Brunch

Tartines de Caviar à la Crème Aigre Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

A spoonful of this classic compound butter, known as maître d'hôtel butter, makes an instant sauce for anything from grilled steak to sautéed chicken to steamed vegetables. It can also be stirred into soups and stews.

This frittata is a marriage of ideas gleaned from two similar dishes tasted in the Piedmont: a delicious zucchini and herb "frittela" at the restaurant Guido in Costiglioli d'Asti and a spinach "frittatini" (both were miniature frittate) at the humble but superb Osteria dell'Unione in Treiso.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Forget the usual chopped liver. This rustic appetizer is an Italian treat. Spiedini are skewers of any combination of foods — bread, cheeses, meatballs, fish — that can be grilled or roasted.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This Basque specialty consists of scrambled eggs garnished with tomatoes, peppers, onions, and a slice of ham. The same Basquaise garnish may be prepared in advance and used for chicken and fish. Chez Gladines serves its pipérade with patates sautées — potatoes pan-fried in duck fat and seasoned with garlic and parsley.

If you enjoy spicy food, pass some hot pepper sauce to sprinkle on top of this light, soufflé-like omelet.

This dessert is a trompe l'oeil, resembling the peel, rind, and flesh of a cantaloupe.

Wisconsin cheddar stars in these flavorful and easy-to-make biscuits.

Add eggs and fruit for a nice menu.

(Tomato Cheddar Sauce on Toast) This rendition of Welsh rabbit, popular in early New England, was probably brought to America from Cheshire. Because the recipe substitutes tomatoes for the beer often used, it was considered suitable for children and invalids. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This recipe was created to accompany Wheat Berry and Barley Salad with Smoked Mozzarella.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 40 min