Customer Reviews

Morning Glories: Recipes for Breakfast, Brunch & Beyond from an American Country Inn

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tired of the standard breakfast fare such plain pancakes, instant oatmeal, and dry cereal, and unable
to do unhealthy meals such as biscuits and sausage gravy on anything but the rare occasion, I went
hunting for a cookbook devoted specifically to breakfast foods. I didn't exactly find the shelves
overflowing with such cookbooks - but fortunately, this was one of them. Compared to the other
sparse offerings available in the bookstore, this one was the definite winner. Not necessarily due to
the number of recipes, because this cookbook isn't exactly overflowing with them, but because of
what looked like quality past what others I saw. As stated by the book jacket, they are not your
traditional breakfasts in any manner - each recipe has unusual ingredients for the type of food, each
is fancier than what you're used to - and plenty of them aren't that much harder to make.

So, deciding that even a single recipe that was good would be worth it, I purchased the book. It
ended up being a while until I made anything from it - not from not wanting to, mind you, just that it
took some time to actually be willing to get up and make breakfast. Finally, one morning, we got up a
bit earlier, and decided to make something for breakfast. Finally, instead of looking in the book and
thinking "I need to make this someday", I actually did it. And the recipe was not only simple to follow,
but the breakfast was most definately worth it.

There is a large variety of recipes in the book, many that I would never think to make for breakfast.
Heck, there are some that I probably will never make, as they're not my style. But that's ok, because
there are plenty more that I definately will have to make some morning. The recipes are not just your
casual weekend breakfast fare, either - very few dishes seem like they would not be appropriate for
serving to company - or even a fancy breakfast. I am very, very happy with this book, as everything
made so far has been downright delicious. Sometimes I feel I can't decide what to make for breakfast,
they all look so incredibly good.

At the beginning of the book, there's even a little description of their Inn, their attitude toward
breakfast (as a "forgotten" meal), and a short description of the area the Inn is located in. At the end
is a selection of menus for special events, such as a Bridal breakfast, sunrise picnic, a brunch buffet,
or a hands-on breakfast for kids. They have lists of things that can be done two days in advance,
and one day in advance, to make it easier to make the food on the morning of the event.

This is an excellent book for a special breakfast or brunch event. The recipes are innovative and do turn out well. I contacted the author and she indicated there were several printing errors - the biggest one being the Croissant Cinnamon Buns (she was very upset because this is her most POPULAR recipe!) The flour should be 6 cups - not 4 - or feel free to add as much flour as necessary to make a workable dough. I hope everyone enjoys these wonderful recipes as much as I do. The croissants are awesome!

This is a beautiful cookbook with exquisite photos of Pennsylvania Dutch Country and of the delicious food served at the Inn at Twin Linden. The originality of the recipes and the fact that they turn out beautifully just adds to the enjoyment of this cookbook.

Photos are beautiful and recipes are inspirational, but the first one I tried, "Croissant Cinnamon Raisin Buns", seems to have a major error. The ratio of liquid to flour (2-1/2 cups milk plus 1/3 cup water to 4 cups of flour) makes a dough so thin it can be "poured out" but not "rolled out" as instructed. Hopefully, the remaining recipes are more accurate.

I was looking for original breakfast ideas to inspire my breakfast ritual--a "good morning" photo of my breakfast sent to friends. The first recipe from Donna Leahy's book that I tried --Baked Apple with Oatmeal, Cinnamon and Pecans in Phyllo--drew multiple raves and recipe requests--for it's clever use of old faithful ingredients and ease of preparation.

As one reviewer said, books with original breakfasts recipes, especially ones that are easy, healthy, look appealing and tasty are not easy to find. When I came across Leahy's "Morning Glories" I didn't hesitate to buy it--her table of contents was enough. The organization of the recipes is clear--you can quickly find what taste sensation you're looking for (sweet/savory/baked goods) without going through the whole book--though that is fun too. Her mouthwatering titles immediately tell you what to expect in the recipe. The double page photographs of the region around her inn at Churchtown, Pennsylvania and the food spreads are exceptional. (Though I would like to see more photos of how some of the recipes actually look--especially since they are so uncommon). The layout of the book is elegant and clear. I doubt I'll actually put much of her last chapter into practice, but I enjoyed reading her menus and plan-ahead tips for a variety of occasions that I had never thought of, from a Sunrise Picnic to a Candlelight Bridal Breakfast.

Can't wait to try her Cinnamon Bread Pudding French Toast with Bourbon Sauce--or maybe the Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Basil Egg Topping--those two are part of her Gala Celebration Brunch Buffet, but clearly good on their own. Love this book.