Full breakfast a great way to start day — and entertain

For decades, doctors have told us how important it is to start every day with a hearty and healthy breakfast.

When I was growing up, most American children were required to eat eggs or cereal and drink a glass of juice or finish half of a grapefruit before we could leave the kitchen table to get on with our day.

Sometimes the breakfast selection would vary, and a stack of pancakes or a waffle was offered, with or without a side of crisp, perfectly cooked bacon, a small slab of scrapple or a sausage link or two. Mom and Dad were firm believers in the "good breakfast" rule.

I happen to love a good, full breakfast. Not every day — because I certainly do not need carbs and fat and sugar too often— but once a week or so, when I have friends or family over for a delicious feast before a horseback ride or after a vigorous hike.

We might start with a homemade cappuccino. I installed a phenomenal machine in my kitchen so I can make two or four at a time, foaming milk to a silken froth and creating drinks that would make my favorite barista in New York City proud.

Depending on the menu, some steps can be done ahead of time to make the morning preparations simpler. If I am serving poached eggs, I start with eggs from the farm. I cook them early and keep them in a bowl of ice water until right before serving, when I gently reheat them in simmering water.

If I'm planning to make a frittata, I saute the onions and parboil the potatoes the evening before. If I'll be serving biscuits, I mix the dry ingredients with the shortening and chill overnight, and then I add the buttermilk and mix the dough the next morning. Popover batter can be made the day before and chilled until ready to pour into preheated tins and bake.

My favorite croissants are made at the Petrossian bakery, in New York City, and I keep several dozen in my freezer to reheat as needed. They don't seem to suffer from the process, and everyone enjoys them.

Here are the recipes for a couple of my favorite breakfast foods. Please try the homemade granola; the maple syrup gives the nuts and oats an amazing flavor. The recipe for Donn's waffles, which originated in the kitchen of winemakers Donn and Molly Chappellet, in California's Napa Valley, produces the lightest, crunchiest waffles I have ever eaten.

Another reason I love entertaining at breakfast? You still have the whole day to enjoy the other things you love to do together.

For more delicious breakfast recipes and ideas, visit www.marthastewart.com.