Upfront/EAT
6 Healthy Ways to Top Toast
Celebrity chef and cookbook author George Duran shares six upgrades to your next breakfast slice
1 Herby Citrus, Avocado and Smoked Salmon
Bread: Sprouted rye
Toppings: Smoked salmon, avocado slices, grapefruit segments and a smear of Greek yogurt mixed with fresh dill and lemon zest
2 Roasted Tomato, Basil and Cottage Cheese
Bread: Whole grain sourdough
Toppings: Low-fat cottage cheese, roasted cherry tomatoes, balsamic glaze and fresh basil
3 Pear, Honey and Ricotta With Walnuts
Bread: Seeded multigrain
Toppings: Part-skim ricotta cheese, thin-sliced pears, toasted walnuts, a drizzle of honey and a grind of black pepper
4 Pickled Beet and Egg With Arugula
Bread: Buckwheat or gluten-free millet
Toppings: Sliced hard-boiled eggs, thin-sliced pickled beets, arugula and a drizzle of Dijon vinaigrette
5 Hummus, Cucumber and Pomegranate
Bread: Sourdough
Toppings: Hummus, cucumber ribbons, pomegranate seeds and fresh mint leaves
6 Sweet and Salty Apple Peanut Butter
Bread: Multigrain
Toppings: Peanut butter, thin-sliced apple (ideally Honeycrisp or Gala), a drizzle of honey and sea salt flakes —Lauren Dana Ellman
TOP KITCHEN TOOLS
PARCHMENT PAPER
It’s not just for lining baking pans. Use it for baking fish en papillote, in which fish, herbs, aromatics and wine are steamed in a paper packet. I’ll also fill a parchment cone with melted chocolate or royal icing to decorate cakes and cookies. Chefs cut out a false lid, or cartouche, sized to fit inside a saucepan. Placed on top of, say, pears in their poaching liquid, the parchment disk keeps them submerged and traps steam. —Trung Vu, chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education’s New York City campus