Grand Rapids Press

DOUGLAS -- Everyday executive chef Ray Riker serves a full gourmet breakfast at the Kirby House Bed and Breakfast in Douglas. At 10 o'clock he rings a bell to signal guests the buffet is ready.

The morning meal is served by candlelight on fine china, crystal and linens.

A continental breakfast is served for early risers.

One of the dishes Riker sometimes serves is vegetable latkes. The Jewish pancakes are made with eggs, flour, grated carrots and zucchini, diced onion and spices. The latkes are fried on a hot skillet and served with sour cream.

The carrots add a touch of sweetness to the pancakes and the zucchini, which isn't peeled, adds a bit of color.

The same recipe can be used to make potato pancakes by substituting the carrots and zucchini with grated potatoes.

Another breakfast entree Riker likes to serve guests is Lake Kalamazoo crepes Florentine. He said it has a delicious combination of flavors and textures.

But it does take a bit more effort to make than the vegetable latkes.

The first step is to make a cheesy chicken filling with spinach and broccoli. Then a Mornay sauce, a cheesy white sauce, needs to be made, and, finally, the batter for the crepe shells.

Riker said cooking the crepe shells is not difficult, but the first one is always a challenge. "You get better as you go."

The filling is rolled inside the cooked shells and placed in a baking dish. Half the Mornay sauce is added to the filling and half is poured over the crepes before they're baked.

"It's not an overpowering dish," Riker said.

A dish Riker is known for is his famous chicken salad. It's a recipe he created years ago. It turned out so tasty, he continues to make it.

"It's rich, you can't stop eating it," he said.

The salad is made with chicken breast meat, green grapes, scallions and smoked cheddar cheese. The four items are combined with mayonnaise and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste.

It can be served on lettuce, in filo tart shells or in hollowed out tomatoes.

Riker said the secret to the salad's rich taste is the smoked cheese. "Without it, it's just like anybody's chicken salad."

Riker and his partner, Jim Gowran, bought the Kirby House almost eight years ago. The Queen Anne Victorian manor, built in 1890, has eight guest rooms and several amenities, including a heated built-in pool.

In his free time, Riker enjoys gardening, decorating, vacationing and entertaining. He also like to bicycle, read, swim and sit on the spacious front porch of the bed and breakfast. Riker also has put together a cookbook of his recipes, which he sells for $15.