Today is National Eggs Benedict Day and man, do I wish it were a weekend so I could have some runny-yolked goodness for brunch!

Traditional Eggs Benedict is simply poached eggs on a round of Canadian bacon perched on a split English muffin, covered in a soft yellow blanket of hollandaise. But, as brunch.org (I love that "brunch" deserves its own "org!") points out, there are lots of great variations. How would you like some Country Eggs Benedict (poached eggs and sausage gravy over ham on a biscuit) or Eggs Maryland (poached eggs and hollandaise over crab cakes) or Eggs a la Commodore (poached eggs and Béchamel sauce over foie gras puree on buttered toast circles).

Hmmm, maybe for dinner?

Yesterday might have been Easter with a full springtime brunch that included that brunchiferous staple, Eggs Benedict, but did you know that National Eggs Benedict Day is actually in a week - April 16?

Yep, I didn't know that either, and I also didn't know that there are about a bazillion myths surrounding the origin of an English muffin topped with Canadian bacon, a poached egg, and Hollandaise sauce. Heck, I might have even thought that Eggs Benedict was the bourgie incarnation of an Egg McMuffin! Take a peek at the Sunday New York Times for the full rundown on the (proposed) history of Eggs Benedict.

Ever on a breakfast and brunch kick, I've gotten into the habit of making variations on the traditional eggs Benedict. Some of them are common, like a crabcake Benedict or smoked salmon Benedict, and others are a bit of a "stretch," like a southern Fried Eggs Benny.

Eggs Florentine is a dish known as its own thing, but I still consider it part of the Benedict family because it is a poached egg on something and covered with a white sauce. I make mine by simply sauteing fresh chopped spinach with olive oil and minced garlic, placing a poached egg on top, and topping with Mornay sauce, which is Bechamel sauce embellished with Swiss cheese.

Emeril Lagasse makes a crispy potato pancake to serve as a base for his eggs Florentine. Epicurious has a couple of recipes, one which bakes the eggs over the spinach in a 400 degree oven, and another made with hard-boiled eggs rather than poached eggs.

Thanks, everyone, for coming by our little Garden Party today! In case you missed anything, or want an easy reference back to all our recipes, ideas and posts, here is a roundup of all the stuff we did today:

General and How-To:

• Party Food Porn: White Chocolate Petit Fours
• Edible centerpieces for a garden party
• Cookbooks for parties
• Impress with caviar
• Lime cheesecake mini-tarts

Recipes:

• Smoked Salmon Benedict
• Carrot Mini-Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling
• Lemon Buttermilk Cupcakes
• Edamame Hummus on Toasted Flatbread
• Asparagus, Basil and Tomato Fritatta
• Spinach and Feta Fritatta
• Garlic and Parmesan Roasted New Potatoes
• Coconut Cupcakes
• Cauliflower Soup with Toasted Garlic and Scallions
• Elegant Nasturtium and Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Drinks:

• Easy punch recipes
• Pimms Original Cocktail
• Campari and Soda with orange
• Grapefruit Cooler Cocktail
• Sparkling cocktails: mimosa, bellini, and kir royale

Tropical fruits:

• Papaya
• Tamarind
• Watermelon Juice
• Spanish Limes/Genips/Quenepas/Mamoncillos

We also had a reader submission from Cookbook 411 for some amazing looking Mini Puff Pastry Pizzas - check them out!

[Photo by Nicole Weston]

Eggs Benedict is the quintessential brunch food. They're great to order on a Sunday monring in the Dining Room of the Ritz Carlton, but they can be a pain in the you-know-where to do a for a large party at home because off the poached eggs. However, poached eggs have an undeserved reputation for being difficult. In fact, for a group, poached eggs are perfect.

To make Smoke Salmon Benedicts, lay out toasted English muffins, top with a few slices of smoked salmon. Just before serving, you will place a poached egg on top, then drizzle (or drown, as preferred) with Hollandaise sauce. Instructions for poached eggs after the jump.

My weekend breakfast life has gone through phases. For a very long time, all I ever ate on lazy Saturday and Sunday mornings was waffles. I didn't have a waffle maker, so going out for brunch and getting thin crisp waffles drowning in maple syrup, or thick chewy Belgian waffles topped with fruit was a treat. Then I went through several years of pancakes - all kinds, but thick, light and fluffy were my favorite. Of course, eggs play a role almost every day, but for big breakfasts, I was always an omelette girl, and even went through the "egg-whites only" period.

However, I've never gotten into Eggs Benedict of any sort, though other people go bonkers for them. I don't mind them. I don't think they taste bad. I just never order them myself, and only three or four times in my life have I actually made them (and it seems always to be around a holiday). I think the super runny yolk freaks me out a little.

But these are a twist on the traditional Eggs Benedict. People have made Benedicts with crabcakes, with spinach, smoked salmon, but this is a southern fried version that, if you really read into it, isn't a Benedict at all. It's a fried egg on sausage instead of Canadian bacon, biscuit instead of English muffin (the one pictured is not a biscuit - use your imagination), and drowning in gravy instead of Hollandaise.

Yes, it does sound a bit like a Sausage Biscuit from McClownburger, but this one is on a plate. And since you have to eat it with a fork, you can serve it for brunch, daaah-ling.