Brunch

We'll toast to this vitamin C-packed drink from Neal Fraser, chef at Grace Restaurant in Los Angeles.

Astronaut or not, anyone can enjoy these raisin-studded drop biscuits. Eat them while they're warm, because they lose their stellar appeal when cool.

This classic tomato juice cocktail gets extra flavor from aquavit, a distilled spirit infused with fragrant herbs and spices.

It's difficult to improve on the rich, smoky flavor of bacon, but we've done it: As this bacon sizzles in the oven, the brown sugar and hint of cayenne create an addictive sweet-hot glaze.

Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Cal-a-Vie Living: Gourmet Spa Cuisine and is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Cal-a-Vie.

Pancakes, ice cream, pound cake, fresh fruit—they all just got a little bit better.

Here, the old trick of moistening scrambled eggs with cream cheese is elevated with Boursin, which also adds flavor. This makes a good brunch dish or, when served with a salad, a satisfying light supper.

These Southwestern pancakes are vibrant to the eye and the palate. For a spicier version, leave in some — or even all — of the jalapeño seeds.

It's delicate in flavor and texture. Marjoram fuses with zucchini and egg in this simple, meltingly tender flat omelet—one that Olney found "completely attractive" and insisted is best at room temperature, prepared 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Susan Elizabeth Fallon of Boxford, Massachusetts writes: "I love to create new recipes to share with my husband, nine-year-old son, and friends. For me, that's the fun and adventure of cooking. I believe that eating well means using fresh, high-quality ingredients, so I'm choosy about what I buy and I grow many of my own herbs." Lemon sugar and fresh berries make these muffins special.

Enfrijoladas This simple vegetarian meal is traditionally served as breakfast or as a light supper. It is great alone or with eggs.

Roasting the chickens and using both dark and white meat results in chicken salad with deep flavor. (Buying rotisserie chickens will cut down on the timing, but be sure to choose minimally seasoned birds.) Fennel, standing in for the usual celery, along with fennel seed and fresh basil, adds an unexpected note of sophistication.

This drink was featured as a Cocktail of the Month.

Almost any berry, or combination of berries, can be substituted in this recipe.

Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Hollywood Dish by Akasha Richmond. When I catered Billy Bob Thornton's Christmas party one year, he whipped up some of his special soy — based pimento cheese sandwiches for all of us cooking in the kitchen. The following summer when I catered Billy's birthday, I made the sandwiches as an appetizer and served them with a cream of tomato dip — an idea that my friend Sergio Gomez gave me. When Emeril Lagasse made pimento cheese on his show, he told the audience that when you're in the South as a guest in someone's home, and they bring out the pimento cheese it's a special thing, so I was really honored when Billy made this dish for me. Note: Any leftover dip, can be thinned out a bit with more soymilk and served as soup. When I cater parties I place the dip in small shot glasses or demitasse cups, and slice the sandwiches into long strips and serve them on top of the glasses. I also like to slice a small baguette thinly and use that to make the sandwiches.