Breakfast & Brunch

Thumbnail image for Four-Cheese Southwestern Breakfast Strata with Chorizo

Four-Cheese Southwestern Breakfast Strata with Chorizo

April 17, 2012

Mary Anne here. Last week an old high school friend wrote to me on Facebook and waxed eloquent about her family reunions where apple-laced stratas were frequent features and she got me thinking about this versatile, old fashioned favorite. This rustic breakfast staple also used to be a staple in my catering repertoire when I [...]

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Thumbnail image for Orange-Mango Upside-Down Cake

Orange-Mango Upside-Down Cake

April 5, 2012

Mariel here. While my family isn’t particularly religious, we’ve always celebrated every holiday with a certain degree of religious zeal. When I was little, there were nearly as many decorations and preparations for Easter as there were for Christmas. We had an Easter tree flaunting hand-blown eggs that we painted on our front porch (my [...]

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Thumbnail image for Rich Chocolate Black Bean Cake

Rich Chocolate Black Bean Cake

March 13, 2012

Mariel here. I had promised this recipe ages ago, but somehow it slipped off my radar, despite the fact that I’ve made it many, many times. This dish was first brought to my attention by an editor friend over at Epicurious, who had requested it when I hosted her for dinner one evening. In its [...]

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Thumbnail image for Classic Shortbread with Fresh Orange Zest

Classic Shortbread with Fresh Orange Zest

March 7, 2012

Mariel here. Well, the bridal shower we hosted went off without a hitch. Sort of. The day itself was picture-perfect – the food my mom lovingly prepared (and took a day off work to make) was delicious, as always, the flowers were radiant and even the weather cooperated with sunny skies and a balmy 60 [...]

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Thumbnail image for Homemade Mixed Berry Jam

Homemade Mixed Berry Jam

March 1, 2012

Mariel here. As my mother elucidated in her post earlier this week, we’ll be hosting one of my best friend’s bridal showers this coming Saturday. Since my mom is a specialist in afternoon teas, we decided to stay the course and drum up an array of dainty, midday nibbles. While mommy dearest is far more [...]

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Thumbnail image for Curried Chicken Salad with Crisp Green Apples and Soft Raisins

Curried Chicken Salad with Crisp Green Apples and Soft Raisins

February 9, 2012

Mariel here. Lately I’ve been highly suggestible when it comes to food ideas. I trotted past a Dunkin’ Donuts ad for their new Tuna Fish Croissant and, BLAMMO, that’s all I wanted for dinner. After fielding a question from a reader about our Penne alla Vodka, I just had to remake it myself. So the [...]

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Thumbnail image for Oatmeal-Blackberry Pancakes with Grated Orange Zest and Greek Yogurt

Oatmeal-Blackberry Pancakes with Grated Orange Zest and Greek Yogurt

February 2, 2012

Mariel here. There’s been a spring in this winter’s step, so where I’d normally be elbow-deep in bowls of White Chicken Chili, Roasted Veggie Lasagna and Cassoulet, I have yet to make one of these cold-weather comforts. Instead, I’ve been living on fresh fruit, Egg Salad Sammies and super-sized dinner salads, which is what I [...]

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Thumbnail image for Popovers aka Yorkshire Pudding

Popovers aka Yorkshire Pudding

October 27, 2011

Mary Anne here. So here at last is my final installment to our Sunday dinner of Roast Beef  and Horseradish Cream with Haricots Vert and Roasted Shallots. One Christmas, when I was still the proud mother of two (number three was my post-New year’s surprise!), we hosted a lovely family from London for the holidays. [...]

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Thumbnail image for Spiced Apple Cider Bundt Cake with a Cinnamon-Cider Glaze

Spiced Apple Cider Bundt Cake with a Cinnamon-Cider Glaze

October 4, 2011

Mariel here. I spent part of the weekend upstate, lapping up the peace and quiet that only the countryside can provide. Living in the city is like living under constant attack – honking horns make my hair stand on end, a scary neighbor ensures I break into a cold sweat when I leave the apartment, [...]

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Thumbnail image for Montrachet and Walnut Quesadillas with Apple, Fig, and Date Salsa

Montrachet and Walnut Quesadillas with Apple, Fig, and Date Salsa

September 21, 2011

Mary Anne here. At Feast on the Cheap, we’ve written our fair share about enjoying breakfast for dinner. And Mariel realized recently that when I broke out the pancake batter for our night-time repast when she was just a little girl, it was more an act of…ummm…laziness, rather than altruistic, motherly benevolence. Busted by my brood, [...]

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Thumbnail image for Southern Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Biscuits

Southern Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Biscuits

August 11, 2011

Mary Anne here. This recipe was culled from my Nana’s book of “receipts.” She was a post-Civil War baby, raised on a plantation in Eufala, Alabama, and although my grandfather moved his bride to the icy cold of Buffalo, N.Y., her heart and palate remained south of the Mason-Dixon line. Nana’s leather-bound book of receipts, [...]

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Thumbnail image for Fresh Summer Fruit Salad Topped with Yogurt and Granola

Fresh Summer Fruit Salad Topped with Yogurt and Granola

July 26, 2011

Mary Anne here. Although the thermometer is taking a much-welcomed nosedive, this fruit salad has been a Rittenhouse family summer staple for  years, appearing on our table anytime the temperature lingers above 90 degrees. Recently Mariel has featured a few breakfast-for-dinner treats here at Feast, so I just had to put in my two-cents and [...]

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Thumbnail image for Crispy Chicken Sandwich Topped with a Fried Egg, Prosciutto and Spinach-Garlic Aioli

Crispy Chicken Sandwich Topped with a Fried Egg, Prosciutto and Spinach-Garlic Aioli

July 18, 2011

Mariel here. When I was little, an announcement of “breakfast-for-dinner” elicited unanimous cheers from me and my two bros who were certain that my mother’s fancy pants dinners were some sort of cosmic punishment for fibbing about brushing our teeth or walking McDuff. Scrambled eggs and bacon was the closest my mom got to serving [...]

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Thumbnail image for Apple Pie Pancakes a la Mode

Apple Pie Pancakes a la Mode

July 7, 2011

Mariel here. This, my friends, is what happens when you start reminiscing on an empty stomach. After waxing geriatric for Father’s Day and drumming up old memories of Bakery Sundays filled with Apple Turnovers, sugared Elephant Ears and crotchety Bran Muffins for the fiber-philes, I couldn’t stop thinking about all the delicious breakfast treats of [...]

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Thumbnail image for Open-Faced Peach & Prosciutto Sandwiches with Brie & Arugula

Open-Faced Peach & Prosciutto Sandwiches with Brie & Arugula

June 23, 2011

Mary Anne here. As I cruised my grocer’s aisles this past weekend, the plump, softly furred peaches captured my imagination. I wanted peaches, and I wanted them right then and there – even in their unripened form. Given their immature state,  I began daydreaming this “cooked salad” on bread and the following ingredients somehow landed [...]

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Thumbnail image for The Best Damn Bran Muffins

The Best Damn Bran Muffins

June 21, 2011

Mariel here. Sorry for cursing, but these muffins are truly expletive-worthy. My father, a bonafide bran-aholic, has gotten his muffin on for as long as I can remember. When we were wee tots, there were many a Sunday morning when the old man padded down to the local bakery to pick us up a box [...]

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Thumbnail image for Orange Curd Puff Pastry Tartlets

Orange Curd Puff Pastry Tartlets

June 7, 2011

Mariel here. This past weekend, one of my bffs from college took the long walk down a short aisle, marrying another friend of mine in one of the most beautiful weddings I’ve ever attended. Everything was perfect – perfect weather, perfect Lela Rose dress, perfect yachty Montauk backdrop, perfect sunny-and-75 weather, which can be a [...]

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Thumbnail image for Lemon Olive Oil Cake with a Zesty Lemon Rosemary Glaze

Lemon Olive Oil Cake with a Zesty Lemon Rosemary Glaze

March 1, 2011

Mariel here. Last week, I cooked dinner for an editor friend of mine from Epicurious, no pressure or anything. I whipped up Halibut with a Hazelnut Romesco, which was to-die-for – thank God – but it was much pricier than most of my any-given-Monday meals (you can check out her recap of the dish here).  [...]

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Thumbnail image for Butternut Bread with Quick Ginger-Apple Butter

Butternut Bread with Quick Ginger-Apple Butter

January 4, 2011

Mariel here. Happy New Year! If you’re anything like me, the calendar change came and went with little fanfare: I ate an entire cheese plate, my husband and I belatedly cut into our wedding day cake topper (and didn’t get sick from eating it!), and then I lay on the couch struggling to keep my [...]

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Thumbnail image for Walnut Crumble Coffee Cake

Walnut Crumble Coffee Cake

December 30, 2010

Mary Anne here. As you may have noticed, Mariel has been on a breakfast binge as of late, creating a smorgasbord of delectable dishes like Whole Wheat Maple Pomegranate Pancakes, Ginger & Cinnamon-Spiced French Toast and her very own Cinnamon Pear Cake with Maple Brown Butter. Despite her incredible new repertoire, Mariel asked that I [...]

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Thumbnail image for Ginger and Cinnamon-Spiced French Toast

Ginger and Cinnamon-Spiced French Toast

December 21, 2010

Mariel here. I hemmed and hawed over what to post this week. Since most of us are in the midst of a pre-holiday scramble – which usually entails a melee of baking, shopping, menu-orchestrating and nine-to-fiving – daily meals become less about divining something delicious and more about quieting the growl before wrapping a pile [...]

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Thumbnail image for Cranberry Pear Sauce

Cranberry Pear Sauce

December 14, 2010

Mariel here. Thanks to my love affair with Costco, I had a jumbo bag of cranberries hanging out in my fridge – taking up space, weighing down my crisper drawer. Cranberries are for Thanksgiving, so once the holiday comes and goes, what on earth are you supposed to do with any leftovers? Has anyone ever [...]

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Thumbnail image for Whole Wheat Pomegranate Maple Pancakes

Whole Wheat Pomegranate Maple Pancakes

December 2, 2010

Mariel here. After whipping up that Cinnamon Pear Cake with Maple Brown Butter, I waxed philosophical about my mother’s incredible holiday breakfasts, so I won’t put you through that again. BUT, since the festive season has officially sprung, you’re bound to host at least one hungry traveler at some point over the next month. Even [...]

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Thumbnail image for Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey Hash

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey Hash

November 29, 2010

Mary Anne here. Whether you’re planning  a brunch, lunch, or dinner, this leftover-laden creation has to be the ultimate comfort food! I combined the remnants of our turkey with stuffing, boiled potatoes, sautéed onions and gravy. It’s Thanksgiving dinner’s finest transported to a hot pan and crisply browned on both sides. If I had any [...]

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Thumbnail image for Mom’s Cranberry Nut Bread

Mom’s Cranberry Nut Bread

November 15, 2010

Mary Anne here. Every year, Cranberry, Pumpkin, and Date Nut breads all grace our holiday table, regardless of who hosts the family feast. And all three of these traditional breads work double-time: first, as a sweet side to the savory turkey and trimmings on Thanksgiving night, and then the next morning, re-heated alongside eggs and [...]

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Thumbnail image for Cinnamon Pear Cake with Maple Brown Butter

Cinnamon Pear Cake with Maple Brown Butter

November 1, 2010

Mariel here. My mother – a bona fide festivity-phile – deemed every holiday worthy of its own special breakfast. On our birthdays we had Eggs in a Hat; on Easter it was Blueberry Pancakes; on Valentine’s Day we ate Heart-Shaped Waffles; and on Christmas and Thanksgiving, my mom whipped up her world-famous Coffee Cake. One [...]

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Thumbnail image for Homemade Applesauce

Homemade Applesauce

October 14, 2010

Mary Anne here. From the time my children were tiny tots, Halloween and fall festivals were two of our favorite things. Each year, in early October, I chose a crisp, sunny day and trundled my bunch up the highway to our favorite pumpkin patch in North Salem. Running, squealing and tripping amongst the stemmed squashes [...]

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Thumbnail image for Nutty Granola with Dried Fruit

Nutty Granola with Dried Fruit

September 30, 2010

Mary Anne here. Awhile back our friends at Oh Nuts! sent us a generous assortment of dried fruits and nuts, which, upon arrival, I tore into like a kid on Christmas. Thanks to my newfound bounty, I was able to address a long-standing grudge with store-bought granolas. As you’ve no doubt noticed, the price of [...]

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Thumbnail image for Smoked Salmon Challah Bites

Smoked Salmon Challah Bites

September 16, 2010

Mary Anne here. As I’ve mentioned before, the Ellicott clan was raised in a Christian-Judeo household. We were confirmed Catholics but our step-dad, George, was a devout Jew. And as he embraced our Christmas and Easter traditions with all the enthusiasm of an excited toddler, we honored his religious holidays as well – and none [...]

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Thumbnail image for Nana’s Date Nut Bread

Nana’s Date Nut Bread

December 20, 2009

Mary Anne here. This bread is delicious with any of the dinner choices from our Christmas menu list, AND it also freezes well. Another bonus? It makes a spectacular, inexpensive hostess gift! The aroma of the bread as it’s baking is sure to capture the nose of anyone within sniffing distance. This dense delight also [...]

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Thumbnail image for Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

November 23, 2009

Mary Anne here. My mom has made this bread every year for as long as I can remember, whether hosting Thanksgiving at home or traveling to spend the day with one of her six children. She never arrives without a loaf of her Pumpkin Bread, Date Nut Bread, and Cranberry Bread in hand, and all [...]

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Easter: Renaissance Ricotta Pie

April 8, 2009

Serves 10 Mary Anne here. One of my favorite things about this pie is that it can be made in stages, up to two days before the event.  I make the crust first, which requires a fair amount of time in the refrigerator before being rolled out. At first it’s a frightening experience, because the [...]

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Thumbnail image for Vegetarian Frittata with Sweet Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Fontina

Vegetarian Frittata with Sweet Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Fontina

March 20, 2009

Mary Anne here. For breakfast lunch or dinner, this filling frittata makes a delicious, healthy, and satisfying meal using whatever is leftover in the fridge. The following recipe utilized mushrooms, spinach and part of an onion that were in quantities too small to be useful for much of anything else. More than ever, I am [...]

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Thumbnail image for Fresh-Baked Scones

Fresh-Baked Scones

March 17, 2009

Mary Anne here. What’s a tea without fresh baked scones? These tasty little treats are very versatile served either with butter and blackberry jam, or used as the base for strawberry shortcakes.  The dough is incredibly simple to prepare.  As always, when preparing pastry, the lighter your touch in the rolling, the fluffier and moister [...]

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