Photo by holycalamity

Anything can go on these babies.

​Open letter to Dutch baby pancakes:

My sweet, sweet Dutch babies,

Where have you been all my life? Seriously, I've been lost without you. You're delicious... and so easy to make...and you're so full of love...and so full of powdered sugar. I love you, Dutch baby pancakes. I love you with all my heart.

xoxo,
B

So...that was awkward. Now that I've reached a new level of creepiness, we can all move on.

I just discovered the godsend that is the Dutch baby pancake last weekend thanks to my friend Jessica and a day full of brunch, football and mimosas. You may know them as German pancakes, Bismarcks, Dutch puffs, or high-rise pancakes...but I know them as little clouds of heaven. Although you can find them in diners and chains like The Original Pancake House, these babies are too simple not to make at home.

Be prepared to wow your guests. Almost soufflé-like, this light and airy treat rises up in the oven and falls to create a puffed pancake crust. I can already hear the oohs and aahs around the room. It makes the perfect brunch dish - it's easy and versatile, and you can use the recipe to make mini pancakes.

Here's how to make them:

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Photos by Mai Pham

Very inviting: a gorgeous shrimp and avocado salad

​It's rare that I have the opportunity to eat brunch on Sundays. I'm usually one of those up-till-the-wee-hour-of-the-morning types, so getting up early on a Sunday is just not part of my regular agenda.

But this last Sunday was special. It was New Year's Day, 2012. And to ring in the new year, I figured I could lose a bit of sleep and start the year fresh with a fabulous meal.

Mission Sunday Brunch was to wake up early, get myself to Hugo's so that my friend wouldn't get stood up, and heartily partake in the bounties of regional Mexican cuisine. It would also be the first time I got to try the famous Hugo's award-winning brunch, so I was excited at the prospect.

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Photo by Nate Steiner

Oatmeal - it's not just for breakfast anymore.

​Who knew January was National Oatmeal Month? And does anyone actually care? Normally, I just wouldn't give a damn - because really, what does National Oatmeal Month even mean? But since its a new year and one of my resolutions is to stop being a cynical bitch, I thought having some oatmeal in my life couldn't hurt.

From a local hot spot serving up delicious Pear & Oatmeal Crisp to a recipe for a relaxing, oatmeal infused bath, check out this list for 31 Days of Oatmeal (even if we're a few days late):

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Photo by Ree Drummond

​A houseful of Cajuns who've just downed a few bottles of champagne usually doesn't make for a quiet house, but somehow, this baked french toast casserole-type thing from The Pioneer Woman induced absolute silence amid the hustle and bustle on Thanksgiving morning. It was shocking. All eight of us were close-mouthed with cinnamon-sugar and little smiles on our faces. If we had thought bubbles floating above our heads, they would have said, "Damn, this is tasty."

Aside from being absolutely delicious, one of the best things about this recipe is that all the work can be done the day or night before it's served, so it's the perfect breakfast dish if you have a busy day ahead of you. Pop it in the oven when you get in the shower, and by the time you're dressed and your makeup is on, it's good to go. I've brought it to work and it's been gobbled up in a matter of minutes. And it's definitely the best for holiday mornings. Start a tradition this Christmas and bring a breakfast that's sure to impress.

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The good: A very respectable breakfast sandwich on rye.

​No, none of those words above are typos. That's how the "new" Bibas is styling itself these days: Biba's Kitbar. Kitbar is apparently a portmanteau of the words "kitchen" and "bar," and thankfully does not refer to the Urban Dictionary definition of the word.

If the name is a bit of a mess, that's just because it's an accurate reflection of the mess that Biba's itself currently is. Long story short: Haritos Bibas purchased One's a Meal in 1978. He changed its name slightly to Bibas' One's A Meal, then sold it in 2000. That Bibas' moved to its current Westheimer location a few years ago, where it's currently under the stewardship of John Katsimikis, a fellow Greek, and has since changed its name to Theo's.

Meanwhile, Haritos Bibas still ran Bibas' Greek Pizza on Memorial until it was demolished a year ago and had plans to "reopen" the original Bibas' One's a Meal on West Gray in its "original" location at 607 West Gray (the real original location of One's a Meal was at 2019 West Gray; confused yet?).

That was last May.

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If you like hot cereal for breakfast -- whether it be Cream of Wheat, Malt-O-Meal, grits or oatmeal -- you'll probably like uppma, too. This hot breakfast cereal is made with cornmeal and cauliflower. And at this spot, it's also garnished with green peas, fresh yogurt and peanuts. Think you know where this beautiful bowl came from?

​Leave your best guess in the comments section below.

Photos by Troy Fields

Everything goes into the Big Deal omelet at Pecan Creek Grille -- even hashbrowns.

​As discussed in this week's two-fer cafe review of Pecan Creek Grille and Chatter's, it wasn't too long ago that you'd be hard-pressed to find a decent, non-chain breakfast on the west side of town. Growing up over there, our best bet for Sunday mornings after church was the Le Peep on Westheimer or -- on special occasions -- the brunch buffet at Rio Ranch. (FYI, that place is still awesome after all these years.)

These days, west Houstonians have the one-two punch of Pecan Creek Grille and Chatter's, across the street from each other on Eldridge, both of which offer impressive breakfasts. Were I still a west-sider, I'd spend my Saturday mornings at Pecan Creek and my Sunday brunches at Chatter's (with ample visits to Flora & Muse in between, as well).

Pecan Creek Grille is the more casual of the pair, owned by two Buffalo Grille ex-pats who brought a laid-back Hill Country vibe to the restaurant. It's only open through lunch, but it serves breakfast the entire time.

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Photo by Nicholas L. Hall

Too far? No. Not at all.

​So John Kiely beat me to the weird-French-Toast punch with his piece on French Toasted Tortillas, simultaneously making me shake my fist a la Jerry Seinfeld, muttering his name under my breath, and creating what is probably an unhealthy fixation on the idea of French Toast Enchiladas. I'm a life-long lover of pain perdu in all of its many forms, though, so I have absolutely no problem adding to the list of oddball options.

This one was sort of a happy accident, a comedy of errors mixed with a bit of free association, vividly reminding me of playing Telephone in grade school, purple monkey dishwasher. I don't even remember the details, just that some combination of local food blogger/photographer/notable lush Matt Chow, Anvil bartender Matt Tanner, and I read between lines that didn't really exist, culminating in the flash of genius that is Fernet French Toast. Twitter: catalyst for ridiculousness and brilliance in equal measure.

I spent several weeks intending to get around to it, planning to get fancy with a Brioche base, and Maple Chantilly Cream on top. That didn't happen. Between thought and expression lies a lifetime.

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Crab cake Benedict

​I pass Merche, which specializes in Spanish-Italian fusion and is located on the campus of the North Cypress Medical Center, every time I drive out to my parents' house in Fairfield, but had never stopped in until this past Sunday. I had heard Dana Tyson talk about it on Sunny 99.1 last December and sort of always wondered about it. (I'm one of those nerds that only listens to Sunny from November 24 to December 25, because I'm a bitch for Christmas carols.)

My parents had been for dinner before, so this was my mom's choice for her birthday brunch. I was a little skeptical. Hospitals make me a little nervous, so I don't know if this would have been my No. 1, but then it wasn't my birthday. I was reassured that we were not eating in the hospital and that the food was great, so hush. Fair enough.

My brother, boyfriend and I arrived a few minutes before my parents and were politely greeted at the door. The décor was nice, with plenty of red, gold and colorful tile mosaics, but we immediately noticed how quiet it was inside the restaurant. No music, no chatter, just...silence. Four older couples were sitting at tables, not speaking to each other. When I laughed, I got an evil eye from a patron in her sixties. This made me a little nervous because...my family...we could be considered sort of "loud" when we get together. Were we going to get stink-eyes throughout brunch? My brother, a med school student, half-jokingly remarked that we must be near the Oncology wing of the hospital. Yikes.

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Photo by John Kiely

​When Joseph French, an innkeeper in Albany, New York, invented French toast in 1724, he became an early practitioner of the American affinity to dip food in batter and fry it in fat. The oil has gotten deeper since then, the food more exotic, leading inevitably to the Texas State Fair.

I wish I could claim to be one of those brilliant innovators, but the truth is that I forgot to check the freezer for slices of bread before making batter for French toast. A fresh package of HEB flour tortillas were laying nearby, so I jumped on it, with low expectations.

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