Breakfast

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Family Favorite Breakfast Casserole: EGG BAKE

Saturday, March 2nd, 2013

Ok, so this is not difficult and it is not gourmet, it is just good!

My Aunt makes this breakfast casserole EGG BAKE (my husband calls it ‘French Toast Casserole with Sausage & Cheese’) every holiday when we are together. She also makes a really complicated Danish Pastry Wreath Recipe to accompany it. If you don’t have the time to make a homemade coffee cake to accompany this dish, make a box coffee cake (I love those too).

Egg Bake Breakfast Casserole Recipe

6 slices white bread/cubed
1 lb. cooked sausage
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups milk
8 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt

Mike all together and refrigerate overnight.

Bake in a 9 X 13 pan at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes.

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Tags: Breakfast, family recipe, Home Cookin'

The Breakfast Place: San Jose

Monday, May 14th, 2012

We are always looking for good breakfast spots. The Breakfast Place is a typical San Jose area restaurant in that it is located in a strip mall. It completely blends into its surroundings, making it somewhat of a hole in the wall. The inside looks like it used to be a Taqueria with wooden booths. This is breakfast and lunch restaurant has many Mexican inspired breakfast items and those of the dishes I recommend. Oddly, there are mugs, a variety of coffee mugs hanging on the wall. The menu is reminiscent of its fusion decor (fusion: too fancy of a word to use in the description of the atmosphere but none the less I believe I have properly used the word), a combination of Mexican breakfast dishes including Chilaquiles, Breakfast Burritos, and American classics such Chicken Fried Steak and Biscuits and Gravy (I would stick with the Mexican dishes and/or the french toast though). The two stars were the Huevos Rancheros and the Peanut Butter French Toast (& Chili Verde Eggs). The Huevos Rancheros was delicious and some of the best I’ve had. The Peanut Butter French Toast was unique and decadent. I’m not sure the Chicken Fried Steak lived up to these two dishes, however a friend said he did like the Irish Eggs Benedict.

*Photos taken with Camera + App.

3132 Williams Road San Jose, CA 95117

(408) 261-3714

Hours: Mon-Sun 7 am – 2:30 pm

Posted in Eating Out, South Bay - Silicon Valley | No Comments »
Tags: Breakfast, brunch, Huevos Rancheros, Peanut Butter French Toast, San Jose, The Breakfast Place

Cafe Delmarette • Santa Cruz

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

Cafe Delmarette, located in downtown Santa Cruz on Pacific (next to the Delmar Theater, get it, Delmarette), is THE place to meet friends for lunch OR to take out of town friends for lunch, coffee, house made teas (such as house made caramelized pear tea), homemade scones (Bacon, chive, & cheddar Scones, Fig goat cheese Scones, Strawberry Scones etc…), sandwiches, salads, and soup. This is an order at the counter cafe with limited indoor and outdoor seating. The casualness to the setting makes eating Delmarette’s local, tasty food quite wonderful.

Delmarette serves seasonal foods from a variety of pressed sandwiches to a great salad, daily soup special, and even a grain salad special which is always delicious too (such as Ta-Boo-Lee = Bulgur, Carrot, Red Onion, Cucumber, Cherry Tomato, Kale, Parsley & Dill). They serve VERVE coffee, another one of my Santa Cruz favorites, and they put frozen coffee ice cubes in their Iced Coffee (see photo above)! Their little cupcakes are delicious too – Blenheim Apricot Buttercream Frosting w/ fruit topping. My brother says it is the only place he eats lunch in downtown Santa Cruz and I have to credit him with introducing me to it as I walked by it so often and thought it was just another coffee shop. The atmosphere could be described as ‘cozy’ (not warm cozy like a diner or lodge in the winter, but small cozy). I would say that it is very much like a cafe you would find in Berkeley with local, homemade and seasonal foods for lunch with lots of folks strolling in and out. You order at the counter and can sit among cool little art inside or sit outside on the street on a little patio and people watch.

CLOSED TUESDAYS

Mon:	9:00 am	-	6:00 pm
Wed – Sat:	9:00 am	-	7:00 pm
Sun:	9:00 am	-	6:00

http://www.facebook.com/cafedelmarette

Cafe Delmarette

1126 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

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Tags: Breakfast, Cafe Delmarette, coffee, Lunch, santa cruz

For Sure, Breakfast @ Silver Spur: Santa Cruz

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

Their coffee is even good. You got it, not your typical diner. Seriously, my only problem with Silver Spur is, as their sign states, “Breakfast and Lunch 6am-3pm – Closed Sundays!” It is just open for breakfast and lunch and not on Sundays! Why can’t there be a high quality restaurant with great comfort food like Silver Spur that is open for dinner too in Santa Cruz. I mean, some evenings call for a blue plate special reminiscent of any American’s childhood favorite comfort foods (Meatloaf, Pork Chops, Mac & Cheese with a quality twist). Yes, this is one the best, top breakfast spots in Santa Cruz and frankly, in the Bay Area. The food is of a high quality with unique touches and an atmosphere that reminds me of great western breakfast spots from New Mexico to Montana. The western feel and often tex-mex inspired dishes (South of the Border Scramble, Corned Beef Hash, Huevos Rancheros) are delicious, particularly with the accompaniment of their homemade salsa. Silver Spur always has specials written up on the board often featuring their yummy orange poppy-seed pancakes as a special and of course their daily muffin selection. When you don’t think you want to the daily muffin special with your meal, get the cinnamon roll (pictured above). Another perk, while you wait for your table (as you know, all awesome breakfast spots have a wait) you can drink the great coffee outside in the sun and read the paper. My favorite dish is the South of the Border Scramble (has nice large pieces of avocado) and John’s is the Corned Beef Hash. Alright, uber-critical types, find something wrong with Silver Spur besides the wait and the weight, you’ll add to your thighs.

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Tags: Breakfast, Eating Out, Lunch, santa cruz, Silver Spur

Chill Out: Santa Cruz

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

Can you really judge a restaurant by eating there once? As a food blogger, love at first site only happens on special dining occasions, and then I often wonder if it was just lust. Love at first site didn’t happen at Chill Out. In past dining experiences at Chill Out I must have wanted to make it more of a long term affair with substance to our relationship. The first four times or so I felt like I had become familiar with Chill Out’s appearance and good offerings but I wasn’t in it for the long run. This is because I hadn’t found my go-to menu item quickly enough to build a craving for the seldom times when on I’m on a diet. So I decided to put more effort in this weekend with an invitation to join a breakfast birthday celebration at Chill Out.

I discovered two menu options and one dining note on my fifth visit to Chill Out. What does this mean? When you order too close to # 0-5 Breakfast Burrito options on the menu board, you are going to get an egg filled burrito that is too dry and straight up boring. I like a lot of sauce and a kick of spice in the form of at least salsa and (sorry purists) sour cream and/or guacamole on my breakfast burrito, particularly because there isn’t meat inside like el pastor or even bacon to spice it up. So I made my way to Burrito option #20 and bingo! So choose wisely and patiently. Then I walked out back to meet the already present party of eight breakfast-eater friends chilling at a huge picnic table and saw that our cousins had ordered these large plates filled with eggs, hash browns, a side of spicy cream cheese topping, and other stuff. This was the discovery of desirable menu item #2 (not to be confused with #2 on the menu) that happened to be a breakfast burrito without the tortilla (for the gluten-free types)! I already mentioned the other cool part of Chill Out that I discovered on this visit and it has to do with the ability for ten of us to sit together at a back picnic table with additional chairs for a huge, inexpensive brunch of friends and family (Note: it can get chilly out back on those cold Santa Cruz mornings). Oh, the fresh squeezed orange juice is money too but grab your coffee from next door at Verve Coffee Roasters (featured in another BITF Review) cause’ it is also money and award-winning!

860 41st Ave
Santa Cruz, CA 95062

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Tags: Breakfast, Breakfast Burrito, Chill Out, coffee, Eating Out, santa cruz

Leftovers: Tri-Tip Hash made with Spiced Tomato Gratin

Saturday, October 16th, 2010

On Thursday night we had Tri-Tip, Spiced Tomato Gratin (CSA Box #22 Recipe), and a Balthazar inspired salad with Lemon Truffle Vinaigrette. Saturday morning we woke up and realized we could make Tri-Tip Hash with the leftover Gratin and meat! It was like stepping into a greasy spoon on a Saturday morning after a long night, knee deep at the bar, except you’re only 15 feet from a shower to wash away your hang over.

In a cast iron pan throw together the leftover potatoes and meat and cook it up until fairly browned. Serve with eggs and toast.

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Tags: Breakfast, brunch, Hash, Home Cookin', recipe, Spiced Tomato Gratin, Tri-Tip, Tri-Tip Hash

Eating Out: Purple Onion in Los Gatos

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

I am bummed that I missed out on the Purple Onion for at least the last two years in Los Gatos. Why did I avoid the Purple Onion Cafe in Los Gatos? I think it was the unassuming exterior and the lack of a somewhat large and inviting sign out front (just small writing on the windows). One time we even went to eat breakfast at Southern Kitchen across the street and there was such a huge line that we possibly, maybe thought about trying out the Purple Onion but then just decided to wait at Southern Kitchen without even walking inside to check it out. That was stupid! The Purple Onion reminds me of a spot you would find up in Yountville in Wine Country. They serve some specialty products such as Lavender soda, nice quiches with mixed greens and flower petals, fresh squeezed orange juice, and crumb coffee cake.

Click to continue »

Posted in Eating Out, South Bay - Silicon Valley | 1 Response »
Tags: Breakfast, Cafe, Eating Out, Los Gatos, Lunch, Purple Onion

Bon Appetit Homemade Strawberry Pop-Tarts Recipe: Fancy with Blue Chair Fruit Jam

Friday, April 30th, 2010

A high-class pop tart from Big Sur Bakery and a local artisanal jam inspired me to try this Bon Appetit Strawberry Pop Tarts recipe! Our uncle was working on a Northern California hand-crafted artisanal food show and picked up some great jam from Blue Chair Fruit up in the East Bay and I decided it was the perfect jam for the job.

You can use any jam for this recipe from homemade marmalade to a farmer’s market local jam favorite. We used Blue Chair Fruit, Aprium-Orange Jam.

Everybody oohhh’d and ahhhh’d over these buttery, sinful desserts. It made sense because they were essentially a flaky, buttery sugar cookie/biscuit recipe with sugary, fruity jam inside.

You can even see the step-by-step instructions on BonAppetit.com “How to Make a Pop Tart!”

Pop Tarts Recipe ->