I still remember cooking breakfast burritos with my son Daniel, for volunteer workers at church events—simple, hearty, and made to fuel a long day of service. The workers were always so appreciative. Years later, I served a crowd favorite, nicknamed “The Bacon-ator,” a breakfast superstar inspired by the over-the-top spirit of fast-food indulgence. We had a popular food booth at the local country fair, where we cooked hundreds of breakfast burritos each day-stuffed with Mexican cheeses, extra bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs, and fresh salsa—nothing pre-made, nothing rushed. Every burrito was warm, fresh, and full of flavor. When food is made with love, even the most straightforward breakfast is memorable.

Chefs aspiring to become CIA Instructors are often tested on a variety of egg dishes. Omelettes and poached eggs are a little tricky unless you are using your own pan and have practiced and practiced and practiced! Scrambled eggs are more civilized; Escoffier writes about scrambling eggs with a clove of garlic stuck on the end of a paring knife-I do this sometimes for the amazing flavor... Try flavoring scrambled eggs with shredded cheese, shaved truffles, smoked ham, veggies or herbs, scrambled eggs with buttered toast is the perfect comfort food.

My first job was as a dishwasher in a local diner. It was hard work, but a lot of fun; the owners encouraged me to finish my cleaning quickly so I could learn to prep and cook. That early exposure shaped the way I think about simple, well-prepared food — especially diner classics. Despite their simplicity, exceptional home fries are surprising hard to find. Truly great home fries should be hot, crisp, and deeply flavorful, not deep fried or those soft, pre-made versions that too often appear on the plate. Once you’ve experienced the real thing — potatoes cooked with care and attention — you never settle for anything less.

I’d forgotten just how simple—and delicious—French toast can be. Years ago I served 'Pound cake French toast' at Sunday brunch at my restaurant and it quickly became a guest favorite. These days, I prefer thick slices of white bread cut from an unsliced Pullman loaf; the tight crumb absorbs the custard beautifully while holding its shape, delivering a rich, tender interior with a perfectly crisp exterior. I was inspired to develop this recipe based upon a breakfast I enjoyed at a new breakfast spot I was consulting with. The restaurant is very busy, fun and the portions are enormous! Junnie ordered French Toast ... the portion was practically the size of a birthday cake, delicious and decadent

Homemade waffles are a snap if you have a waffle maker and this simple recipe! It takes a little practice but soon you'll be making fancy waffle breakfasts in minutes! I remember sampling some truly outstanding waffles on a “Trends Walk” trip in Brooklyn, NY, years ago. We explored a variety of waffle styles and, of course, made a stop at the legendary Waffles & Dinges food truck—still a benchmark for texture and flavor in my mind. I find it surprisingly difficult to get the right texture when ordering waffles out—too often they’re soft, pale, or steamed rather than crisp. My children, however, love breakfast at several local spots in Philadelphia. I’m admittedly picky, so I’m rarely impressed. On our most recent visit, I ordered waffles myself. I could see one of the two cooks working the waffle iron through the kitchen pass, so I assumed mine would arrive fresh, hot, and crunchy. My daughter also ordered waffles—and as anyone in the business knows, when there’s only one waffle maker and two orders…

I have very fond memories of an annual Church breakfast I prepared with the help of amazing CIA students, teens from the church who wanted to learn to cook and my own children. We made a variety of egg dishes, homefries, bacon, homemade sausages and pancakes... all made to order for about 200 people; it was very gratifying I remember one of the dads telling me he enjoyed preparing pancakes on Sunday mornings for his large family. He was a busy doctor, I was impressed that he made time to personally prepare this special Sunday breakfast. Homemade pancakes are a treat, usually reserved for the weekends but this simple recipe makes it quick and easy to prepare a short stack in minutes!