Christmas morning in my family always began with me sitting at the top of the stairs with my sister. We would wait patiently while my parents put the finishing touches on the gifts under the tree, set up the video camera, and made coffee. The suspense that built not-so-gradually until we were finally allowed to go down the stairs. A fire would be crackling in the fireplace, and we would sit down as a family opening presents. At some point in the morning, we would enjoy a big, beautiful breakfast together.

Now that we have our own little family, I’m thinking of ways to make Christmas morning just as special and memorable for Riley. These gingerbread pancakes are an excellent place to start. Holiday breakfasts that play with the flavors of the season help to make the meal unique without adding too much extra work. The smell of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and molasses fill the air as the pancakes cook. The warmth and joy of the season is undeniable as you bite into the surprisingly light, cakey pancakes. Sitting down to a stack of delicious gingerbread pancakes and a mug of fresh, hot coffee or cider is the simple enough to start any chilly winter morning and festive enough to serve on Christmas morning. Also, pancakes are great to make in large batches because you can easily freeze the leftovers, pop them in the toaster, and enjoy them any day of the week.

This year, we will be spending Christmas in Tokyo. We have a tiny Christmas tree, there won’t be any snow, and definitely no fire crackling in the fireplace. However, we are together with our beautiful baby boy, making new memories with our newly expanded family.

What are some of your favorite Christmas memories or traditions?

Gingerbread Pancakes

Recipe from William-Sonoma

Easter has always been a big deal in my family. Actually, all major holidays are a pretty big deal in my family. We enjoy the same exact dishes each year at the same house. For 20+ years, holidays have been predictable and wonderful. Of course, when we moved to Japan everything changed. Holidays like Thanksgiving and Easter were no longer spent around the same group of family members. Instead, we found ourselves surrounded by a new “family” that helped us to break out of tradition and try some new things. In many ways, the changes we experienced helped me to appreciate the consistency I’ve had throughout my life.

Experiencing holidays in both concrete and transient environments has lead me to strongly believe in the power of sharing traditions with others. By sharing I don’t mean forcing people to like the way you do things, just simply allowing those closest to you to see what makes you who you are. The traditions we develop and carry with us help to create the diverse groups of people that make up this beautiful world and we can always learn from those outside of our close-knit circles.

Since many of you will be participating in Easter celebrations this weekend, I’ve put together a menu featuring recipes from Tokyo Terrace that represent the traditional and not-so-traditional aspects of holiday gatherings. Some of the recipes are based on my own family traditions, while others are new developments that have come about over the past couple of years in Japan.

No matter where in the world you find yourself, I hope you are surrounded by good people and comforting food.

Enjoy!

Drinks

Pink Lemonade & Thyme Sparkler

Bloody Marys with a Japanese Twist

Appetizers/Side Dishes

Deviled Eggs

Sweet & Spicy Thai Pineapple

Edamame Crostini with Meyer Lemon & Shiso

Mini Pommes Anna

Main Dishes

Savory Vegetable Galette

Phyllo Squares with Egg, Spinach & Cheese

Desserts

Whole Wheat Cranberry Citrus Scones

Strawberries & Japanese Whiskey Sabayon

Blueberry Tart

Brown Sugar Shortbread with Fig Jam

I am not much of a morning person. Usually I crawl out from under my warm covers, interrupting cuddle time with my dog, to silently make coffee while the haze gradually (VERY gradually) clears from my eyes and I can join the world of the awake. Some mornings it takes all my strength not to hit the snooze button for the umpteenth time. Other mornings, residents of our apartment complex apparently think I need some extra early waking-up. They call taxis at 4:30am, loudly explaining where they need to go. Conveniently, this happens right outside our first floor bedroom window. As these exchanges occur, I’m typically imagining what would happen if I walked outside and gave them a piece of my mind. But I’m too tired to move, let alone yell at someone broken Japanese that doesn’t make any sense. Too much effort before the dawn has cracked.

This morning was classic. The dog had to be let out at about 3:00am, then an hour later a taxi pulled up outside followed by a 5 minute conversation that seemed to be happening in my room because the walls are paper thin. Then, at 7:00am, an ambulance drove by. At 8:30am I finally decided to give up trying to sleep and make some coffee and breakfast. I have to say that it was worth it. The smell of scones baking was enough to make me see the bright side of life.

Walking with Callie and looking at the beautiful plum blossoms that have been bursting over the past few days only made things better. Who can complain about a day that began with scones, coffee, and soaking in Japan’s beauty?

What are you favorite ways to begin a weekend morning?

*I used the pinewood boat, medium, from restaurantware.com in this post. You can purchase eco-friendly products like catering supplies and plastic plates from restaurantware.com and receive 10% off by entering the coupon code: tokyoterrace. For the dish used in this post, click here to purchase.

Cranberry-Citrus Whole Wheat Scones

Makes 1 dozen small scones

1 cup all-purpose or bread flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup dried cranberries

zest from 1 orange and 2 meyer lemons/1 regular lemon

8 tablespoons butter, frozen for about 30 minutes

1/3 cup plain yogurt

1 egg

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, 200 degrees C.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda and powder, salt, sugar and cinnamon. Add the cranberries and zests. Use a cheese grater to add the butter. Break up the butter in the dry ingredients with your fingers until crumbly.

Combine the egg and yogurt in a small bowl and mix together with a fork. Add to the dry ingredients using a fork to combine. When the dough has begun to cling together but is still a combination of sticky and dry, use your hands to create a ball of dough.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and gently knead until the dough’s consistency is nearly smooth. Form about an 8-inch round. Cut the dough into triangles and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

I have really loved my time at home over the past two weeks. It is always great to be able to spend time with family after months of seeing one another only on a computer screen over iChat or Skype. While it is wonderful to have technology that is advanced enough so we can see the faces of our loved ones no matter where in the world we are, still, nothing takes the place of being within arms reach of your family and friends. This morning we enjoyed some face-to-face time with my parents and sister over a delicious New Year’s Day brunch.

I found this recipe on the Martha Stewart for iPad application, which is pretty amazing. The concept is similar to spanakopita. The original recipe calls for feta cheese, which would be fantastic. I didn’t have feta so I used shredded Romano instead. It was good but lacking in the tang that feta has in contrast to the creamy ricotta. Another change I made was the use of frozen spinach rather than fresh. It saved a little time since I didn’t need to cut the leaves. If you decide to make this with frozen spinach, be sure to squeeze out as much of the water as possible by putting the spinach in several layers of paper towels or in a dish towel. Squeeze over the sink until a small amount of water comes out.

The ricotta and egg mixture is covered with 3 layers of phyllo dough and each layer is brushed with clarified butter.

After just 5 minutes, these delicious pockets are done and ready to be eaten! The light, crisp phyllo is the perfect addition to the creamy cheese and velvety egg yolk.

This was the perfect way to begin the first day of 2011 and the last day of our time in Minnesota. Tomorrow we fly back to Tokyo. Time always moves so quickly…

Phyllo Squares with Baked Egg, Spinach and Cheese

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Makes 6 servings

8 oz. frozen spinach

1 cup ricotta cheese

3/4 cup shredded Romano cheese

7 large eggs

1 stick unsalted butter

6 sheets phyllo dough, thawed

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Thaw the spinach according to package directions and make sure to squeeze the water out as much as possible, although a small amount of water is fine. Set the spinach aside in a small bowl. While you are thawing the spinach, clarify the butter by placing it in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat the butter until the solids sink to the bottom of the pan. Keep a close eye on the butter to make sure it doesn’t cook too quickly to get too hot. Use a coffee filter to strain out the solids from the butter. Keep the clarified butter and a pastry brush close by.

3. In another bowl, combine the ricotta and Romano. Season with salt and black pepper. Add the spinach and stir to combine. Stir in 1 of the eggs.

4. Brush a baking sheet with clarified butter. Place one layer of phyllo dough on the baking sheet and brush it with butter as well. Repeat with two more layers so have 3 sheets of dough as a base. Keep a damp towel over the dough you are not using as you work- it gets difficult to work with if its too dry.

5. Evenly space 6 scoops of the spinach mixture on the phyllo dough. Use a spoon to make a shallow well in the mixture. With the remaining 6 eggs, separate the yolks from the whites keeping the whites for later use. Carefully place a yolk in each of the spinach scoops. Gently whisk the egg whites and brush the top of the ricotta lightly.

6. Carefully place another layer of phyllo over the spinach and egg. Gently press down around the mixture lightly sealing the top layer to the bottom layer. Brush the phyllo with clarified butter. Repeat with 2 more layers so you have three total on the top.

7. Use a pastry cutter or pizza cutter to cut around the mixture, making 6 squares. Bake for 5 or 6 minutes until lightly brown and still soft in the middle. Serve right away!

It’s not often that I get out of bed thinking “I want to make breakfast! Something more complicated than cereal and milk, or fried eggs and toast!” No, usually I get out of bed thinking, “Why is there not a cup of coffee in my hand right now?!?” Apparently all I need to get my butt in gear is a situation worth getting panicky about.

Let me explain.

This is our dog Callie:

As I write this post, Callie is on a plane to Tokyo. This has been a long, hard journey for her, for us, and for our family. It all began 2 years ago when we had to leave her behind as we ventured out into the great unknown of life in Japan. We weren’t sure how well dogs would be accepted in the country so we thought it best to say a temporary goodbye to our pup. As it turns out, dogs are actually very popular in Tokyo. When we realized this, it took about 2 milliseconds to decide that Callie would join us.

The paperwork was a nightmare, as expected. But once everything was finalized and we scheduled her flight we figured we were out of the woods.

Oh boy were we wrong.

Yesterday (Friday in the U.S. and Saturday in Japan) Callie was supposed to get on a plane. However, a lovely employee at my least favorite airline informed my mom, who has been wonderful about taking care of Callie through all of this, the wrong time to be at the airport. After arriving at the airport, mom was told that Callie would not be allowed on the flight because she was late.

So we rescheduled the flight, confirmed that she would still be accepted at Narita Airport in Japan, and booked a car (since we don’t own one) for today. Whew, right? Yeah, not done yet…

The quarantine office where Callie needs to be looked over and given the ‘OK’ for entry into Japan closes at 7pm today. Her flight was originally supposed to land at 5:30pm, giving us just enough time for the final step before she came home with us.

Her flight was delayed by almost 4 hours. Meaning we will miss the 7pm cut-off time.

*Since I wrote this post, we have figured out that Callie will be here late tonight. We will pick her up tomorrow afternoon and bring her home then. Currently she is half-way to Tokyo!

I was so worked up and frustrated this morning. What could I do with myself? How could I channel all the energy that felt like it would explode out of my ears?

I made pancakes. They were delicious; crispy on the outside, moist and soft on the inside, and full of flavor. Cinnamon Polenta Pancakes, slightly adapted, from Food & Wine Magazine’s website, turned out beautifully. Even if I did brown them a bit too much. Less-than-perfect pancakes execution for a less-than-perfect day, right? Even so, it turned out that making breakfast this morning was exactly what I needed. Who knew panicking and pancakes went so well together?

Needless to say, my plans for doing oodles of blogging this weekend have been derailed. But here is the recipe for the pancakes with a little twist: yogurt in place of buttermilk.

Cinnamon Polenta Pancakes

Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine

Serves 4

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water

In a bowl, whisk the flour with the cornmeal, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a bowl, whisk the yogurt with the eggs, olive oil and water. Whisk the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, leaving small lumps.
Set a griddle or skillet over moderate high heat and spray it with vegetable oil spray. When the pan is hot, spoon in 1/4-cup mounds of batter and spread to form 4-inch rounds. Cook the pancakes until the bottoms are browned and bubbles appear on the surface, 2 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the bottom, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Serve the pancakes warm.

Hello, my name is Rachael and I’m addicted to coffee.

This may sound a bit dramatic, but one of the reasons I am able to get out of bed early in the morning is because of coffee. There are so many wonderful sensations that are associated with a warm cup of coffee; its enticing, toasty smell and rich, nutty flavor are comforting and refreshing. And the way milk swirls in the dark brown liquid, eventually transforming into a lighter, creamier shade (I’m not a sugar kind of girl- milk only, please) makes my heart skip a beat. I told you this was dramatic.

Yes, this could easily be described as an obsession.

These strong feelings are not only associated with the coffee itself, but the people with whom I share it. Many of my favorite memories of living in Tokyo the past two years include sitting with my husband at the kitchen table, sipping on coffee and discussing the adventures, frustrations and wonders of our life here. The only thing that can make those moments a little more lovely is something delicious to munch on. This recipe for chocolate chip anise biscotti is the perfect accompaniment to a steaming hot cup of coffee.

Biscotti is easier to make than you may think. These crunchy treats are perfect gifts for friends, easy make-ahead desserts for dinner parties, or to keep around as an occasional treat. Biscotti are also very versatile- there are many flavor combinations, both sweet and savory. Chocolate chip and anise create a delicious combination of rich chocolate and licorice flavored anise are a match made in heaven. Subtle but indulgent, simple but elegant. The perfect mate for a cup of coffee.

What are your favorite biscotti flavors?

Chocolate-Chip Anise Biscotti Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis’ recipe for Chocolate Citrus Biscotti

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground anise (Use a microplane or spice grinder to grind whole pods)
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups dark (or semisweet) chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a whisk, stir the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, ground anise and salt in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar in another large bowl until pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture to the eggs and sugar and beat just until blended (the dough will be soft and sticky). Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Using a rubber spatula, transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, forming two mounds spaced evenly apart. Moisten your hands with water and shape the dough into two 11 by 4-inch logs. Bake until lightly brown, about 35 minutes. Cool the logs for 5 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. Arrange the biscotti cut side down on the same baking sheet. Bake until the biscotti are pale and golden, about 25 minutes. Cool the biscotti on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.

The biscotti can be made ahead. Store them in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap them in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.

When you live in a place for a certain amount of time, it can become difficult to find those hidden places that keep life exciting. And yes, this even happens when you live in a place like Tokyo. Routines bring you down the same streets, past the same buildings, into the same stores…and before you know it, you’re missing out on hidden treasures that are only a few steps off the beaten path. This past weekend, hubs and I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. I’m so glad we did, because the discoveries we made reminded me why I am so lucky to have the opportunity to live in a place like Tokyo. These photos are just a few of the enchanting scenes we found in a park that is, at the most, a 2 minute walk from our front door.

After our walk (while scratching a few monster mosquito bites) we decided to head down the hill to Hara Donuts. Hara Donuts is a chain in Japan specializing donuts made with okara, a by-product of soy milk or tofu. Before you chuckle and say, “Tofu by-product donuts? Those aren’t donuts!” I must tell you that these are, hands down, the best donuts I have ever tasted. With a texture that can best be described as light and cakey on the inside with a delicate crispiness on the outside. The balanced flavor and texture are enough to make me as obsessed with donuts as Homer Simpson. D-o-o-o-nuts….

To make things even better, these donuts are preservative free and use products made with local soy beans from Hokkaido. To read more about these fabulous donuts (since the official site is only in Japanese) check out this great article. One (or two) of these donuts along with a steaming hot latte make for a fantastic weekend breakfast. With Krispy Kreme invading Tokyo like a disease, Hara Donuts is a ray of sunshine in the world of donuts.

Just looking at the pictures from this weekend makes me feel the same serenity and complete happiness I experienced on Saturday. It was one of those mornings I often dream about but can rarely make happen because there are so many things to do. Letting loose and doing some exploring was the perfect way to spend my last weekend in Tokyo before leaving for Minnesota on Wednesday.

There are times when I wonder how it is physically (or mentally) possible to be so busy. Brad and I have both been pulled in about fifty directions over the past few weeks, leaving my kitchen and blog a little cold and lonely. From traveling to Hawaii to moving to our third apartment in the past 2 years we have been running around like chickens with our heads cut off. We are blessed with work and friends and fun that keep us on our toes and help us to appreciate the times when we are able to slow down and soak in some slower, more silent moments.

Our new home has become a haven for us in the midst of the chaos that is Tokyo. Coming home to an apartment with a patio surrounded with beautiful plants, filled with the sounds of chirping birds and flanked by friendly neighbors is a welcome change to our previous apartment where street noise was constant and we didn’t exactly feel welcomed by the other tenants. To be honest, it doesn’t really feel like we live in Tokyo until we leave the confines of our new little world. Me likey.

Still, in the whirlwind of our lives, simple, delicious, seasonal home-cooked meals are imperative to helping us keep our sanity. In the markets these days you can find nice little cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and fava beans galore. The foods are fresh and brightly colored which makes it perfect for spring-time dishes. For breakfast the other day, I wanted to stay true to the freshness and sweet flavors of the tomatoes and sugar snap peas. So, with a quick sautee in a little olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and accompanied by a fried egg, my simple breakfast came together in about 5 minutes. To add a little Cinco de Mayo flare, I added some fresh cilantro leaves from my herb garden, a sprinkling of jalapeno-flavored Tabasco sauce and I was done!

I am looking forward to more simple spring meals in the coming days. Too often I find myself getting wrapped up in making dishes complex. For some reason that seems to be more impressive. However, meals like this remind me that the food itself, in its simplest form, can often be far more impressive than anything else. Simple, uncomplicated and honest.

Wow- two guest posts in one week? I know, pretty awesome. It’s been really fun handing over the reigns of Tokyo Terrace to Rebecca for the last Cocktail Friday and now Brad (aka ‘hubs’) today. It’s given me a chance to take a step back and look at this blog from another angle and it’s been deliciously satisfying. This post was put together unexpectedly after Brad made breakfast for us the other day. I won’t tell you too much more about it except that it was a great breakfast and I hope he makes it again soon (wink wink!)

Living with an inspired foodie like Rachael has made the last five and a half years of my life, well…delicious.

Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that feeding yourself after a year’s hiatus from cooking is not pleasant. When Rachael visited home for a few weeks, I survived on some pretty bizarre meals. To redeem myself after this episode of Survivor: Tokyo, I bring you this simple recipe still in a bachelor style: created using only ingredients from our local international superstore, 7/11.

I had not planned on making anything again for Rachael’s blog, but this turned out great and I snapped a few photos before it got cold. Plus, if I can do it, anybody else can too. Returning from our morning run Sunday, I stepped into the local 7/11 to pick up Rachael’s orders: “eggs, milk, and ham.” The ham slices didn’t look very appetizing, and this little package looked at least related to prosciutto, so I tossed it in the bag and we finished our run.

A little background: My brothers and I love eggs. More often than not, we’d make ourselves egg sandwiches and omelettes for dinner when we had to fend for ourselves. I’ve probably made hundreds of “omelettes,” as in flat egg things stuffed with anything reasonable from the fridge. But watching and imitating this video from the endlessly endearing Julia Child taught me a much simpler way to do so. I gave it a shot and this is what came out of the process. Not bad eh?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWmvfUKwBrg&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

Basically, Julia says to get the pan nice and hot with plenty of butter. Add the whisked eggs and immediately start swirling the pan. This is doubly difficult in our kitchen because our burners turn off if you remove the pan (safety can be annoying sometimes). To my amazement, the eggs don’t stick at all and the omelette is ready for a skilled flip in a very short time. I did try it with olive oil and found it much more difficult, even in a non-stick skillet.

Julia suggests plumping up the sides of the omelette, so I did the same while placing the prosciutto slices around the fluffy, warm eggs. To garnish, I tossed on a little parsley from Rachael’s planter and even experimented with making a little prosciutto “flower” with the last piece since she was drying her hair and I had an extra minute.

Rachael seemed to enjoy being able to sit down and have something beautiful and delicious to eat, so I imagine many more of these beauties will grace our Sunday morning tables. Enjoy, and of course, bon apetit!

Rich, flavorful, decadent, and sinful. These are applicable adjectives for today’s recipe. In one of my early posts on Tokyo Terrace I explained my love affair with eggs benedict. There is something about Hollandaise-smothered eggs, meat and bread in one delicious bite that is irresistible to me.

With this love in mind, I made eggs benedict with an Asian twist for our Christmas Day breakfast. Instead of Canadian bacon, or smoked salmon like my previous recipe, I added slices of juicy Kobe beef. Let me just say: YUM! The beef was lightly seasoned before being tossed in a screaming hot pan where a beautiful brown crust formed and filled the kitchen with an amazing aroma.

Kobe beef is from Kobe, Japan where the cows are apparently massaged with sake and fed beer daily, resulting in intense marbling and rich flavor. In the U.S., Kobe beef is insanely expensive, but it is much more affordable in Japan. People are easily duped into buying beef that is called Kobe but really is not at all. If you can, do some research before trying to buy this kind of meat. To read more on Kobe beef, click here.

The poached eggs came out with perfectly fluffy whites and creamy, gooey yolks that soaked into buttery toasted bread. I know- it sounds deadly, right? Well, in case you haven’t had enough of intensely rich food, I’ve got a great recipe for you!

The recipe below is quite involved, but that’s only because there are several steps. If you are intentional with the timing of each step, it works out well. And don’t be afraid of Hollandaise sauce! It really is pretty easy to make from scratch. If you have a packet in your cupboard for the sauce, back away slowly. Just try it this way and I promise you will never go back!

If you can’t find Kobe beef, don’t worry. You can use sliced filets instead, or any other type of beef you prefer. I promise, if you make this recipe you will love it.

Please feel free to share your favorite decadent breakfast in your comments below. If you have links to blog posts, share those as well! I’d love to see what everyone else is enjoying for breakfast this season.

Kobe Beef Eggs Benedict

Makes 4 servings

8 slices Kobe beef (or other cut of beef)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

4 eggs

8 slices of French bread

4 teaspoons unsalted butter at room temp

1 stick (8 Tablespoons) of unsalted butter, melted

4 egg yolks

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

A few drops of Tabasco Sauce

Salt

Combine the salt and pepper, onion powder, cumin and paprika in a small bowl and sprinkle each piece of beef on both sides. Heat olive oil in a medium heavy pan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef on both sides (about 2 minutes per side) and transfer to a plate. Set aside.

In a heat proof bowl over a double boiler, whisk the egg yolks, lemon juice, and mustard until creamy and pale yellow. (Be VERY careful not to let the bottom of the bowl touch the water in the boiler or you will have scrambled eggs. Not good in this situation…) Add a pinch of salt and whisk in. Carefully remove the bowl from the heat, slowly stream in the butter and continue to whisk. (I used an electric whisk because it is WAY easier.)

Season with the Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce and stir in chopped parsley. Cover the sauce with tin foil and set aside until ready to use. You can gently reheat the sauce over low heat in the double boiler if necessary before using.

In a medium saucepan, fill with about 4 or 5 inches of water. Bring the water to a slow, steady simmer. While you wait for the water to heat up, toast and butter the bread. Set 2 slices of the bread on each of the serving plates. Working with two eggs at a time, gently break the eggs into the water, skimming any white foam off the top of the water as the eggs cook. The eggs should take about 3 minutes to be properly poached. Gently lift the eggs out of the water and place in a small bowl and repeat the process with the remaining eggs. *Alternatively, if you are making this for a large group or are uncomfortable poaching eggs, you can simply fry the eggs.

Assemble each plate by doing the following: Place one slice of beef on each slice of bread. Top the beef with the eggs then spoon the Hollandaise sauce over the whole thing. Garnish with paprika and extra chopped parsley or chives. Enjoy your artery clogging breakfast!