COOKING & ENTERTAINING : A Savory Awakening : Cayenne-Sparked Crab Cakes Take Center Stage in a Rise-and-Dine Brunch for Fall

TRADITIONAL American food updated in contemporary fashion makes for a festive fall brunch. Old-fashioned crab cakes are served with a lively mayonnaise seasoned with cay enne pepper and Sherry. The idea for this breakfast main course comes from Hugo Molina, chef of Reflections restaurant in La Canada Flintridge.

For starters, offer guests tall, sparkly orange cocktails and crunchy, bittersweet toast appetizers--think of cinnamon toast, but with the sugar dashed with aromatic bitters. This unusual toast is an almost forgotten innovation that has been credited to the late chef Henri Charpentier, who for years had a restaurant, Charpentier’s, in Redondo Beach.

Then on to the crab cakes, accompanied by sauteed green beans, mushrooms and red peppers. Muffins are a traditional American favorite, and they are more popular now than in a long time. Offer two types: whole-wheat muffins with the toasty flavor of hazelnuts and sweet, lemon-flavored muffins dotted with pistachios.

Tangy pomegranate supplies the key flavor in this fall breakfast dessert, a flan created by Jack Huxtable, executive chef of Pavilion Catering at the Music Center. If it’s too laborious to squeeze the juice from the fruit, make the flan with bottled non-sweetened pomegranate juice and use fresh, jewel-like seeds for the decoration. And be sure to supply the requisite for any morning meal--plenty of brewed coffee.

A FALL BRUNCH

Orange-Flower Eye-Openers

Bittersweet Toast

Reflections Crab Cakes With Sherry-Cayenne Mayonnaise

Mushroom-Green-Bean Saute

Hazelnut-Whole-Wheat Muffins

Lemon-Pistachio Muffins

Jack Huxtable’s Pomegranate Flan

Coffee

ORANGE FLOWER EYE-OPENERS 1 6-ounce container frozen orange juice concentrate cup orange marmalade 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoons orange flower water 9 ounces (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) vodka 6 ounces ( 3/4 cup) Grand Marnier 3 10-ounce bottles sparkling water, chilled

Combine orange juice concentrate, orange marmalade, lemon juice and orange flower water in blender. Blend thoroughly. Pour into container, cover and chill. Just before serving, stir in vodka and Grand Marnier. Divide mixture among 6 large tumblers. Add ice cubes. Carefully pour 1/2 bottle sparkling water into each tumbler and stir. Garnish edge of glass with orange slice. Makes 6 servings.

REFLECTIONS CRAB CAKES WITH SHERRY-CAYENNE MAYONNAISE cup finely diced sweet red pepper 3 tablespoons finely diced shallots 3 tablespoons butter 3 pounds crab meat, flaked 3 eggs 3/4 cup whipping cream 4 1/2 cups soft fresh bread crumbs made from white bread with crusts removed Dash salt 3 to 4 tablespoons clarified butter Sherry-Cayenne Mayonnaise (see below)

Gently saute red pepper and shallots in butter until wilted and translucent. Combine crab meat, eggs, cream and sauteed mixture. Make 12 patties, allowing a scant 1/2 cup crab mixture for each. Coat with bread crumbs.

Heat butter in large skillet over medium low heat. Place single layer of patties in pan. Cook 4 minutes, turn and cook 3 minutes longer, until golden. Do not burn. Repeat with remaining patties, adding more clarified butter if needed. Serve hot with Sherry-Cayenne Mayonnaise. Makes 1 dozen.

Sherry-Cayenne Mayonnaise

2 cups mayonnaise 2 tablespoons cream sherry 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper Mix sugar and lemon peel thoroughly.

LEMON PISTACHIO MUFFINS 1 3/4 cups sifted flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt cup chopped pistachios 1 egg cup milk 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel 1 tablespoon lemon juice cup oil Lemon Sugar (see below)

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add nuts. Beat egg lightly in separate bowl. Stir in milk, lemon peel, juice and oil. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Fill foil- or paper-lined muffin cups full. Sprinkle with Lemon-Sugar. If desired, top with additional chopped pistachios. Bake at 400 degrees 20 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 1 1/2 dozen.

Lemon Sugar

3 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel Combine mayonnaise, sherry and cayenne in serving bowl. Chill.

POMEGRANATE FLAN 1 cups sugar 4 eggs 3 egg yolks 2 cups half and half 1 cups unsweetened fresh pomegranate juice Pomegranate seeds for garnish, optional

Heat 3/4 cup sugar in medium skillet until melted and golden. Do not allow to burn or flavor will be bitter. Quickly spoon caramel over bottom and sides of 8 custard cups or a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Set aside. Beat together eggs, egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar until well blended. Stir in half and half, then pomegranate juice. Strain mixture through fine sieve. Pour into caramel-lined custard cups or baking dish. Place in baking pan and add boiling water halfway up sides of cups or baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees 1 hour, or until knife inserted in center of flan comes out clean. Remove from water and cool. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Unmold onto dessert plates or large serving plate and garnish with pomegranate seeds, if desired. Makes 8 servings.

HAZELNUT-WHOLE WHEAT MUFFINS 3/4 cup all purpose flour 3/4 cup whole wheat flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt cup finely chopped hazelnuts 3/4 cup orange juice cup honey 2 eggs cup oil 1/2 cup wheat bran cereal (All Bran or Bran Buds)

Stir together flours, baking powder, salt and nuts. In large mixing bowl, beat orange juice, honey, eggs, oil and cereal until well combined. Let stand about 2 minutes or until cereal is softened. Add flour mixture, stirring only until combined. Spoon mixture into paper muffin cups or greased muffin pans. Bake at 400 degrees 15 to 20 minutes or until wood pick inserted near center comes out clean. Turn out onto rack to cool. Makes 16 muffins.

BITTERSWEET TOAST 1/2 Cup sugar 2 tablespoons aromatic bitters 6 slices white bread, crusts removed Softened butter

Mix sugar and bitters. Spread in thin layer on foil and allow to dry overnight. The next day,scrape mixture from foil into blender or food processor and process until pulverized. Store in tightly covered jar.

Spread bread slices with butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar. Toast bread until lightly browned. Cut each slice in half diagonally to make 2 triangles, then cut each in half to make smaller triangles. Serve as appetizers. Makes 24 toast triangles, or 12 servings.

MUSHROOM-GREEN BEAN SAUTE 3 tablespoons butter 3 cups sliced mushrooms 1/2 cup chopped onion cup chopped green onions teaspoon salt Dash black pepper 1 cup haricots 1/2 cup sweet red pepper strips 1/2 teaspoon Italian herbs, crumbled cup dry white wine

Melt butter in large skillet. Add mushrooms and onions and saute just until tender, seasoningwith salt and pepper. Remove from skillet. Add haricots and red pepper strips and saute lightly. Sprinkle with herbs and add wine. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Return mushroom mixture to pan and heat thoroughly. Add more salt if needed. Serves 6.

Produced by Robin Tucker; food styling by Stephanie Puddy