Brunch

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Serve the frittata with chunky salsa, and put together an avocado, jicama and red onion salad with cumin vinaigrette to have alongside. Melon wedges and pine nut cookies are just right for dessert.

These get a lift from allspice, too.

Use leftover poached or baked salmon. Canned red salmon that has been drained, skinned and boned also does the trick.

Called Goldie Lox at Sarabeth's restaurant in New York, this delicious dish gets its name from the golden color of the eggs, which are combined with the lox. There are pockets of cream cheese throughout this savory mixture, the key to creating them is keeping the cheese cold until it is folded into the eggs. Be sure to have plenty of coffee and an assortment of teas on hand to complete the meal.

Jennifer Martin of Portland, Oregon, writes: "I am not formally trained in cooking but grew up working in food service, from chopping vegetables at food festivals to catering parties for a little extra income. Today I own Epicure Custom Cooking, a gourmet takeout shop and catering company with a few tables for dining. Our specials change weekly and are geared toward what I like to cook and eat. I simply love the business, even with my 12-hour days." Use bananas with some black spots on the skin, a sign that they are really ripe.

Pass a pitcher of cold low-fat or nonfat milk to drizzle over this cereal.

Grits (made from dried hulled hominy) are at the heart of many a southern breakfast. Texture is the hallmark of good grits — they should be slightly loose but not too runny on the plate. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

Although four mini-muffin pans are called for, each containing twelve 1 3/4-by-1 inch cups, you could also make these tartlets in batches using two pans. When making the dough, work quickly to prevent the phyllo from drying out and the butter from hardening.

I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes for these blini because they absorb more cream than other potatoes and thus result in the best possible texture. This recipe will make extra batter, but it's a difficult recipe to reduce. The batter is best when used immediately, but it can be made up to two hours ahead if stored in a warm place (the cream may clot if it gets too cold). Use a scale to weigh the proper amount of potatoes after puréeing them, and make the batter while the potatoes are still warm or the blini will not have the correct texture.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

About two centuries ago, field workers near Valencia began sharing a luncheon dish made of rice, vegetables, snails and eels cooked in a flat, oval, two-handled metal pan known as a paellera. And so paella was born.
Rice dishes made in such a pan, whatever the ingredients, are called paella or just arroz con ("rice with"), followed by a description of the contents. The traditional components of this particular version are snails, rabbit and rosemary, which are found in the Valencian mountains.
This equally delectable rendition omits the snails and substitutes chicken for rabbit.
This recipe can be made in a paella pan, a flameproof earthenware casserole or a large skillet.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.