The Muesli Lover

Mr Muesli Lover brunches in Dubai

2012-01-22T06:00:00.000Z

Mr Muesli Lover went to Dubai recently and came back having had a very surprising breakfast...

"I was in Dubai for 48 hours visiting my brother and his fiance. They suggested that we go out for a relaxed brunch to a new place that had opened up, Jones. “Brunch” in Dubai is usually associated with copious amounts of food and booze so I was intrigued as to where we would be going.

Non-boozey breakfasts in Dubai had previously been a mixed affair. Either over-the-top hotel affairs or cafes with a Middle Eastern slant that didn’t always get it quite right. We arrived just off the Sheik Zayed Road which was hardly the most auspicious start: the road is one of Dubai’s busiest. The building was also non-descript. A cube-like block of dark glass-could be any Dubai office block. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover...

Walking in one immediately entered a large, spacious room. Light, airy, a touch of metal here but nothing too fancy. Tables were around the outside of the room with the serving area and kitchen in the centre and accessible from all sides. It was pretty cool walking around and seeing everything going on in the kitchen. Shelves were packed high with various food items ranging from Jones’ branded muesli to high-end condiments. There was also a wonderfully smelly fromagerie. I was looking forward to breakfast.

The menu was refined and efficient. Nothing too different on there but all of it looked appealing. I chose the omelette with a side of mushrooms. I was offered the choice of medium or well-done - a first! I chose well-done not being a fan of under-cooked egg. The presentation was restrained with just a couple of sun-dried tomatoes accompanying the omelette which sat on a crunchy, thick slab of sourdough.

Again, appearances can be deceptive as although the dish looked rather simple it was cooked to perfection and tasted quite magnificent. Firm yet not dry at all and with a layer of cheese that ever-so-slowly oozed out. The mushrooms arrived in a terracotta dish and were as good mushrooms should be: juicy and clearly cooked in butter. Absolutely wonderful - amazing how a food item that is not that tasty raw comes alive with some heat and butter.

I left Jones elated and invigorated: it was a really great breakfast and, given I visit Dubai a reasonable amount to see my brother, a viable option for a good breakfast and coffee without the temptation of knocking back 7 glasses of champagne...Not that that is a bad breakfast either!

Kaffeine, Soho, London

2012-01-15T06:00:00.000Z

Hurrah the Antipodean revolution. Another fantastic coffee stop, and a stone's throw from the crap coffee-toting cafes of the Oxford Street strip.

Kaffeine is cute and classic of the new genre of Australian/New Zealand-owned independent cafés. There's an open-top counter of colourful sandwiches, fresh salads and cakes with hand-written labels. The Anzac biscuits are top notch coffee dippers, although the dense, rich brownies are a delight too. The music is groovy, the vibe relaxed, and I even saw a minor celeb in there (Lillie Allen and man), if that's your bag.

It prides itself on local food and the Square Mile coffee, naturally, is superb: nutty, soft, smooth and divine. A welcome glowing light in the dingy dark of Oxford Circus coffee shops.

Details: Kaffeine, 66 Great Titchfield Street, Fitzrovia, London; W1W 7QJ; tel. 020 7580 6755.

Breakfast included: The Soho Grand

2012-01-08T06:00:00.000Z

The surroundings: Manhattan’s Downtown may not be as smokin’ hot as the Meatpacking/West Village and Lower East Side/East Village districts that sandwich it on each side, but being between the two makes it a perfect place to stay.

The Soho Grand is so cool it doesn’t bother with a proper restaurant – why have a boring old meal when you can sip martinis and sustain yourself on olives and trendy bar food? The nightlife isn’t the only hip thang – there’s the vast iron work staircase with rivets and sweeping handrail, a huge pencil sketch of warehouses hinting at Soho’s industrial past, and dogs… everywhere. Live ones, bronze ones, this is a pet-friendly hotel that welcomes canines of all sizes – from handbag Chihuahuas to the pony-sized Great Dane that passed me on the stairs.

Not wishing to shackle you to a boring-old-restaurant, breakfast can be taken anywhere – bedroom, lounge, bar, trendy armchair…

Buffet: none

Hot stuff: The fact that the Continental breakfast comes with banana bread immediately endeared me to this trendy hotel. The $15 is steep, but not for New York. Juice of the day ($8), carrot and ginger, was fresh and perfectly spiced, while the power shake of pineapple, banana and whey protein ($9) was breakfast in a glass.

Nevertheless, I powered on… there was much to like – French toast with orange butter ($16), ricotta pancakes with lemon and sugar ($16) and the Sex-and-the-City favourite, egg white omelette with herbs and vegetable ratatouille ($15). I plumped for soft poached egg with toasted sourdough and roasted mushrooms ($15). Tasty on both counts with just-poached-enough eggs and tasty mushrooms.

As you’d expect in this part of the world, the sourdough was top notch – a crisp crust and doughy centre. I’m assured the granola of toasted seeds and oats ($9) was tasty, although I felt the extra $2 for yoghurt a little steep. Fun and frivolous, if a little bank-breaking (our bill with tax, service and drinks came to $78), worth it for a mooch around the hotel and cheaper than a round of cocktails.

The Riding House Cafe, Soho, London

2012-01-01T06:00:00.000Z

The salvage/brick/iron/wood interior of Great Titchfield Street's latest brunch spot is a hint of New York. In fact, the interior is divine. The sage green leather is a striking contrast against the industrial colours. Seating ranges from cyan blue distressed leather bar stools to soft orange banquettes and tattered armchairs. The lighting is a bit NY too - oversized lampshades and bare bulbs abound.

The breakfast menu ceases at midday, which was the first disappointment once we'd sat down to our 12.15 booking. Gone were the buttermilk pancakes with vanilla clotted cream and berries (£5.50), the avocado on toast with black pepper (£4.80) and the Orkney bacon sandwich (£7.50). However, some brunchy items remained on the lunch menu.

Chorizo hash browns with mushroom and poached egg (£10.50) sound like such a brunch winner I'm surprised I've not come across them before. They were a winner - a generous colourful plate and a crisp, salty, crunchy taste. I had the smoked haddock kedgeree with soft boiled egg and pea shoots (£13). It was good - tasty, hot, fresh and substantial.

The service took an age, despite our arriving between the busiest periods, and a mistake with our order resulted from the waiter not writing it down (cue rant on waiting staff not writing down an order then getting it wrong... St Ali: are you listening?).

Fun, chi chi and civilised.

Details: The Riding House Cafe, 43-51 Great Titchfield Street, London W1W 7PQ; tel. 020 7927 0840

Breakfast included: The Spindrift, Anstruther, East Neuk of Fife

2011-12-25T06:00:00.000Z

Surroundings: The Spindrift gets its name from the spray that blows off tempestuous ocean waves, and on stepping out of the door on a windy, wintery day I think I could taste the salty air.

It's the first house on the left as you drive into Ansturther from the south and occupies a somewhat exposed but dramatic spot. The icean can't be more than a mile away and it's a golfer's paradise, but more to the point, this place has won porridge awards.

But before the oats, the house. It's a handsome stone-built Victorian house with eight bedrooms and a few grand bits and bobs - a huge sideboard, a grandfather clock and big, heavy doors were my favourites - oh, and the whisky-rich honesty bar.

Buffet: The sun-dappled breakfast room was a sight for sore eyes. The central buffet offered muesli, nuts, fruit, jams, honey, oat cakes, yoghurt and juice.

Hot stuff: The porridge was the main event for me. The B&B was a Scott's Porridge Oats Golden Spurtle Award Winner in 2003, and standards haven't slipped since then. The hot smooth oaty mixture came with a spoon made of bone, I think. The toppings included honey, whisky, jam, blackberries, brown sugar, cream and the like. I wanted all of them.

The next course was a little less successful - I wasn't at all sure about the pink, chewy, triangular sausage, but the potato cake was spot on. The eggs were a little too cooked and textured for me. I wish I'd stopped at the porridge.

Details: The Spindrift, Pittenweem Road, Anstruther, Fife, KY10 3DT; tel: 01333 310573. B&B from £32 a night.

Brunch at Bubby's, NYC

2011-12-18T07:00:00.000Z

Coming from a city where we are very much still getting the hang of brunch, it’s a revelation to brunch in a city where the best meal of the week has been an institution for years. Yes, it takes up the large part of the day. Yes, you drink alcohol. Yes, you can read the papers and ignore your companions for at least some of the meal. Yes, you can take your child/dog/badly behaved friends and be a little raucous. Brunch is relaxed, frivolous and indulgent.

At Bubby’s you will queue for brunch, but with satanic chocolate cookies, pomegranate soda and lattes to keep you occupied, the waiting isn’t hardship. The restaurant is typical TriBeCa: surrounded by nondescript warehousy buildings and tarmacked and cobbled streets of little traffic. It’s also atypical TriBeCa, in that it has been popular for years, contrasting with it’s flash-in-the-pan neighbours.

The brunch crowd come for big plates of comfort food. There’s one thing that should be on everyone’s order: pancakes. I had the best I’ve ever tasted at Bubby’s. Vast disks of soft, but not too spongy buttermilk pancakes topped with churned butter and liberal DIY drenching with maple syrup. Pancakes come in different guises too – the sourdough version is a revelation, while banana and walnut is what I’ll order next time I go to Bubby’s.

The brunch staples are your classic egg/bacon/sausage variations with/without pancakes, plus scrapple (a sort of bubble and squeak). There was also Egg’s Benedict, Florentine and a lobster Benedict for the under-indulged. Steak and eggs and pork chop and eggs were the big protein hits, while granola, fruit and yoghurt and smoothies were the lighter options, but really, not in the spirit of brunch. Brunch cocktails, not served until midday, included Bloody Mary, mimosa and bellini.

The only other bemusement was that Bubby’s is cash only, of which you’ll need plenty, if like my table, the round of espresso milkshakes warrants a repeat order... Pastis is, like so passee. Brunch in NYC is all about Bubby’s.

Breakfast included: Alcafar Vell, Menorca

2011-12-11T06:00:00.000Z

Rustic, chic and little-known, the Alcaufar Vell boutique hotel is a quiet and sophisticated spot on the Balearic's most unspoilt island.

Breakfast is taken in the Arabic-style courtyard in the shadow of the hotel's stunning facade. The
plants offer atmosphere and a haven for the crickets that provide the Mediterranean sound effects.

The selection offers the flour-dusted local ensaimadas, a pastry of concenrtic rings, plus mini chocolate croissants and pretty pots of yoghurt and coulis.

The melt-in-the-mouth Spanish ham was divine, on torn-off chunks of fresh bread and local hard cheese.

Coffee from the machine was disappointing, but the surroundings more than made up for it.

Granola... for men

2011-12-03T22:48:00.001Z

Mmmm, *man* breakfast. None of this bircher nonsense or porridge for me. I like my breakfast food of choice to be a granola and preferably one that tastes a bit naughty. So when Muesli Lover asked me to review the new Fuel granola I said yes.

After all it is the “Breakfast granola for active lifestyles”. I was immediately struck by the packaging: almost comically retro with lots of “crazy” silhouette images of sports people. I rather like it. Muesli Lover and her friend thought it rubbish. That sold it to me further.

I tried the chocolatey brand. Chunks of granola tumbled out of the box like rocks down a mountain - satisfyingly solid. Squares of dark chocolate were clearly visible as were those nuts that are good for you - flat and oval shaped, slightly green? I don’t know their name and don’t need to. They must offset the chocolate or something. A good chuck of milk later and I was ready to get Fuelled up (sorry...). And I must say it was really rather fine.

I don’t how granola works but the chunks stayed together for a long time and were satisfyingly crunchy. The dark chocolate was sufficient to be a reward every so often but it didn’t really turn the milk brown so I guess there isn’t too much of it there. The nuts were just additional crunchy bits but, like I say, they made me feel I was doing some good.

A few days later I actually had a few mouthfuls of the granola dry before heading off on a 10km run. I don’t know if the granola worked but I boshed out a good time and felt pretty energised. Whether it is mind over matter or there is something to those little nuts I will definitely be re-Fuelling with this brand again (sorry...).

Sold at Tesco for £3.69 a box.

Londoner? Breakfaster? Perfect Secret Santa...

2011-11-21T22:55:00.000Z

Gluten-free cereal to sing about

2011-11-12T06:00:00.000Z

Muesli Lover has dabbled with various food intolerances over the years, and is a sucker for anything free from the much maligned and misunderstood dairy/gluten siblings. Jesting aside, Muesli Lover realises that while the odd bit of tummy ache doesn't constitute a dietary condition, there are people for whom a decent tasting gluten-free breakfast is a God-send.

The one that's come my way recently is even Coeliac UK licenced, so it's the real deal, but more importantly it tastes wonderful. The Nature's Path range, 'Maple Sunrise' for oldies and 'Os' for kids... and big kids, have all sorts of wholesome stuff in, but taste like they're a bit naughty. Already well established in the US, expect to see more from this brand in the UK.

The Maple Sunrise is sweet enough to satisfy the branded cereal fans, but it's a rounded maple sweetness, rather than saccharine. The ingredients list includes corn, flax, quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth, and many of the ingredients are organic. Be warned though, cane juice is ingredient number two in Maple Sunrsie, so for me this remains a treat cereal, rather than an every day bowl, but it's got a satisfying crunch that keeps me going back for more.

The Os are satisfyingly crunchy too and like Cheerios, but tastier. A winner at £2.95 a pop. Check out the website for a range of other tasty alternatives to the cereal monster brands.

Mr Muesli Lover brunches in LA

2011-11-06T18:22:00.000Z

I’d had a doozy of a week. Many meetings, many meals, not enough “down time”. A weekend near Venice beckoned and I needed a brunch fix.

A good friend of mine knew the area and pointed me towards Abbott Kinney - a hip street resurrecting what surely previously was nothing special - and an identified, square rusty-looking building. So far, so intriguing. A few people milled around outside in that very cool, Californian way.

We ventured inside...to Gjelina and what became brunch heaven. Very on-trend, New York style furnishing. Rusty bits here. Exposed bits there. Dark wood drawing the light from the ubiquitous filament lights. Bit unusual, a wonderful sun-drenched courtyard where we were seated. The rickety steel table and chairs weren’t that comfortable but this isn’t a place for slouching, it’s a place to sit tall and proud and enjoy the delights served up. And, boy, what delights.

The drinks menu alone was a brunch revelation. Wine, beers, cocktails by the bucketload. I tried the Ginger Lime (Pilsner, Ginger Syrup, Lime - refreshing) and the Calimocho (Red Wine, Coca-Cola, Citrus - much more pleasant than it sounds, a kinda less saccharine Cherry Coke). The food menu was adventurous and a little reminiscent of St Ali, a favourite back in Clerkenwell, London.

The menu states “changes & modifications politely declined” but I cannot see who would want to modify anything. From oysters to bacon scones to BLT to duck eggs to summer squash to asparagus, this menu had it all for the adventurous bruncher. My choice was the Moroccan baked eggs with merguez, chili, tomato sauce, cilantro and spiced yoghurt ($15). A veritable colour explosion, it was served in a heavy pan. Cooked to perfection it was not too runny yet left enough goo to need the crunchy sourdough to mop up the remains.

My partners-in-brunch had the Asparagus and Smoked Salmon Soft Scramble ($12). This was one of the more simple dishes and it really came as described. Which, seeing as that had been ordered was exactly what was needed! The soft scramble was just right and the salmon didn’t over power the dish as can often be the case. They also ordered the 4-grain porridge with berries, banana, milk and buckwheat honey ($9). This isn’t really what I want in a brunch but by the state of the clean bowl it seems to have hit the spot for those who ate it.

Last, but certainly not least, we ordered a side of crispy fingerling potatoes with truffle oil, herbs and Parmesan. Holy smoke, this was absolutely terrific. Wonderfully crisp potatoes, the hint of truffle adding to the taste and the crunchy parmesan giving this course the moreish factor. Our waitress told us that they had taken them off the menu but demand had led them to put them back on. I can see why, they are their signature dish for sure. Otherwise the juices and coffees were great, no complaints there but since we ordered simple juices and Americano’s no real revelations either.

If I had to invent my own brunch place then it would resemble Gjelina for food offerings. It is a wonderful, fresh and lively place. Now, how can I swing another trip to LA?

Gjelina is open all day M-F 11:30 - Midnight. Weekends 9:00am - Midnight - Brunch until 3pm.

Recipe: Kheema Purr Eedu

2011-10-31T18:27:00.000Z

Cyrus Todiwala shares this exotic and delicious breakfast dish...

Mince of all types when cooked with the right balance of spices and condiments gives a meal full of beautiful flavours and aromas and is highly versatile with many different ways of serving. Here we bring to you a simple Parsee style lamb mince which can be served with fried egg on top, or scrambled with egg, or baked with egg, or of course served with that very Parsee Favourite “sulli’ or crisp straw potatoes

Ingredients
500g lean mince (lamb is good)
6 organic/free-range eggs
2-inch piece of fresh ginger (Adrak)
5-6 garlic cloves (Lasan)
1tsp cumin seeds (Jeera)
1 tsp coriander seeds (Dhania)
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 slender green chillis
2-3 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
3-inch piece of cassia bark (Daal Chini)
3-4 pods of cardamom (Elaichi) 3-4 cloves (Lavang)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (Haldi)
1 tsp chilli powder
2-3 whole red chilli
2 heaped tbsp fresh coriander
10-12 leaves of fresh mint, shredded
2 tbsp oil (rapeseed preferred)

Method

Gently Roast, (Bhunao) dhania and jeera in a frying pan until lightly coloured and crisp. Soak in 250ml hot water with the green chilli, sliced garlic and ginger.

When cumin and coriander are well puffed up puree to a smooth paste in a blender. If not smooth pass through a strainer and try pureeing again or finish in a mortar and pestle.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan or casserole add the oil, heat and fry the cassia, cardamom and cloves. Please remember to crack the cardamom pods for better flavour and to prevent blowing up. DO not over heat the oil.

When the cloves get bloated slightly add the chopped onion until it browns. Add the paste a litte haldi and chili powder and (bhunao) sauté stirring well from the bottom, until fat separates. Turn flame off allow to cool a little and then blend in the kheema well. Mixing well means to beat the mince in virtually and break all the lumps etc. Add a touch of water to break lumps then return to fire stirring well for the first few minutes.

Allow to cook making sure no lumps form and, in a few minutes add the tomato. Cook until you have the right consistency. Then season and add chopped coriander and mint and if serving the Parsee way then you will need some diced potato in the kheema too besides the sali Always serve with rotli as the Parsees prefer (Chappaties.)

To serve this as the recipe with eggs, it is best to put the cooked mince in a baking dish. Wash the eggs and dry. Now first make an indentation with the base of an egg and crack the yolk into the indentation, do this with all the eggs spacing them accordingly (this is why you wash the eggs, also organic / free range have the best yolk colour and taste) Cover the dish with foil or a lid and place in a tray with some boiling hot water in an oven on the middle shelf at 120 degrees Celcius for 20 minutes or so.

Alternatively, place the mince in a shallow casserole pan and flatten the mince then follow the same procedure, but this time cook on a gentle heat until the eggs are done The best is to have a luxurious creamy buttery yolk and soft whites. ENJOY!

A bit about Cyrus... Bombay-born Cyrus Todiwala is the Chef Patron of Café Spice Namaste, the east London Indian restaurant that he set up with his wife Pervin over 15 years ago. His food draws on his Parsee heritage and Portuguese influences, and his range of Mr Todiwala pickles, chutneys and fresh cooking sauces sells across the country.

The latest venture from the chef who often appears on Saturday Kitchen, is the second restaurant, Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen, opening at the new Hilton Heathrow Airport Terminal 5.

Scrumshus [sic] Granola

2011-10-24T06:30:00.000+01:00

The jar won it.

Oh, and the oats, coconut, honey, maple syrup, almonds, cashew nuts, sunflowers seeds, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, raisins and hazelnuts.

There's nowhere to hide - no dusty floor sweepings hidden behind pretty pictures on a cardboard box. The clear plastic jar takes no prisoners (p.s. it's recyclable).

This stuff is served in a few snazzy London hotels and frozen yoghurt bars. Otherwise you'll find it in Fortnum & Mason, Whole Foods and the like.

It was developed by Fay Miller, who wasn't happy with what's on the market, and baked her own, to some considerable success... it's nutty, crunchy, honey and maple syrup sweetened.

No fruit needed, just milk, yoghurt or even just a spoon.

Details: www.scrumshus.co.uk

Bizarre French breakfast inventions

2011-10-17T06:14:00.000+01:00

The egg pillow, the cereal dispenser... mais non!

Best breakfasts: St Ali, Clerkenwell, London

2011-10-10T06:36:00.002+01:00

I knew I was going to like St Ali. It's got two strong breakfast credentials... 1) it's in the heart of brunch country (Clerkenwell/NW, home to Modern Pantry, Providores, Caravan etc) and 2) it's Antipodean owned and run, as per the above, so that means good coffee and innovative breakfasts.

The venue used to be a bar - I remember drinking vodka-lemonades there many moons ago - but has been transformed. The look is shabby cool, with bare brick, exposed metal piping, school-style chairs, mix-match tables and salvage-looking art and furniture. There's two floors so the queue (and there usually is one on a weekend morning), goes pretty quickly.

The staff are knowledgeable, efficient and fun (we were asked by the barman, 'why no vodka' when we ordered a Virgin Mary...)

There's a coffee roaster on site and the brews are something special - the drip coffees, which come on a tray in a simple glass jug, are for the aficionados, but the frothy ones, for us philistines, are pretty good too. There's also fresh juices and a load of teas on offer.

The menu is divided into breakfast, brunch and lunch, going from toasty/oaty through to eggy/beany to meaty/veggie.

The breakfast items haven't got a look in on either of my visits, but the St Ali apple bircher muesli with labna, new season British strawberries and toasted pumpkin seeds (£5.25) sounds delicious, as does the 'Banana Republic', homemade banana bread toasted with date and orange jam and espresso marscapone (£4.75).

Breakfast also includes a DIY fry-up with options such as thyme-roasted mushrooms and grilled halloumi to add to the eggs, toast and tomato kasundi (a delicately spiced chutney).

The brunch menu is where the real innovation comes in - a favourite of mine is 'My Mexican Cousin', consisting of the Kiwi classic, corn fritter, topped with baby spinach, grilled halloumi, kasundi and poached eggs (£9.25). It is hearty, wholesome and delicious. The fritter is chunky, firm and not remotely oily and the halloumi is thin, so not too squeaky, topped with a perfectly cooked egg.

Another favourite order, despite the name... is 'Dutch Oven' (Google if your vocabulary isn't as immature as mine...). It's house-braised beans on sourdough toast, salted ricotta, lemon, mint and a poached egg (£6.75). There's a mountain of large, tasty beans with just enough bite, on a wedge of sourdough. It's a healthy option, perfect if you want to indulge in one of the weekly changing muffins afterwards (coconut, mango and white chocolate I seem to remember ion my last visit).

Service is quick but you can linger over coffee without being hurried out. The food is colourful, imaginative, hearty and worth paying just under a tenner per brunch dish. As for the lunch menu, why would you bother with these, and the likes of French toast with vanilla marscapone, black pudding on toast with apple-chilli jam and avocado and feta crumble with pomegranate to choose from...

Details: St Ali, 27 Clerkenwell Rd, EC1M 5RN, tel. 020 7253 5754; www.stali.co.uk. Open 7am-6pm 7 days a week. No bookings taken

Recipe: fruity quinoa porridge

2011-10-04T06:20:00.000+01:00

This is a curious one because one thinks of quinoa as a lunchy item, but it works well at breakfast, particularly if you want a change from your daily oats. Thanks to 101 Cookboks for the inspiration. I've slightly adapted their recipe.

Ingredients (serves 3)

1 cup of soya milk (I also tried it with low-fat coconut milk, creamy and delicious)

1 cup of water

1 cup of rinsed quinoa

2 cups of chopped fresh strawberries

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

pinch of ground nutmeg

2 tbsp of chopped pecans (or walnuts)

4 tsps of manuka honey

1 tsp flaked toasted almonds

Method

Combine the milk (soya, dairy or coconut), water and quinoa in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Turn off the heat, let stand covered for five minutes. Stir in the chopped fruit, nutmeg, pecans, cinnamon, and transfer to bowls and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Warm the honey in a saucepan or ladle over a stove and drizzle over the quinoa.

Recipe: Austrian pancakes with fig and cinnamon jam

2011-09-28T06:35:00.000+01:00

The superb spice delivery company, the spicery, strikes again. I've signed up to receive a monthly surprise bundle of fresh ground spices to make some obscure global dish, and this one came a while ago.

They don't, sadly, do exclusively breakfasty recipes, but in this case, I thought this pud could be considered breakfast (albeit a touch indulgent and sweet).

The key is fresh spices, and the spicery ones put my stale cupboard ones to shame, and good pancake tossing. Temper the sweetness with a stonking coffee.

Ingredients (serves 4)

Fruit jam (I used homemade fig jam but they recommend plum)
2 medium eggs
450ml whole milk
120g plain flour
1/2 a lemon
Icing sugar
Cornflour
1/2 tsp of spicery vanilla powder
1 tsp spicery ground cinnamon
3tbsp spicery poppy seeds

Method

For the pancake batter combine the eggs, 200ml of milk, 120g of flour and a pinch of salt in a mixing jug and whisky until smooth.

Mix 3 tbsp of jam with the cinnamon, and a good squeeze of lemon juice.

Toast the poppy seeds in a dry pan until they start to pop and jump around.

Heat the remaining 250ml of milk in a pan together with the vanilla powder and 2tbsp of icing sugar.

Put 2 tsp of cornflour into a cup. When the milk has come to the boil, take it off the heat and pour a splash of hot milk over the cornflour. Stir to a smooth paste then add it back to the hot milk and whisk over a low heat for a couple of minutes until the sauce thickens.

Cook the pancakes then spread them with the spiced jam, roll up and drizzle with the vanilla sauce. Lastly, sprinkle them with the toasted poppy seeds.

Best breakfasts: Aldo's, Santa Cruz, California

2011-09-22T08:16:00.001+01:00

Brunch, in the sunshine, on the water, California style... you can't beat Aldo's. You have to book for a weekend brunch spot because this family-run harbour restaurant is so popular.

Like so much of the cuisine of California, there's a strong Mexican influence, which makes for a killer huevos rancheros and the breakfast wrap, above. The spinach-based wrap is stuffed with eggs, spinach, avocado, bacon, salsa and cheese ($11.50).

The signature brunch dish is eggs benedict (from $10.50), which comes in classic ham version or with bacon, tomato and avocado, shrimp, crab, smoked salmon or florentine. The French toast too is legendary ($7.95), washed down with bottomless coffee and an audience of sealions and sea otters in the harbour below.

Details: Aldo's Harbor Restaurant, 616 Atlantic Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95062; tel. 831 426-3736; www.aldos-cruz.com

Best mueslis: Alara

2011-09-15T06:02:00.000+01:00

This range of Swiss-style mueslis caught my eye recently thanks to the gorgeous pack design. The new Alara range is five-strong - Branberry (bran flakes and strawberries), Rich (most popular one, with oats, fruit, nuts and seeds), Tropical (pineapple, dates and banana), Delight (gluten-free with vine fruits, nuts and seeds) and FairTrade (cinnamon, honey, nuts, apricot, banana, pineapple, brazil nut).

They are all certified organic with no added salt or sugar, so low in fat, and the best bit, they're British, made in south-east England using local oats. The muesli range launched at the end of March and are sold in Waitrose, Morrisons and Asda, plus health food shops, and they cost £1.95-£3.90 for 500g.

I've been munching on the Fairtrade one, pictured above. It's tasty - the spices are subtle and the oats plentiful so it's more of a wholesome taste than the extensive ingredients lists suggests. The fruit too is subtle, in tiny pieces, which I rather liked. It tasted delicious drizzled in agave nectar with a splosh of cold soya milk. More than just a pretty box...

Breakfast included: The Sun Inn, Cumbria

2011-09-08T06:47:00.000+01:00

Surroundings This Cumbrian pub is in a peachy spot. The village of Kirkby Lonsdale on the River Lune is a cluster of Lakeland stone cottages, cafes, delis and boutiques. The pub is on Market Street in the shadow of St Mary's church, behind which is Ruskin's View, described by the writer/poet/artist as "one of the loveliest in England". It's a great distraction before you sit down for a hearty breakfast at the Sun, or perhaps to walk off the excesses afterwards.

Although the pub has been updated, it's kept it's charms - a low beamed ceiling, open fire, dogs curled up on the floor and friendly, local staff.

Buffet The centrepiece of the buffet is the homemade granola - oats, seeds, nuts and dried fruit toasted in honey. It's delicious with a dollop of fresh yoghurt and stewed fruit. There's also bread, croissants and juice.

Hot stuff The region's bountiful farming industry provides more than amble produce for a Full English, via the exceptional butcher two doors down, Dales and next door, the wonderfully-named Churchmouse Cheeses deli and cheese shop.

The sausages are sensational, with just enough pepper and a meaty taste, plus they are perfectly cooked with crisp skin and firm centre. The egg too is flavoursome and tasty and the black pudding rich and, together with the other elements, not served in too overwhelming-a-portion.

Porridge was good - pale and quite smooth, but with wholesome-tasting oats. The coffee wasn't as nutty and flavourful as I'd have liked, but the option of soya milk was impressive given the size of the pub, and the latte scored highly with my accomplice.

Details The Sun Inn, 6 Market Street, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, LA6 2AU; tel. 015242 71965; www.sun-inn.info

Recipe: Thomasina Miers' banana and chocolate loaf

2011-09-01T06:37:00.000+01:00

Ripe bananas... that age old fruit bowl fester that gets you Googling for a banana bread recipe. So, here's one, and it's a keeper.

Found on the Guardian, and written by Thomasina Miers... it is sensational, and she promises us, not too unhealthy: "Most of the sweetness in this recipe comes from the bananas and dark chocolate chips, and it needs very little butter, as it uses milk instead."

Ingredients

Serves 8

125g softened butter

120ml semi-skimmed milk

1 tsp lemon juice

150g walnuts

250g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp ground cinnamon

A couple of pinches ground allspice (I used mix of nutmeg, ground clove and ginger)

200g dark brown soft sugar

2 eggs

250g mashed ripe bananas (2 medium bananas)

A few drops of vanilla essence

150g 70% dark chocolate, roughly chopped (or use high cacao chips)

2 small loaf tins or one large one

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4 and leave the butter out to soften. Mix the milk with the lemon juice and leave aside. Butter and flour a couple of small loaf tins and line their bases with baking paper.

2. Put the walnuts on a baking tray and warm through in the oven until they are lightly toasted (about 5-8 minutes) then leave to cool.

3. Sift the dry ingredients – flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and allspice – into a bowl. In another bowl, cream the butter and half the sugar with an electric beater or wooden spoon until it is pale, light and fluffy.

4. Gradually add the eggs and a tablespoon of the flour mixture, then beat in the rest of the sugar, the bananas and the vanilla essence. Beat the remaining dry ingredients into the mixture adding the milk bit by bit (ML note: it will look like baby sick...).

5. Roughly chop the walnuts and fold into the mixture with the chocolate.

6. Pour into the loaf tins and bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until a metal skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes then turn out of the tins on to metal racks. Stunning for breakfast with Greek yohurt or warmed and buttered, lasts for ages in a tin and will even go down well with kids.

Recipe: Peter Gordon's sweetcorn, five-spice and date fritters

2011-08-26T06:12:00.000+01:00

Ingredients

100g flour
50g wholemeal flour
50g polenta
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp five-spice
2 eggs
330ml buttermilk (or use a runny unflavoured yoghurt)
50ml extra virgin avocado oil, plus more for cooking the fritters (or use a light olive oil for cooking)
1 corn cob (or 150g canned corn kernels, drained)
12 Medjool dates, pitted and cut into 8
1 large avocado
2–3 tomatoes
30 ml (2 Tbsp) lemon juice
a handful of rocket or salad greens

Sieve the flours, polenta, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and fivespice with 1/2 teaspoon fine salt. Beat the eggs with the buttermilk and 30ml of the avocado oil in a bowl, then tip the dry mixture in and stir it briskly to form a thick batter.

Peel the husk from the corn cob and lay it flat on a chopping board. Using a serrated knife, cut the kernels from it and add these to the fritter mix along with the chopped dates. Mix it all together and leave for 15 minutes.

Halve the avocado, remove the stone and scoop the flesh from the skin using a large spoon. Cut into chunks and mix with the tomato, the remaining 20ml avocado oil and the lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper and put to one side.

Heat up a wide frying-pan and drizzle a few teaspoons of avocado oil into it then give the fritter mix a stir and dollop spoonfuls of the mixture into the pan and cook over a moderate heat until coloured.

Carefully flip over and cook on the other side, until they’re cooked in the centre – it’ll take around 3–5 minutes all up, depending how large you make them. Once cooked, take from the pan and stack on a platter. Once they’re all cooked (they can be eaten hot or at room
temperature) divide amongst your plates.

To serve: Toss the avocado salad with the salad leaves and place on top of the fritters.

Fusion by Peter Gordon, £25, Jacqui Small. Photos by Jean Cazals

Recipe: Peter Gordon's smoked fish and tomato French toast

2011-08-20T06:24:00.000+01:00

I've had cinnamon French toast, vanilla, banana, chocolate chip even... but this is the first savoury version I've come across (unless you call bacon and maple syrup savoury...). It's served with a horseradish, radish and watercress salad - classic Peter Gordon in it's mix of bold flavours that work surprisingly well together.

Peter is one of my breakfast/brunch heroes, having set up Providores in Marylebone, where he remains executive chef, and now Kopapa in Soho, one of my favourite openings of the year. Read my review of Kopapa here.

This is the first of three recipes from Peter's Fusion cookbook, which has a whole section on brunch. Hurrah!

Ingredients

200g smoked fish – all skin and bones removed
8 slices of 2-day-old white bread (I used a baguette)
1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 tomatoes, thickly sliced
3 eggs
100 ml cream
50g butter or 45 ml (3 Tbsp) vegetable oil to cook with
10g (1 Tbsp) freshly grated horseradish (although commercially made creamed horseradish works really well)
15ml (1 Tbsp) lemon juice
50ml crème fraîche
a handful of watercress, washed and drained
12 radishes, sliced

Preheat oven to 120 ˚C. Use your fingers to pull the fish flesh apart and loosen it up into a shredded mixture. Spread it over four slices of the bread and lay the sliced onion and tomatoes on top. Sit the remaining bread firmly on top (as if you’re making a sandwich) and press down for a few seconds each to help hold it together.

Whisk the eggs with the cream and a pinch of salt, then one by one dip the sandwiches in it to coat them on both sides, removing them onto a tray as you go. Pour any excess egg mixture over them as they need to be quite eggy to be really delicious.

Heat a pan up (ideally one large enough to take at least two sandwiches at once) and when
it’s moderately hot add either the butter or oil. Once that’s hot and sizzling add two sandwiches and cook them over a moderate heat until the eggy bread has turned dark golden.

Gently flip them over and cook on the other side until dark golden, then remove and place on an oven tray and put in the oven to keep warm. Cook the next two sandwiches the same way and place these in the oven and cook for 3–4 minutes to ensure they’re warmed all the way through.

Once they’re in the oven make the dressing by mixing the horseradish with the lemon juice and crème fraîche.

To serve: Take the French toast from the oven and place on warmed plates. Toss the watercress with the radishes and the dressing and stack on top, then eat immediately.

Fusion by Peter Gordon, £25, Jacqui Small. Photos by Jean Cazals

Recipe: vanilla Belgian waffles with maple syrup apples and cinnamon cream

2011-08-14T06:06:00.000+01:00

This is another super breakfast recipe from Tom Aikens' cookbook, easy

Ingredients

Serves 6

325g self-raising flour

100g cornflour

60g sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

3 eggs

250ml milk

500ml buttermilk

2 tsp vanilla extract

90g unsalted butter, melted

Maple syrup apples

3 Braeburn apples, peeled, cored and each cut into 6 pieces

80g sugar

60g unsalted butter

225ml maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp salt

Cinnamon cream

500ml double cream

45g icing sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp ground cinnamon

a pinch of salt

Sift all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Put the eggs, milk, buttermilk and vanilla extract into another bowl and whisk them together. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk again until smooth. Then add the melted butter, whisking all the time, until thoroughly mixed in.

Pour some of the mixture into a waffle iron and cook until golden in colour – about 6 minutes. Repeat until all the mixture is used up.

Spread out the apples in a hot sauté pan, add the sugar and keep tossing the apples over the heat until they are evenly caramelised. Cook for 3–4 minutes, then add the butter and toss the apples again until they are well coated. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer, then reduce slightly until the apples are tender.

Whisk the cinnamon cream ingredients together until the mixture is thick. Serve the waffles topped with some apple, and a spoonful of the cream alongside.

More Tom Aikens breakfast recipes: baked apples; baked eggs with ham and parmesan

Breakfast included: Hipping Hall, Cumbria

2011-08-10T06:46:00.000+01:00

Surroundings This Cumbrian manor house is fast-becoming known as a foodie hotspot of the north-west thanks to its imaginative evening menu, but breakfast too is a treat.

For starters it's served in the double-height 15th Century hall with a vast fireplace and oak beams. It's the sort of environment that encourages its diners to talk in hushed whispers over dinner, but by morning it's a little more lightweight, although the string quarter accompaniment still plays.

Buffet The hotel only has nine rooms so a buffet isn't worth while, but you don't miss out, thanks to the impressive a la carte menu.

Hot stuff After sitting down at white-clothed tables, we were offered tea or coffee and brought a platter of warm white and brown toast, a toasted slice of fruity tea loaf and a warm, golden croissant. The latter was flaky, buttery and gobbled down, despite Muesli Lover's best intentions.

The menu then offers cereals, yoghurts, organic muesli and porridge alongside freshly squeezed juice and a berry and yoghurt smoothie. The porridge was delicious - just sloppy enough with a satisfying discreet saltiness, and served alongside a pot of cream, one of sugar and one of honey.

The hot meals included a Full English of almost entirely local produce, plus smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, eggs benedict, poached haddock and boiled egg and soldiers.

There's something about having toast cut into soldiers by someone else that I can't resist, so I ordered it and found the eggs to be perfect. There was a runny-ness to the dark, rich yolks but no hint of undercooked whites. It was presented on a slate with a latticed pile of hot buttered toast.

The scrambled egg was delicious too, with texture and good flavour and the smoked salmon, Loch Fyne's finest, with a melt-in-the-mouth toasted brioche.

Details Hipping Hall, Cowan Bridge, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, LA6 2JJ; tel 0152 427 1187; www.hippinghall.com