Eggs Benedict

4 English muffins

4 pieces of Canadian bacon

4 eggs

2 egg yokes

Fresh chives

1 cube salted butter

Additional butter for spreading

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Tabasco sauce

Salt and pepper

Toast the English muffins and top with butter. Heat Canadian bacon until warm. Add enough water in a deep skillet to cover eggs. Add a splash of vinegar and a pinch of salt to the water and heat until a very gentle simmer. Slide eggs carefully into water. Cook for three to five minutes, until whites have set, but yokes are still soft. Melt cube of butter in a small saucepan, being careful not to brown.

In a blender, combine egg yokes, lemon juice, 3-4 dashes of tabasco brand hot sauce and a pinch of salt and pepper. Turn on the blender and begin slowly pouring in hot butter. Stop when all ingredients are combined and creamy. Taste and add salt and pepper, if desired. Place the English muffin down first, then a piece of Canadian bacon, the poached egg, the hollandaise sauce, and finally top with chopped chives. Serve on or two stacks to each person.

For an easier method, the poached egg can be replaced by a fried egg with a soft yoke.

Other options:

Add a slice of tomato

Add a couple of slices of avocado

Add a couple of pieces of asparagus

Replace English muffin with a bagel or a toasted baguette

Replace Canadian bacon with smoked salmon

Eggs in a basket

Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add a pat of butter and splash of olive oil. Take a slice of bread, large rounds of sourdough are recommended, and tear a small whole in the center, large enough for the egg to sit in it. Place the bread into the pan and crack a small egg into the center. Season egg with salt and pepper. Cook on one side for roughly four minutes.

Bread should be lightly browning and egg should be cooked. Carefully flip and cook on other side for a few minutes more. Topped with chopped chives.

Proscuitto bacon

Heat a pan over medium high heat wth a splash of olive oil. Add proscuitto strips in batches and cook until just shriveled and crisp. Place on a paper towel to drain and cover with another couple of paper towels to keep warm.

Basil berry salad

Combine any combination of berries and toss with a tablespoon of sugar, a handful of chopped basil and the juice from half a lemon. Sit at room temperature while preparing other dishes. Stir once before serving.

Pineapple mimosas

Place a couple of chunks of canned pineapple and a little of the syrup and top with champagne.

Source: Robyn Grace Jennings

Chocolate-orange scones

1 cup flour

1 cup oat flour

1/4 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Zest from 2 oranges

4 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate (65 percent to 70 percent cacao)

1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, plus extra for brushing

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oat flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the orange zest and the chocolate.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the cream. Using a spatula, mix the ingredients until just moistened; the dough should look rough and shaggy. Gather the dough into a lump with your hands and knead it together five or six times, until it holds together and the sides of the bowl are clean.

On a lightly floured board, pat the dough into an 8 1/2-inch round. Using a knife or a dough cutter, cut the round into 12 wedges. Place the wedges about an inch apart on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with cream and sprinkle them lightly with sugar.

Bake the scones until they begin to turn golden brown, about 15 minutes. Allow the scones to cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Servings: Makes 12 scones.

Source: LA Times-Washington Post and adapted from Alice Medrich's "Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales From a Life in Chocolate"