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James
McNair’s Breakfast
by James McNair
Paperback, 96pp.
ISBN 0811820610
Chronicle Books
1998
Reviewed by B. Keith
Ryder
I have to assume that James McNair has a much more macho stovetop than I do. Although I was happy with the results of almost all of the recipes I tried from this book, in every case, I had to ignore the directions regarding cooking time and use my own judgment to tell when the dish was done. Lucky for me, in addition to cooking times, each recipe includes clues to indicate when the dish is done, so almost everything worked out just fine.
Breakfast is little more than a recipe book. In fact, other than an introduction, a short essay on coffee, and an even shorter one on tea, there is almost no commentary at all in the book. The recipes are broken down into categories: “Beverages & Fruit,” “Grains,” “Dairy & Eggs,” and “Meat, Fish & Poultry.” Each section includes recipes for items that can stand alone or be incorporated as one part of breakfast. You’ll want to read the recipes thoroughly in advance, however. Unless you’re lucky enough to have plenty of free time on weekday mornings, many of these recipes should be reserved for weekends when a more leisurely pace is appropriate.
In each section, Mr. McNair ranges from the basics to the very advanced. The section on eggs discusses soft-cooked, hard-cooked, and scrambled eggs, but it also has lovely recipes for frittatas, blintzes, and souffles. Similarly, the chapter on breads goes from biscuits and pancakes to doughnuts, beignets, croissants, and brioches.
His instructions for the basics are wonderfully detailed. A complete novice to the kitchen should have no problems, and even an experienced cook may learn something. At the top of the recipe for hard-cooked eggs, he proclaims, “Don’t call them ‘boiled’ eggs, because boiling ruins eggs by turning the insides rubbery and cracking the shells, which then leak and create watery eggs.”
I found his shirred eggs a nice change on a weekday. Eggs are cracked into individual buttered ramekins and baked in a water bath until set. The result is much like a poached egg without the messy process. His version of Eggs Florentine is terrific, with cream cheese acting as the base for the creamed spinach.
Both my absolute favorite recipe and my biggest problem came from the Breads section. His Lemon Souffle Pancakes were everything you would imagine. Light, airy, redolent of fresh lemon, and an absolute delight to eat. The sticky buns, however, were a disappointment. The flavor was quite good, but his instructions call for crowding the pan so badly that the center roll is still doughy at the time the outer rolls are done. Additionally, his method for the glaze didn’t come together during the baking process. When I try this recipe again (and I will!), I’ll alter it by using 3 pans instead of 2 in order to let the rolls cook thoroughly, and I’ll heat the glaze ingredients together in a saucepan and pour them into the baking pans, rather than just combining the sugar, butter and corn syrup in the food processor and packing the mix into the pan. Using a saucepan should ensure the mix actually becomes a glaze instead of a slightly unpleasant topping. Also, the directions as written would require the cook to arise 2-3 hours before breakfast in order to have the rolls hot and ready. A sentence or two instructing how to convert the recipe for a slow, overnight rise in the refrigerator would be very helpful.
But that one aside, I found Breakfast to be a wonderful collection
of recipes. It’s one I will turn to again and again for special brunches
with friends, romantic breakfast in bed, or just a nice alternative to
my normal breakfast fare.
