BREAKFAST IN BED

I'll consider this a Cocktail Monday post, simply because it could double as a Hangover Monday. What better way to heal the wounds of a late night than with a decadent breakfast in bed?

And it's not just the breakfast that's decadent: I have finally graduated to big girl bedding. For the past few months I have coveted the beautiful organic cotton fabrics at Rubie Green. Some of the patterns may appear familiar, because they've upholstered the spreads of every home decor magazine. The lovely Michelle Adams designs and prints the fabric to order, producing fabrics that are fun, sophisticated, and very unique. They also all go brilliantly together, so you can mix and match your favorites styles. When she came out with a new bedding line I considered it a sign from the style gods that it was time to move on from boarding school white and to embrace my East Village pink, with a dash of Jackie for good measure. I practically live in my fabulous bedding, hoping that some of its demure elegance and kick of coquettishness will rub off on me. If you wish to follow Michelle as she navigates the world of interior design, check out her blog, Ma Belle.

Now that we have set the scene, let's discuss the props. The whole energy behind breakfast in bed is one of spectacle. It's usually reserved for holidays where a luxurious hour of carefully avoiding crumbs under the covers is called for, so here are a few ideas to remember if you're planning on surprising someone with the smell of coffee and muffins.

1. Use a tray. It sounds simple, but until you've tried using a fork and knife on a plate precariously balancing on your knees and then breaking a yolk over your favorite pillow, it doesn't really sink in. Even better, use a breakfast tray with those nifty legs so you don't drip a bite on its journey up to your mouth.

2. Another one in the preventing a mess trend: serve with a dish towel or a really large napkin so they don't get any crumbs under their shirt.

3. Have fun with it! Flowers, goofy vintage salt and pepper shakers (like my mom's toaster and waffle iron, below), a tea bag caddy, the paper, or a favorite book are all welcome additions to the spread.

4. Give the obligatory wake up nudge. If you wake up under a breakfast tray, chances are you'll accidentally knock it over and spill hot tea on your pajamas, so please have the courtesy to wake up the recipient of your breakfast before. Just give them a gentle shake and tell them to brush their teeth because you have a surprise for them. They'll appreciate the gesture and will get to savor the experience bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Green Eggs with Ham

Sorrel pesto, Jamon Serrano, fresh arugula, and a sunny side up egg all served on a brown butter english muffin sounds like something Sam I Am would be down for. In a box with a fox, or in a house with a mouse, or whatever other situation he's in.

Once again, a favorite breakfast from Huckleberry Cafe in Santa Monica. I swear, if eggs are involved, it's spectacular there. From here on out they are unofficially the patron saints of eggs (Sorry St. Brigid of Ireland!). I tweaked the recipe a little, using sorrel in the pesto for a bright, citrus flavor, adding brown butter to english muffins, and creating my own vinaigrette. The combination is simple and classic, the makings of a perfect breakfast. My family inhaled these on Sunday morning, and I turned a few into breakfast sandwiches for lunch. Whatever way you decide to enjoy this plate of breakfasty joy, do yourself and family a favor and whip up a batch this weekend. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1-2 large eggs (whatever's your apetite)

4 oz Arugula

4 thin slices jamon serrano

1 english muffin, halved and toasted

For the Pesto

8 oz sorrel leaves, destemmed

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 garlic clove

1/2 cup olive oil

For the Vinaigrette

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

2 tablespoons lemon juice

For the pesto, mix the sorrel, pine nuts, and garlic in food processor and pulse until combined. Continue pulsing while drizzling in the olive oil. Finish with salt and pepper. For the vinaigrette, mix everything together together in a tupperware until emulsified. Lightly dress the arugula. Fry an egg to your desired amount of doneness (I suggest sunny side up). To finish the plate, butter the toasted english muffin, top with the jamon serrano, then the arugula, the eggs, and a healthy drizzle of the sorrel pesto. Enjoy!

Brown Butter English Muffins

I had no idea that you didn't bake English Muffins, did you? It makes perfect sense when you think about the toasty brown top and bottom, with corn meal clinging to it. They're also surprisingly easy to make and freeze well for future breakfasts to come. If you don't have the spare two hours before the meal (it's mostly inactive, so don't worry, you won't be slaving in the kitchen at 6 am), let the dough ferment in the fridge over night, and you can just roll them out in the morning. These are one of those things that taste amazing when you make it from scratch, and light years from the store bought variety. They're fluffy and delicate with a crunchy barely fried top and bottom, just begging for a bit of butter. Enjoy!

Makes 8-10 Muffins

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon white sugar

1/4 oz active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

3 tablespoons brown butter

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in the sugar, stirring until dissolved. In another saucepan melt the butter over medium heat until it foams up and turns a nutty brown and add it to the milk. Let the mixture cool until lukewarm. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water and let it foam for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the milk mixture, yeast mixture and flour and salt. Mix until it all forms a rough dough and knead by hand for 3 minutes, until fully combined and smooth. Place in greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until it doubles, for about 1 hour. When its ready, roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut rounds about three inches wide. Sprinkle waxed paper with cornmeal and set the rounds on this to rise. Dust tops of muffins with cornmeal also. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1/2 hour.

Heat a griddle or large pan over medium-low heat. Drizzle with oil and cook the muffins for about 10 minutes on each side. To use, split, toast, and enjoy!

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins with Fig Honey Butter

These should be called fall vegetable muffins, but the flavor is like a cross between carrot cake and pumpkin pie, so I feel that Spiced Pumpkin grabs the sense of these delicious little muffins better. The fig honey butter is the perfect earthy compliment to these moist, delicately textured treats. A word to the wise, just pulse the carrots and butternut squash in a food processor rather than grating them. It might not look grated, but it has the same effect in the cake and is a hell of a lot easier then sitting there and grating all of it yourself. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tbsp baking soda

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground clove

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 1/2 cups olive oil

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups shelled pecans, roughly chopped

1 1/2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut

1 cup of finely grated carrots

1 cup grated butternut squash

1 cup of canned, pureed pumpkin

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside. With a mixer, beat the eggs until frothy and pale. Gradually add the sugar and beat for a few minutes, until the batter is thick. Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and pumpkin alternatively and beat on low just until incorporated. Add the veg, pecans, and coconut and mix just to combine. Pour into muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Ingredients

5 ripe figs, halved

1 bunch rosemary

1 bunch thyme

1 bunch sage

olive oil

8 oz butter, softened

3 tablespoons honey

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a casserole dish scatter the herbs on the bottom. Place the figs on top of the herbs, face side up. Drizzle the whole thing with a little olive oil and pop in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the figs a plump and juicy. Let the figs cool and add them, the butter, and honey to a food processor and pulse until combined. To store, roll in wax paper, secure the ends, and refrigerate. Smear it on everything and anything.