"Chocolate for Breakfast" by Barbara Passino (The Gerald & Marc Hoberman Collection, $40).
Really, no one's going to argue with the sentiment that makes up the book's title. Chocolate for breakfast — what could be more decadent? Or perfect? Passino, the chef/owner of Oak Knoll Inn in California's Napa Valley, sure knows how to treat guests. The recipes don't all include chocolate, but they are definitely special occasion pleasures. This isn't a book for someone who slams down a bowl of Fruity Pebbles and calls it breakfast; this is about making that first meal of the day a luxurious affair. A recipe for fruit pizza seems quirky, but the easy, pielike crust and sweet strawberry sauce beneath a layer of in-season berries is a lovely way to kick off the day. Even better, you can really put it together pretty quickly — always a bonus when you have a ravenous crowd waiting to eat.
Equally creative is the chocolate sandwich. The recipe, which calls for copious amounts of butter and buttermilk along with a splash of coffee, is dense. Don't let Passino fool you, though she's treating this dense, chocolaty stuff like bread and wants you to use it as a base for jelly and cream cheese — this is cake. It's cake for breakfast. And you know what? We're down with that. In fact, the cake, er, bread is downright devilish all on its own — no adornments necessary.
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"Chocolate for Breakfast" also has drink recipes, gorgeous photographs and enough savory dishes to satisfy someone who doesn't have a sweet tooth. As if you'd want someone like that to stay over for breakfast.
