Brunch

(Salade Tiede aux Oeufs en Meurette) Two grand bistro classics meet here: the frisée aux lardons salad with a poached egg, and oeufs en meurette (poached eggs in a red-wine sauce). Frisée, with its slightly bitter flavor and sturdy but delicate texture, stands up beautifully to the rich, concentrated sauce and the warm poached egg.

When removing the skillet from the oven, beware of the hot handle!

It's the classic brunch dish—in salad form. Frisée, edamame, radishes, and red onions are sprinkled with prosciutto, then topped with a poached egg and hollandaise.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Jamie Oliver's book Jamie's Italy. I've always thought of crostini as small bruschette but this isn't completely correct, as they are usually made with white bread instead of sourdough. I'm told that in the old days the bread would have been so stale that it would have to be soaked in a little stock or juice to make it chewy and edible again, but don't worry. In this day and age you don't have to do this. In Italy they simply grill a half-inch slice of ciabatta, rub it with a cut clove of garlic, drizzle it with oil, and season it with salt and pepper.

Editor's note: The recipe below is from Donna Hay's book,Instant Entertaining.

Danish blue cheese, which is more economical than Roquefort, adds a rich tang to these cheese puffs.

Apples make this salad appealing even to young children.

These palm-size pockets can be frozen for up to a month and fit perfectly in a lunch box.

These hand-formed sausage patties, seasoned with holiday spices, might just be the beginning of a new tradition at your house.

Whatever else you set out, great smoked salmon will always draw a crowd. And like any good leading actor, it works well with all of the supporting players, from horseradish cream to egg salad.

A salad of oranges and slightly bitter endive and escarole rounds out the buffet of fried latkes and rich toppings.

There’s nothing quite like making your own granola. You can toss in as many nuts and fruits as you want and sweeten it to your taste. While the possibilities are endless, we love this honey-sweetened variation with sesame seeds. The cardamom clings to the almonds, dried apricots and pears, and oats, adding an exotic touch.

Egg dishes always make a great centerpiece, especially when they’re this easy. As it bakes, Gruyère melts into the nutmeg-scented egg and milk mixture, which takes on a light, quiche-like creaminess.

Here, we pepped up the fail-safe brunch combination of bacon, egg, and cheese by adding handfuls of flavorful sautéed arugula. They'll be jumping out of bed for this one.

"I'm hot-rodding bacon here," said food editor Melissa Roberts, "making it extra-special with a fragrant hit of pepper over a sweet glaze." Rendering the bacon before it's brushed with maple syrup and finished in the oven results in strips with a spectacular crunch.

Grapefruit and oranges, at their peak around the holidays, are like a beam of sunshine in the bleak midwinter. Here, a beautiful salad of juicy jewel-toned segments swims in a bright simple syrup infused with the licorice notes of star anise.

Don't let a cloudless sky stop you from enjoying a white Christmas. Create your own by whirring hot milk in a blender until it's as light as freshly fallen snow. The creamy froth blankets strong, dark coffee for a special morning brew.

This holiday twist on the traditional brunch cocktail sparkles ruby red with pomegranate juice, its tart intensity offset by a hint of sweetness from fresh orange juice and Cointreau.

In this marriage of give and take, shallot-dill butter makes jumbo shrimp taste as sweet as langoustines. In return, the shrimp impart their juices to the butter as they bake, creating a silky sauce. With toasted brioche in hand, you’ll want to sop up every last drop.