A New York Breakfast

There's something about the combination of silky smoked salmon, soft cream cheese, crunchy onion and juicy tomato that is more than the sum of its parts. In this recipe, excerpted from The Food You Crave, thinly sliced pumpernickel takes the place of the massive bagel (which is equivalent to 4 to 5 pieces of bread) for a sensible breakfast that's simple, sophisticated, modern, and classic all at once.

• 8 pieces thin pumpernickel bread (3-1/2 inches square)
• 1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
• 8 oz. thinly sliced smoked slamon
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 English cucumber, thinly sliced
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh chives
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Toast the bread, then spread 1-1/2 tsp. of cream cheese on top of each piece. Put a slice of smoked slamon, a couple of slices of onion, a slice or two of cucumber, and about 1 Tbs. of chopped tomato on top. Sprinkle with the chives and season with salt and pepper.