Bagels, lox and herbed cream cheese anchor this brunch spread that also includes cucumber, sliced avocado, grapes, tomatoes and capers. Take it over the top with these recipes for candied bacon, pickled onions and Alton Brown's steamed eggs.

ALTON'S HARD-COOKED EGGS

In his latest book, Good Eats: The Final Years, culinary guru Alton Brown says steaming, not boiling, is the best way to hard cook eggs that are easy to peel with a creamy (not rubbery) white. It's a simple way to cook a lot of eggs at once. Fill a medium saucepan with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil.

Place 6 large eggs in a folding steamer basket. Carefully lower basket into saucepan. Cover; cook 11 minutes for a set egg with a slightly creamy yolk. Transfer eggs to a large bowl of roomtemperature water. Let stand a minute or until cool enough to handle. Peel; halve with a sharp knife. Serve sprinkled with salt and pepper, everything bagel seasoning or sesame seeds. Makes 6.

SMOKY-SWEET CANDIED BACON

Crunchy, sweet bacon dresses up a brunch board or is a nice cocktail snack—especially with bourbon-based sippers.

Arrange rack in top third of oven. Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups granulated sugar and 3 cups water to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Add 1 (12-oz) pkg bacon. Cook 5 minutes or until bacon appears cooked around edges. Drain bacon on paper towels; let stand until cool enough to handle.

Set a wire rack in a sheet pan; spray with nonstick cooking spray. In a shallow baking dish, combine 1 cup packed brown sugar, ½ tsp dry mustard and ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Dredge bacon in sugar mixture (if desired, thread bacon on bamboo skewers); arrange in a single layer on prepared sheet pan. Bake 15-17 minutes or until crisp, turning halfway through. Cool completely. Store in an air-tight container up to 3 days. Makes 14 pieces.

Go to PARADE.COM/ONIONS for the recipe for these quick-pickled red onions.