News
ENLARGE
Whoever said “breakfast is the best meal of the day” must have been a guest at a B & B.
At 7 a.m, while most of us are bolting energy bars and quick swallows of coffee before dashing out the door, innkeepers are baking muffins (from scratch), setting tables (with linens and candles) and preparing early morning feasts designed to encourage a slow, indulgent start to the morning.
Call it a generous serving of atmosphere and eggs Benedict.
Beth Steucek, CEO of the New England Innkeepers Association in New Hampshire, says guests eat it up.
“People opt to stay at bed-and-breakfasts for a number of reasons,” Steucek says. “The ambiance, the special attention and the foods are key, and innkeepers do their best to make their breakfasts memorable.” “When people stay in a bed-and-breakfast, they can take a step back from everyday life and experience some pampering,” says Bill Ross, who, with wife Nancy, runs the Dutch Iris Inn, a restored 1812 farmhouse in Granby, Conn.
At their inn, that pampering often takes the form of Nancy Ross' signature dishes: vanilla rum French toast, breakfast bread pudding with raspberry coulis or savory breakfast pie.
“We always do a two-course meal,” Nancy Ross says. “A starter of fresh fruit and a main dish, along with homemade scones, muffins or cinnamon rolls. We use local ingredients as often as possible.”
Menus change from day to day and season to season, so guests get to experience a variety. Visitors with dietary restrictions can request gluten-free or vegetarian dishes.
“People aren't used to relaxing in the morning. They will sit down and say, ‘I never eat breakfast,'” Nancy Ross says. “That usually changes when the food comes out of the kitchen.”
Proprietors say the sights and smells of the early-morning repasts are as important as the tastes.
“It's often the foodie types that run bed-and-breakfasts,” Steucek says. “They take a great sense of pride in putting beautifully prepared foods on the table.”
Shireen Aforismo, who, with husband John, runs the Silas W. Robbins House in Wethersfield, Conn., says when it comes to the second B in B & B, presentation is everything.
“We try to provide the ‘wow' factor before guests even pick up a fork,” Aforismo says. “The plating, the ambiance, the food. It's the total package.”
Her creations include ebelskiver (pancake pillows) stuffed with pumpkin walnut or lemon mascarpone filling, fresh fruit cups and a variety of savory egg dishes.
At the Chester Bulkley House in Wethersfield, owner Thomas Aufiero plies guests with home-baked muffins, herbed omelets with poached pears, pancakes with spiced peaches and other morning indulgences.
Guests eat on china and sip juice from crystal stemware while classical music plays softly in the background. Delicious aromas of muffins baking and coffee brewing entice visitors down the stairs and into the dining room, where, this time of year, a fire crackles in the fireplace.
“The breakfast experience is why people choose a B & B,” Aufiero says. “Otherwise, you could stay at a Hampton Inn.”
Aufiero has developed seven breakfast specialties, some savory, some sweet.
“If someone stays a week, they get the whole repertoire,” he says. “If they stay longer, I go back to the books and come up with something new.”
All this attention to detail takes expert planning and organization; non-morning types need not apply.
Innkeepers shop often, rise early, work late, study cookbooks, keep up with food trends, try new dishes, deal with minor glitches (burnt muffins) and major mishaps (power outages and storms), and try to keep smiling throughout.
“It all works out,” Nancy Ross says. “B & B guests are the greatest people in the world. We love the whole experience so much that when we go on vacations, we always stay at bed-and-breakfasts ourselves.”
At 7 a.m, while most of us are bolting energy bars and quick swallows of coffee before dashing out the door, innkeepers are baking muffins (from scratch), setting tables (with linens and candles) and preparing early morning feasts designed to encourage a slow, indulgent start to the morning.
Call it a generous serving of atmosphere and eggs Benedict.
Beth Steucek, CEO of the New England Innkeepers Association in New Hampshire, says guests eat it up.
“People opt to stay at bed-and-breakfasts for a number of reasons,” Steucek says. “The ambiance, the special attention and the foods are key, and innkeepers do their best to make their breakfasts memorable.” “When people stay in a bed-and-breakfast, they can take a step back from everyday life and experience some pampering,” says Bill Ross, who, with wife Nancy, runs the Dutch Iris Inn, a restored 1812 farmhouse in Granby, Conn.
At their inn, that pampering often takes the form of Nancy Ross' signature dishes: vanilla rum French toast, breakfast bread pudding with raspberry coulis or savory breakfast pie.
“We always do a two-course meal,” Nancy Ross says. “A starter of fresh fruit and a main dish, along with homemade scones, muffins or cinnamon rolls. We use local ingredients as often as possible.”
Menus change from day to day and season to season, so guests get to experience a variety. Visitors with dietary restrictions can request gluten-free or vegetarian dishes.
“People aren't used to relaxing in the morning. They will sit down and say, ‘I never eat breakfast,'” Nancy Ross says. “That usually changes when the food comes out of the kitchen.”
Proprietors say the sights and smells of the early-morning repasts are as important as the tastes.
“It's often the foodie types that run bed-and-breakfasts,” Steucek says. “They take a great sense of pride in putting beautifully prepared foods on the table.”
Shireen Aforismo, who, with husband John, runs the Silas W. Robbins House in Wethersfield, Conn., says when it comes to the second B in B & B, presentation is everything.
“We try to provide the ‘wow' factor before guests even pick up a fork,” Aforismo says. “The plating, the ambiance, the food. It's the total package.”
Her creations include ebelskiver (pancake pillows) stuffed with pumpkin walnut or lemon mascarpone filling, fresh fruit cups and a variety of savory egg dishes.
At the Chester Bulkley House in Wethersfield, owner Thomas Aufiero plies guests with home-baked muffins, herbed omelets with poached pears, pancakes with spiced peaches and other morning indulgences.
Guests eat on china and sip juice from crystal stemware while classical music plays softly in the background. Delicious aromas of muffins baking and coffee brewing entice visitors down the stairs and into the dining room, where, this time of year, a fire crackles in the fireplace.
“The breakfast experience is why people choose a B & B,” Aufiero says. “Otherwise, you could stay at a Hampton Inn.”
Aufiero has developed seven breakfast specialties, some savory, some sweet.
“If someone stays a week, they get the whole repertoire,” he says. “If they stay longer, I go back to the books and come up with something new.”
All this attention to detail takes expert planning and organization; non-morning types need not apply.
Innkeepers shop often, rise early, work late, study cookbooks, keep up with food trends, try new dishes, deal with minor glitches (burnt muffins) and major mishaps (power outages and storms), and try to keep smiling throughout.
“It all works out,” Nancy Ross says. “B & B guests are the greatest people in the world. We love the whole experience so much that when we go on vacations, we always stay at bed-and-breakfasts ourselves.”
SAVORY BREAKFAST PIE
From the Dutch Iris Inn, Granby, Conn.2 pie crusts (9-inch, not baked)
2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/3 cup cooked, chopped Canadian bacon or smoked ham (optional)
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, sliced
1 egg, lightly beaten (reserve for washing crust prior to baking)
Fit one crust into a 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle cheese into bottom, then sprinkle with onion.
Add chopped Canadian bacon or ham, if desired. Beat two eggs and the milk and pour over cheese. Cover with sliced tomatoes. Place second crust on top. Crimp and seal, slash top and brush with reserved beaten egg. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before slicing into servings.
FRENCH TOAST WITH SPICED PEACHES
From the Chester Bulkley House, Wethersfield, Conn.French Toast Mix
4 eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar
zest of half an orange
1 pinch salt
Syrup
28-ounce can sliced peaches in light syrup
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon butter
Assembly
8 slices thick-cut white bread or Texas Toast
powdered sugar
Whisk together French Toast Mix in a bowl. Set aside.
Drain peaches, reserving 1/4 cup of syrup from can. Place in saucepan with other syrup ingredients and simmer on low until thickened, about 20 to 30 minutes. Add 24 peach slices (6 per serving) and heat through for 10 minutes.
Dip bread in beaten egg mixture and cook on buttered grill or pan until golden brown on each side. Place 2 slices on each plate, top with peaches and syrup and sprinkle with powered sugar.
Serves 4.
EBELSKIVER (FILLED PANCAKE PILLOWS)
From Silas W. Robbins House1/4 cup lemon curd
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
2 cups flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
butter
powdered sugar
Ebelskiver pan (available at Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table and other kitchen or gourmet shops.)
Blend together the lemon curd and mascarpone for the filling, set aside.
Sift flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and stir in milk and oil. Combine, and beat to a smooth batter.
Set pan on medium heat. Put 1/2 teaspoon butter in each well, then add about 2 tablespoons pancake batter. Add a heaping teaspoon of filling. Add a little more batter to cover filling, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn with wooden skewers until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
