecdotes from the author. Try them for yourself, and see what you think. The links can be found in "Elsewhere on the Web" on this page.
