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breakfast and brunch
First we eat, then we do everything else.
—M. F. K. FISHER
WAKE UP YOUR PALATE, YOUR PLATE, AND YOUR PLAYMATES
with these fast-to-fix, easy-to-enjoy treats. For luxurious mornings of lei-
sure, Whole-Wheat Blueberry Sticky Buns are a pleasure to share along
with the weekend paper. Caught in the fast pace of the daily grind?
You'll never have to skip breakfast on a busy morning—with recipes
like Fudgy Chocolate Banana Flax Muffins or Hot Grains with Coconut
Cream, you'll be fabulously fueled in no time flat. Savories and sweets,
forkfuls and hand-to-mouth treats—from Banana-Pecan Buttermilk
Pancakes to a Black Bean and Onion Frittata to Avocado Toast with
Harissa, this chapter is full of morning nourishment, perfect for boys
who breakfast and ladies who brunch.

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BANANA-PECAN
BUTTERMILK PANCAKES
makes eighteen 4-inch pancakes
EV ERY SUNDAY DUR ING our family summers up in Maine, we
would spend the morning feasting on pancakes. Sometimes we made
them with heaping handfuls of wild Maine blueberries, but the sweet
caramel of bananas and buttery pecans has always been my favorite.
My mom would get up early to get the batter started, and by the time
my siblings and I came down, there would be perfect cakes lining the
griddle. We piled them high, poured on the maple syrup, and then went
back for seconds . . .
3/4 cup pecans, toasted,
plus more for garnish
1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon iodized salt
4 tablespoons ground flaxseed
(optional)
3 large eggs
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick)
unsalted butter, melted, plus
more for the pan
1 cup milk, whole or 2%
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (see Note)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large ripe bananas, sliced
into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
(reserve some for garnish)
Buttered Maple Syrup (recipe
follows)
Note: If you don't have buttermilk,
simply add 1 tablespoon white dis-
tilled vinegar or lemon juice to 1-cup
measure and complete the cup with
whole or 2% milk to yield 1 cup “but-
termilk”! Let stand for 5 minutes
and then use as needed.
1. Preheat the oven to 200°F and place a cooling rack on a baking
sheet.
2. Finely grind ½ cup of the pecans in a food processor, or chop
them to a fine powder. Coarsely chop the remaining ¼ cup pecans
and reserve. Transfer the ground pecans to a large bowl. Add the
flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and flaxseed (if using) and whisk
until combined.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, butter, milk, buttermilk,
and vanilla until frothy. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry
ingredients and stir until just combined (don't overmix or your
pancakes won't rise properly). Fold the reserved ¼ cup of chopped
pecans into the batter.
4. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Brush the grid-
dle with butter; keep the surface buttered well throughout cooking
to prevent the bananas from sticking. Pour ¼ cup of the batter
onto griddle for each pancake. Lay about 5 banana slices onto each

4 RELISH
pancake and cook until small bubbles form and pop on the surface and the bottom is golden brown. Flip
the pancakes and cook until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
5. Place the pancakes on the cooling rack on top of the baking sheet and keep them warm in oven until
ready to serve. Drizzle with Buttered Maple Syrup and garnish with bananas and pecans. Serve warm.
1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
2 ounces bourbon whiskey
(optional)
In a small saucepan, warm the syrup and butter over medium-low
heat; whisk to combine. If desired, stir in bourbon to give these
pancakes an adult zing!
BUTTERED MAPLE SYRUP
D ASH
• Start in one spot and lift your spoon or ladle up as you pour over the same spot to
form well-shaped circles.
• Flip the pancakes only once so that they stay light and fluffy.
• Store your pancakes in the oven on a cooling rack over a baking sheet to keep the
pancakes from steaming.

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BROILED GRAPEFRUIT
WITH CANDIED GINGER
AND BASIL
serves 2
DI ET FOOD for people who don't diet. You'll thank me later. 1/4 cup sugar
One 1-inch piece peeled fresh
ginger
1 grapefruit, cut in half
horizontally
3 large basil leaves, cut into
thin ribbons
1. Place the sugar in a small bowl. Use a Microplane or ginger
grater to grate the ginger into the sugar, being sure to catch all the
juice and pulp; stir to combine. Set it aside for at least 20 minutes
in an airtight container until ready to use.
2. Sprinkle each grapefruit half with 1 teaspoon of the ginger
sugar. Place under the broiler until the sugar has just begun to melt
and caramelize and the grapefruit is slightly warm—but don't let it
burn! Top with shredded basil and enjoy on the spot.

6 RELISH
HOT GRAINS WITH
COCONUT CREAM
makes about 3 cups
OATME A L GETS OLD, fast, but it's the breakfast of choice for people
looking to eat smart on the run, especially if you're interested in manag-
ing that waistline, so I came up with something triple delicious and easy
to put together when you're craving a warm bowl of hot cereal to rev up
your morning. I make a big batch on Mondays and reheat portions over
the rest of the week.
Amaranth, quinoa, and millet are all good choices for anyone sensi-
tive to gluten—a protein found in wheat and other grains—and they
pack both a powerful protein-fiber double whammy to keep you full,
and plenty of healthful complex carbohydrates to energize. I keep a can
of coconut milk in the pantry for an indulgent addition to this morning
meal. Shake the can to combine the separated coconut cream and water,
spoon some over your cereal, and save