Eating

The already rich and delicious brioche bread absorbs so much of the milk, egg and cheese mixture that the French toast looks, feels and tastes like a cheese souffle. That goes perfectly with early Spring asparagus, leeks and radishes. $2.50 per serving.

Homemade buns for hamburgers and hot dogs. So much Better than those artificially moist things in plastic bags you think they'd be twice the price. No. They're half the price. They're airy and flavorful. So good you could skip the burger and have one for breakfast.

A perfect meal in a pan. Early Spring asparagus and onions. Really fresh eggs and goat cheese. For dinner on a still cool night, eat it warm. For lunch, let it cool to room temperature. A few minutes of chopping and stirring. One suspenseful second of flipping.

Looks too beautiful to eat. Tastes even Better. Maybe the best under-$2 pizza ever. The crust is light and crisp, just faintly salty and sweet at the same time. The onions are very sweet, almost caramelized. Required kitchen skills: stirring, slicing.

Hard to say if this is better for breakfast or for dessert. Depends if you want ice cream with it. Either way, it's a light, moist and refreshing cake. Very intense lime flavor makes it vibrant. A little orange for sweet. Olive oil keeps it moist and light. Ten minutes to prepare.

About $1 (12 pesos) for this vibrantly flavored meal. Soft, rich egg. Crisp and soft corn tortilla. Spicy sweet salsa. A spectacular breakfast for 163 calories. OK, maybe mañana. But not later. This is too good, too cheap and too easy.

Risotto primavera. That sounds Better. The world's best rice. With very fresh asparagus. Spring leeks. The splurge: morel mushrooms. You can make a great risotto in 30 minutes. Required kitchen skill: stirring. And not that much.

$2.50 in ingredients for enough rich, flavorful hummus to dip many dozens of chips. Takes 90 seconds and a food processor. A few minutes more with a bowl and spoon. A totally fresh high-fiber, high-protein snack for half the price of store-bought.

Bright, sweet flavors from peas, young leeks and fresh asparagus. Maybe a few baby basil leaves and dill sprigs from the not-really-ready-yet herb garden. A perfect combination with a crisp pizza crust and gooey cheese.