Make-Your-Own!
I am still smiling from the wonderful food writers’ retreat I attended in the Poconos last month! Not only did I meet and immediately bond with an incredible group of food writers, I also got to eat amazing food! The “recipe” from this week’s Berkshire Eagle column comes from that weekend, although I put the word recipe in quotes because it’s more a set of guidelines and suggestions than a formally-written recipe.
BAR NONE
by Elizabeth Baer
Imposter syndrome is real. I have been writing this column every other week for over five years. Counting up a handful of columns that included more than one recipe, plus another handful of extra columns outside of my bi-weekly schedule, I’ve now offered to readers over 185 recipes! Yet I’m still hesitant to call myself a food writer, comparing myself to the giants of the genre, judging my contributions to be relatively modest.
Somehow, across my social media feed this past fall, I saw a post about a food writers’ retreat weekend in March 2026. With great trepidation, I signed up. Through all the intervening months, as I saw what some other attendees were posting on Substack, and how others were traveling from all over the country for this program, I kept wondering if I would be way out of my league. Surely, I thought, everyone else will be much more accomplished than I. But once the cancellation date came and went, it felt too embarrassing to back out, and in mid-March I got in the car and drove three hours to a retreat venue in the Poconos.
Our fearless leader, Jenn – who hatched this idea, made all the plans, and kept everything organized – divided us into teams of three or four, each of which would be responsible for planning one meal and sending an ingredient list to her. I was grouped with Betty (our team’s head chef) and Anne-Marie, and we were assigned breakfast for the first morning. Over emails we began to plan, taking into consideration a range of dietary needs (vegan, gluten-free, etc.). We dubbed ourselves the Morning Glories, and Betty came up with the idea of a breakfast taco bar so that people could adapt as needed.
The meal was a great success, as was the weekend. Not only do I feel like I can now really, truly call myself a food writer, not only do I now have a fabulous group of people I call friends and colleagues, but also I have a great breakfast idea for the next time I have a full house of guests! More of a choose-your-own-adventure recipe than something traditional, the components can vary and some parts, made ahead, are kept warm in a 200°F oven so guests can eat at different points in the morning, if necessary.
BREAKFAST TACO BAR
Serves 4-8, depending on filling choices and appetites; can be multiplied
INGREDIENTS:
Neutral oil as needed
8 ounces breakfast sausage, loose or removed from the casing (pork, turkey, or vegan)
8 ounces shredded potatoes (frozen is fine, wring out liquid if fresh)
One 14-ounce can black or pinto beans, drained
2 avocados (can just be sliced, or made into guacamole with ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon coriander, 2-3 tablespoons salsa, juice of 1 lime, adjusting to taste as needed)
Salsa for serving, and/or make a fresh pico de gallo with chopped tomatoes, onion, cilantro, salt, and any other spices you wish.
8 ounces shredded cheddar or Mexican blend (pre-shredded works or grate from a block)
8 eggs, scrambled (or firm tofu for a vegan scramble)
8 soft taco size tortillas (corn tortillas are harder to wrap, but an option for gluten-free)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 200°F.
Heat 1-2 tablespoons oil in each of two oven-safe sauté pans over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sauté the sausage in one, breaking up the pieces, until cooked through. If using plant-based sausage, follow package directions. Sauté the shredded potato in the other pan until cooked. If using frozen shredded potatoes, follow package directions. Add salt and pepper if desired. Place both pans in the oven to keep warm.
Place beans in a medium saucepan and warm through. Keep warm until ready to serve.
The other components can be made and arranged for people to assemble their own tacos, whether avocado slices or guacamole; whether jarred salsa or fresh pico de gallo; whether cheese shredded fresh or pre-shredded.
Heat another tablespoon of oil (or butter) in a nonstick pan, and scramble the eggs (or tofu) to prefered doneness. If people are eating at different times, eggs can be scrambled to order, if desired.
Warm the tortillas, checking package instructions, either by charring in a dry pan, or in a microwave with a slightly damp paper towel.
Allow people to assemble their own combinations!