You might react to this book as I first did, worried that by cooking with Dana Moos’ recipes, I’d get stuck with houseguests who refuse to leave thanks to the amazing breakfasts I’d be serving. Moos’ meals first adorned tables at the Kingsleigh Inn in Southwest Harbor beginning in 2004, when she and her husband left jobs and moved to Mount Desert from Washington, D.C. to become innkeepers. Moos took a creative leap in her kitchen as well, experimenting with twists to traditional breakfast foods. If, like Moos, you believe a gorgeous, gourmet breakfast starts the day off right, this book is the guide and inspiration for making meals as delicious and impressive as hers. (Moos is now executive manager of the Pomegranate Inn in Portland).
Fruit to begin with? How does “Grilled Peaches with Raspberry Sorbet” sound? Or “Roasted Plums with Thyme, Honey, and Vanilla Frozen Yogurt”? Save room for the main course. “Blueberry Oatmeal Streusel French Toast with Warm Maple Rum Sauce” sounds good, and “Fluffy Chocolate Ricotta Pancakes” with Grand Marnier looks terribly tempting. But, if savory instead of sweet is your pleasure, what about “Egg Roulade Filled with Sauteed Leeks and Parmesan, Topped with Lobster, Sherry, and Melted Butter”? Or maybe “Asparagus, Parmesan, and Ricotta Crepes with Fresh Maine Crab and Browned Butter.” There’s a section on vegetables; Moos’ take on home fries, “Roasted Potato Wedges with Horseradish Sour Cream,” sounds mouth-watering. Dessert recipes are the most traditional, recognizable but revved-up, including cinnamon buns, stuffed popovers, banana bundt, pecan shortbread, and chocolate chip cookies.
In case you doubt your culinary craft is up to this, Moos includes helpful notes about ingredients, preparation, garnishes, and serving suggestions. And her photographs, extreme close-ups often full-page in size, are an artful endorsement that the work pays off. On second thought, book your calendar full with houseguests, at least until you’ve worked your way through this book.