Morning Food
Print This Post
| 
Enjoy this post? Subscribe to Baking and Books.
I have never been a morning person but I have always loved morning food. Golden Belgian waffles dusted with white confectioners sugar and red raspberries; fluffy pancakes drizzled with pure maple syrup; dandelion-yellow scrambled eggs with a side of crispy home fries. Simple meals like this evoke memories of relaxed gatherings, great conversation and even better company. I can hear my mother’s laugh and see my brother’s wide grin. I can hear my Dad hopefully asking, “Are you going to finish that?” One always has to be careful around Dad where food is concerned - because if it’s delicious and he thinks you aren’t going to finish it, well, somebody has to take one for the team.
Perhaps it is sentiments like this that have inspired my fascination with breakfast themed books, which, little by little, are finding their way into my collection. I have no doubt they’ll soon take up an entire shelf, and you know what? I can live with that - especially if they are anything like my most recent addiction: “Morning Food” by Margaret Fox. I happen to keep a list of “things to make for my family the next time we visit” and since I began cooking recipes from “Morning Food” no fewer than six recipes have been added to the list. Among them: baked Sunday pancakes, cinnamon coffee cake, Mendocino frittatas, cinnamon raisin bread… and shortcakes, filled with warm berries, peaches, and fresh vanilla whipped cream. When I made the shortcakes last Sunday the vibrant color of the berry-peach filling against the stark white of whipped cream was so delightful that I just had to step back for a moment, spoon held in midair, and take in the luscious scene before me. Oh yes, we are going to have many a fabulous morning the next time I travel home.
When I began sampling recipes from “Morning Food” my original intention was to simply write a review of the book. However, once I started cooking from it I was so pleased with the results that I wrote to Ms. Fox: would she, perhaps, be willing to let me interview her on my blog? To my delight she said yes.
Margaret is an author, business consultant, and the former owner of Cafe Beaujolais, which Ruth Reichl (Editor-in-Chief of Gourmet) once declared served the best breakfasts in the entire state of California. What drew me to Margaret - aside from her spectacular recipes - was her irresistibly carefree and unique approach to breakfast food, which she prefers to call “morning food.” While she loves traditional breakfast fare - waffles, pancakes, french toast - at Cafe Beaujolais she also served more unconventional food for breakfast: calas, black bean chili, mango quesadillas, china moon shanghai rice. The only common denominator between the dishes being the most important one: they were utterly delicious. Although Margaret eventually sold Cafe Beaujolais, the specialities that so many patrons came to love have been immortalized in “Morning Food,” and it was through this book that I first became aware of Margaret, the former Austrian castle owner, the bread baker, the food lover. Margaret is currently the Culinary Director of Harvest Market in Fort Bragg and her story proves that you can do anything if you set your mind to it. Many thanks to her for taking time out of her busy schedule to participate in this interview and reach out to the food blogging community:
I’ve read that you grew up making French toast, baklava, cakes and cookies from scratch. The French toast, cakes and cookies aren’t so out of the ordinary, but baklava? Tell us about your family’s culinary traditions and who taught you how to bake.
My mom was an adventuresome cook with much curiosity, which propelled her across many cuisines. We benefited from this and ate a broad cross-section of different foods while growing up. My family always liked ethnic foods (I’m Russian on my mom’s side and Hungarian on my dad’s) and, growing up in the San Francisco-Bay Area, was exposed to lots of people from different cultures. That sweet, sticky, impossibly flaky baklava appealed to me from an early age.
You took a year off during high school to bake bread, which you eventually began selling to friends. Two questions came to mind when I learned this about you. First, how did you convince your mother to let you do it, and second, what was your most popular recipe?
I don’t know that it was a matter of convincing, I just adamantly refused to go! It was a time of adolescent unhappiness and I did not want to be with my peers. Somehow, amazingly, I became interested in bread making, and my mom gave me a one-week “intensive,” by the end of which I knew basically how to make any kind of yeast bread and all kinds of tips to understand the process. My two most popular breads were a classic challah and one called Honey-Wheat-Crackle.
You lived in Austria for a while and even co-owned a bed-and-breakfast in an Austrian castle. How did you become involved in such a unique venture? If you still travel to Austria every now and then, what is the one place you have to visit each time?
My (now) ex-husband inherited this piece of property with a large mortgage, so we had to do something income-generating around it. I’m a very “can-do” person and figured a castle inn would be appealing to people, and went about creating it. It was the ultimate challenge and a ton of fun. I haven’t been to Austria for a few years, but the next time I go, I’ll definitely return to the Tyrolean region. There are some amazingly good restaurants in the area, with wonderful wine lists. Austria turns out some superb wines and spirits.
What advice would you give people who want to open a cafe or bed-and-breakfast of their own? What are the most rewarding aspects? The most challenging?
Well, probably, don’t. No, I’m just kidding……a bit. Both are essentially full-time jobs and they have a way of becoming your personal life too, whether you like it or not. With one, you are part of someone’s dining experience. With the other, you’re part of the sleeping and overnight. That pretty much means you are part of most of someone’s life, at least for a certain block of time. And everyone isn’t a wonderful, delightful guest. Yet, most of the people I met were interesting, many fascinating and entertaining. To me, an enthusiastic member of the hospitality industry for essentially all my professional life, doing anything I can to help someone have an enjoyable experience is a big motivation. I made it my business to learn all about the area around the castle and to help our guests on their daily travels out into the countryside. At the cafe, we really did our best to make the most satisfying food possible, fresh and especially good tasting. In both places, we provided a haven for our guests where they were taken care of and could relax, whether for a single meal or a 7-day stay. Luckily, both businesses were in absolutely beautiful locations, Mendocino and the Austrian Alps. Nature’s contributions were also a big draw.
In your book you describe cultural culinary differences as “startling, even life altering,” and you give an example of this by mentioning your first experience with chocolate and fresh, crusty bread. I’m curious about the story behind this. Where were you, who were you with and how did this combination of flavors influence your perception of food?
I was sitting in the front seat of a Volvo, about 37 years ago, and a family friend from Barcelona, then living in Berkeley, was driving somewhere with her little kids in the back seat. We were on our way to San Francisco and she had packed this as a snack. She handed me a piece, and I remember thinking, “Bread and chocolate, wow, a cool combination of two things I love!” and I was blown away by how good it was, and just a bit off-the-wall (that is, nothing my mom would approve of!). Also, just in that short and seemingly insignificant experience, to learn that this is a typical snack in Spain (and France, for that matter) opened up my eyes to further adventures and discoveries. I realized how little I knew about food and cultures and what a fun future lay ahead.
Of all your favorite foods, which one would be most difficult to give up for the rest of your life?
A perfectly ripe tomato, at the height of the season, is my idea of the most delicious food ever. Even more than chocolate which I also love. But that tomato, sliced, with a sprinkle of good salt, ahhhhhh!
In “Morning Food” you wrote, “I think the real reason that some of us never let ourselves become great cooks is the fear of making mistakes.” I certainly experienced this before finally finding my way around the kitchen, and I have more than a few friends who refuse to try recipes because they are afraid they will fail. Why do you think it’s so easy to hold ourselves to such high standards in the kitchen? How would you suggest someone overcome their fear of baking bread or making a souffle?
Well, what’s interesting about that statement is that I wrote it long before the deluge of Food Network superstars were on the scene. I think it’s even worse now, for many people, whether they find such professionalism off-putting or feel they are entitled to accolades for just putting on an apron or think everything that emerges from the kitchen should be worthy of a close-up camera shot. People, it’s just food! and the three-ring circus that has developed around it has turned the culinary world and its inhabitants into superstars. I give the same advice I’ve always given: think of dishes that you like, whether sauteed green beans or chili or yes, even souffles, and read up on them. My mom has always said, “If you can read, you can cook,” and it’s true. Watch a video on how to prepare foods like this. These videos abound on the internet and help clarify the cooking process. Don’t make your dish for guests the first time. That really adds to the anxiety. Be willing to make mistakes, and cut yourself some slack.. Ask lots of questions, of yourself and of someone (a friend or in a book) who knows more than you, and watch what takes place while you are preparing the dish so you can learn from your experience. And remember to have fun!
You are a founding member of the Cancer Resource Center of Mendocino County, which is an organization that strives to improve quality of life for people who face cancer, their families and their friends. How did your interest in this cause develop?
My best friend, Stephanie Kroninger, developed breast cancer in the early 90’s and died at a much-too-young age. It was the first death of a close friend in my life, a gut-wrenching experience. During her treatment, I held a series of successful fundraising dinners at my restaurant, Cafe Beaujolais in Mendocino. After she died, there was still a little money left, and with this pittance, and the superb leadership and vision of Sara O’Donnell (exec. director), the Cancer Resource Center was formed and continues to this day, www.crcmendocino.org. My then-father-in-law, Peter Kump, died from this disease in ‘95, and my other best friend, Barbara Tropp, died in ‘01, two devastating deaths for me personally. All three of these fine people influenced my life in so many significant ways and I feel their absence all the time.
You can visit Margaret online at: www.margaretfox.com
Warm Berries & Peaches with Shortcake Biscuits & Whipped Cream
Reprinted with permission from “Morning Food” by Margaret Fox.
Makes: 6 generous servings
Ingredients:
For the fruit mixture:
- 2 cups blueberries
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 2 small or 1 large peach, peeled, and cut into eighths (I actually didn’t peel mine because I love peach skins)
- 3 cups raspberries
- 2 tablespoons raspberry eau-de-vie (I used peach eau-de-vie, because that’s what we had on hand)
For the shortcake biscuits:
- 2 cups flour
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-teaspoon-sized pieces, and frozen
- 2 cups and 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
To prepare the fruit: Combine the blueberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and salt in a non-aluminum saucepan. (Aluminum reacts with the acid in the fruit and creates a peculiar taste.)
Bring to a boil and reduce the heat, simmering until the mixture thickens and a sauce forms, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Add the peaches and cook for 1 minute, then remove from heat, and gently fold in the raspberries and eau-de-vie. Set aside.
To prepare the biscuits: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a food processor, place the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend briefly. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of peas.
Pour mixture into a bowl, add 1 cup of the cream, and combine with a fork until moistened. Immediately turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead about 10 times. Small lumps of butter should be visible.
Roll out to a 3/4-inch thickness. Keep dough in a square shape. Cut into 6 pieces and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. (You can do this either with a knife, for square biscuits, or with biscuit cutters for round ones. If you don’t have biscuit butters, you can also use one end of a clean 8-oz tomato sauce can.)
Mix the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of cream and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and brush on the tops of the biscuits. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
To make the whipped cream: Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar to the remaining 1 cup of whipping cream, along with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until soft peaks form. Refrigerate. (It is helpful if, before adding the cream, sugar and vanilla to the bowl you have first chilled the bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes.)
To assemble: When cool, split the biscuits and place the bottom half of each onto a plate or in a bowl. Add one-sixth of the berry mixture, and garnish with a dollop of whipped cream. Place the tops on, slightly off-center, and serve immediately.
Book Review: You may think you know what’s inside this book simply because it’s about “breakfast food,” but trust me, you don’t. While “Morning Food,” by Margaret Fox, does indeed contain many scrumptious recipes for traditional breakfast favorites - waffles, pancakes, muffins - each dish has been crafted into something especially unique and inviting. Hence you find yourself with delicious, easy-to-follow recipes for “Mocha Walnut Wonder Muffins,” “Pumpkin & Ginger Pancakes” and “Cindy’s Cherry Chocolate-Chip Scones,” all delightful twists on old time faves. However, more than this, “Morning Food” suggests dishes that one may not usually associate with early, or even mid, morning meals. I certainly wouldn’t have thought to serve “bun bun noodles with spicy peanut sauce” for the first meal of the day, but after taking a chance and following Fox’s suggestion I now have a new take on the whole business of morning eating.
“Morning Food” is a beautifully presented, well-bound book with a generous number of photographs and helpful kitchen tips. Fox introduces you to the finer aspects of bread baking and discusses the history of schnapps (brandy distilled from fermented fruits) in approachable, friendly language. Her relaxed, comfortable style teaches you not to worry about mistakes and how to develop a repertoire of favorite dishes. Did those first few crepes not come out as hoped? No problem, freeze them then use the crepes later, cut into strips, as a garnish for soup. In every respect, Fox makes you feel like she’s an old friend who has invited you into her kitchen, where she happily shares her hard-won kitchen wisdom.
Chapters include: Cereals & Fruit; Muffins, Cookies & Biscuits; Pancakes, Waffles, French Toast & Crepes; Sandwiches & Soups; Side Dishes & Salads; Spreads, Sauces & Dressings; Entrees; Desserts; and Drinks. My favorite sections include the chapter about Bread & Scones and the Coffee Cakes chapter. Here I found delightful recipes for cinnamon-rolls, cinnamon-raisin bread, poppy seed yeast bread, yogurt coffee cake and chocolate-filled coffee cake. While these recipes may sound familiar, my husband is still raving about them, as are our friends. The yogurt coffee cake was a particular favorite, with people marveling at the subtle flavor and perfect texture - moist, yet firm, with a little give, like the best muffin you’ve ever had except in cake form. I recommend this book without reservation: if you are breakfast lover, if you enjoy great food, add this one to your collection.
Other Posts You Might Like:- Cinnamon Pan Dulce (Mexican Morning Buns)
- Creepy Cream Filled Devil’s Food Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Butter Morning Glory Muffins
- Blueberry-Raspberry Honey-Butter Glazed Scones
- Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes
52 Responses to “Morning Food”
Receive full posts via email or reader for free! Enter your email address below or click here to choose a reader.
The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride By Daniel James Brown
It's not often that a history book will compel me to set all my novels aside, but "The Indifferent Stars Above" certainly did. Within the first few pages I was spellbound. I had to know how Sarah, a young woman newly married to her childhood sweetheart, would end up on top of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the dead of winter, starving and forced to do unspeakable things in order to survive.
"The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride" tells the story of the Donner Party from the perspective of newlyweds Sarah Graves and Jay Fosdick. In April of 1846 the couple joined Sarah's family as they journeyed west from Illinois to the promised land of California. (Read the rest of this review...)
Ooo I love how you are able to get these interviews! I never even knew there were cookbooks dedicated to ‘morning food’ … have added this one to my wishlist
Just noticed that you live in CT 
I lived in Hamden for a year 
What a delightful post. It’s so much fun to learn about people. Can’t wait to buy her book.
What an excellent interview and review, Ari! You’ve sold at least one book, for sure.. I’m headed to Amazon right now.
xoxo
Your shortcake looks lush and fabulous, mmm.
Another great interwiew, and book review - I’m off to have a look on amazon too
The interview was wonderful!! I’m adding this book to my list of things to get once we’re moved! (I love breakfast food, too!!)
I agree - fantastic interview. What a fascinating life it sounds like she leads!
Great interview, and a lovely recipe. I’m a morning person who doesn’t like to eat breakfast — but I love to be awake very early, writing, with a cup of coffee at my elbow! So this dish might be more of a dessert for me.
I am not a morning person…but after looking at your photo of a morning food idea…… I can definitely be swayed. Love the photo and the recipe. Great interview and book review.
Tomorrow morning….here I come!
Thanks for the great interview and the book review! Your shortcake biscuits look *awesome*. I’m putting Morning Food on my list of books to buy!
Thanks for the interview, the book review and the great recipe!
That shortcake looks absolutely delicious! I love berries served with baked goods…
my admiration to you and the gracious lady who wrote the book.
Believe me if I were at least sixty years younger I would try all those deliciosly sounding dishes. Continue your great interviews.
This is an enjoyable one taking us from California to Europe.
What a dream!
Ari, you are changing my mind about breakfast or should I say morning food. That pic begs to be eaten.
I enjoyed the interview. Definitely will check out the book.
That has got to be one of the most gorgeous breakfast dishes I have ever seen!! This sounds like an awesome book too!
Sounds like a great book Ari. Great interview.
I too am enamored with breakfast foods. Right now, it is not time for breakfast, but your interview just made me crave breakfast like mad! And I love your interview questions–you should be on television!
Yum! those look really nice for a leisurely breakfast.
I love how this post started out with one of your fun stories, then eased into a surprise interview! And another great one at that! I just added this book to my Amazon Wish List. I need to get this. Just like you, I’m not a morning person, but for some reason love morning food. I think that is why a late brunch is my favorite meal of the week! ; )
great interview, those were some fun questions. and it sounds like a great book too- i love ‘morning food’ but i never have much of a morning to enjoy it. maybe some breakfast for dinners will be in order!
Ah! HA! I love breakfast too! Sunnyside up eggs with biscuits. Yummy. But these shortcakes look spectacular. Adding it to my long list.
I loved reading this interview. ANd, this breakfast looks like desert!
YUM!
Thanks for the wonderful interview and the recipe! Yum!
Paz
That picture is making me drool! Thank you for all the great recipes!
It was nice to know more about you Ari.
That recipe is a definite keeper for me. I’m not a morning person either but I love morning foods too. It’s not unusual for me to make pancakes as an afternoon snack. 
The berry shortcakes look great. :9 I love morning food too!!! Many times I prepare morning food for my dinner…and lunch…and afternoon snack…and midnight snack. Heeheehee.
Oh man…if I woke up to that for breakfast I’d be a happy guy!
wonderful !!!! the picture is so appealing … I will made some of them shortly … with fresh raspberries & fresh starwberries direct from the garden
… .. well, I must confess I only have something like 9 to 10 raspberries , but is the quantity so important ????!!??? 
;) 
I keep coming back to look at that picture. It has the prettiest colors and gets me all … summery feeling!
That Fort Bragg part threw me off at first. Being from N.C., there is only one Fort Bragg in my mind!
Ari, what a nice interview! I love strawberry shortcakes, and I have been looking for a good recipe, this one seems to be perfect, her book must be soo yummy!
Oh my Goodness!
Every single thing looks so amazing. I absolutely have to go and get something to eat now. I wish it was the Caramelized Onion and Spinach Stuffed Pie…it literally makes my mouth water.
Thanks so much!
What a lovely way to start the morning. I’ve always thought of shortcakes as dessert. I must change my way of thinking! Lovely photo!
This looks so delicious…. completely mouth watering!!!! Ari, I truley commend you, with all your school, work and cooking I don’t know how you find time to loose weight…. I ENVY you. It’s funny every time that I start a diet I feel like I’m starving even though I really am not. Eh, what can I say I hate to deprive myself. I know thats bad!
Thanks so much for visiting our blog! And I am so with you on not being a morning person but LOVING morning foods - the thing I love about NYC is all the diners serve breakfast all day…I could spend hours on your blog! So much fascinating info…
I will certainly be perusing this cookbook. Thanks for sharing the interview as well. I love unusual dishes for breakfasts, and you’ve just mentioned many delicious ones. These breakfasts could turn any non-morning person into a morning person!
Whoa, now that is one DELICIOUS looking breakfast dish! I’ll definitely be checking this book out… after I’m finished drooling on the keyboard that is.
Gorgeous recipe!
An excellent interview and wonderful book review…now I want to get this book. I totally agree, if you can read, you can cook. It might not always turn out right the first time. Aside from reading you need a genuine passion for food and the eating of it :D.
I love that part about your Dad. Reminds me of mine, when he was living I always had to make sure that he does not pick off my leftovers because he needs to watch his diet. He called me the food police…:).
I really liked her comment about people not becoming great cooks because of their fear of making mistakes.
I love to cook, but I don’t cook very often. I always thought it was laziness that kept me from cooking more, but the moment I read her comment, I knew that was it.
I’ll be really excited when I start to cook something, but more often than not I end up disappointed with the outcome. I’m absolutely certain that the majority of the time, when a dish turns out poorly, it’s something I’ve done wrong.
Just yesterday morning, I tried making a recipe for Blueberry Corn Pancakes from my new-old cookbook, ‘James McNair’s Breakfast’ (before I read your post on ‘Morning Food’, coincidentally). I was so excited because I was working with whole wheat flour, which I’d never cooked with before, I had bought a new skillet, and I was using a new spatula that I received as a gift. All very exciting things. BUT the pancakes didn’t turn out. They kept sticking to the bottom of the skillet, so I lowered the heat way down, and they continued to stick. I just wasn’t getting it right. I managed to make 6 pancakes, but in the process I threw out many more and I ended up throwing out the rest of the batter. I was so frustrated by the end, I just didn’t want to cook anymore.
Ranting about that really made me feel better.
Thank you.
IF I was a morning person (i.e. not grouchy, lazy and still sleepy) I’d love to make morning food. My kids are lucky enough just to get cereal with milk for bfast!
That photo is simply Outstanding!
How can a person walk away without taking a spoonful?
It’s just not possible in my book.
I really enjoyed your interview and book review. You are not
only a great cook but also a wonderful resource.
Hi Ari! I’ve nominated you for the thinking blogger award.
Come on over and check it out.
I feel the same way about “morning food.” I’d eat breakfast for every meal if I could. Getting up to make something with lots of ingredients or which takes a long time to cook, though — not for me! The shortcakes looks delicious though!
Great interview and review! Thanks for keeping us all in the know about great books like this one…I’m a breakfast lover too!
That picture is fantastic…the cream looks like a cloud!
What a great interview Ari! She sounds like a fascinating person and that food… whoa.
Margaret sounds like such a cool person! I wouldn’t have known about this book or about the fabulous Margaret if you hadn’t posted this Ari, thank you! I love how you are doing an interview series, I can’t wait to see who is next!
I’m off to buy Morning Food… breakfast could use a bit of shaking up around here!
Wonderful! I love berries, and morning food!!
What an incredible post and blog! This is my first visit and I will definitely return.
Beautiful pictures and it looks so yummy.
Hi Ari! Great interview, great review, and what delicious looking shortcakes! Nothing quite says ’summer’ like them!
I absolutely love the tip on using up those less-than-fantastic crepes! I’ll keep my eyes out for this book!
Great post again Ariela! Thanks for sharing this author and her recipes with us. Great choice for a sunday brunch!
I am a very morning person!! Great looking dish there Ari:))
You met the author herself,that’s great!
I stumbled across your site whilst visiting someone else - what a wonderful find, very informative and the photographs are lovely.
I could get behind breakfast for a dish like this.