MENUS
NEW YEAR’S DAY BRUNCH (Ideal for serving 6 to 20)
Welcome in the New Year with an eye-opening brunch that will appeal to everyone, regardless of how they spent the previous evening. Coffee is a must, as are Bloody Marys. Tradition has it that if you eat the southern-style black-eyed pea dish called Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day, you’ll have good luck all year long. This is a substantial brunch guaranteed to make guests feel better no matter what their post–New Year’s Eve condition. Serve buffet style to allow guests to come and go as they please.
Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
Sausage and Mushroom Casserole
Bagels and Smoked Salmon–Scallion Cream Cheese
Black-Eyed Peas and Andouille Sausage Hoppin’ John
Blood oranges and pineapples
Pitchers of Bloody Mary”
VALENTINE’S DAY BRUNCH (Ideal for serving 2)
Why wait until dinnertime to tempt your sweetheart? Start the morning off with a romantic brunch for just the two of you, and you’ll both be glowing for the rest of the day. Champagne and chocolate are front and center on this menu, which is make-ahead so you can devote your time to each other. A single beautiful rose in a bud vase makes a nice centerpiece, though it also looks nice on a tray if the two of you share this feast in bed. Have a box of your sweetheart’s favorite chocolates on hand for dessert.
Strawberry Muffins with butter and jam
Raisin Challah French Toast with maple syrup
Pink Grapefruit and Champagne Cocktail
French-pressed coffee
PANCAKE LOVER’S BRUNCH (Ideal for serving 6 to 10)
If your guests think of brunch as an excuse to eat pancakes, why bother with protein? Set out several different kinds of pancakes and accompany them with an assortment of homemade syrups, butters, and conserves. One of the brunches most eagerly anticipated by kids of all ages, this one needs little else except maybe a generous platter of maple-glazed slab bacon.
Potato Pancakes with Pear Sauce
Buckwheat Pancakes with apples and maple syrup
Blueberry/Blackberry/Raspberry Buttermilk Pancakes (each separate or mix the berries and make mixed berry pancakes)
Maple-Glazed Bacon
Chocolate Chip Silver Dollar Pancakes
Mulled Spiced Cider
OYSTER BREAKFAST: THE HANGTOWN FRY (Ideal for serving 2 to 10)
If you like the idea of a brunch that has an actual theme, why not transport your guests back to California during the gold rush, when this hearty meal was created? At the time, the man who requested it thought it was the most decadent breakfast imaginable. Even if your guests couldn’t give a hang about history, it’s difficult to go wrong with cornmeal-crusted fried oysters, paired with bacon and eggs. The Bubby’s version of a Hangtown Fry also includes johnnycakes bursting with blueberries, and we glaze the bacon with maple syrup. This is a good brunch to plan on when you’ve got time to prepare the oysters to order, though some of the items can be made ahead of time.
Blueberry Johnnycakes
Scrambled Eggs
Cornmeal-Crusted Fried Oysters
Maple-Glazed Bacon
PICKLED AND SMOKED FISH BREAKFAST (Ideal for serving 6 to 30)
A bris is an important Jewish family occasion that calls for a traditional menu all the relatives will savor and appreciate. Arrange the pickled herrings in large bowls, garnish your homemade smoked salmon with lemon wedges and fresh dill sprigs, and pick up plenty of rye bread and assorted bagels to have on hand for the salmon and the smoked trout mousse.
Pickled herrings: in white sauce, in wine sauce, and matjes herring
Thinly sliced homemade Smoked Salmon with dill and lemon
Smoked Trout and Scallion Mousse
Creamy Buttermilk New Potato Salad
Dark rye toast, bagels, and cream cheese
Blood Orange Mimosas
NEW GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND/FRIEND BRUNCH (Ideal for serving 2)
First (and second) impressions really do count, so when you’re new at a relationship and maybe even a little nervous cooking for the two of you, make a delicious statement with this fresh and fabulous menu. Keep the preparation stress-free by making the blackberry compote and fruit salad ahead of time, and whip up the pancake batter in advance, too. The coffee ice cubes in the iced coffee definitely must be made the day before. All you need to do once that very special guest rings the bell is make the pancakes and sprinkle them with confectioners’ sugar. It doesn’t get any sweeter than this.
German Skillet-Baked Pancakes with lemon, confectioners’ sugar, and Blackberry Compote
Fruit Salad with Lemon–Poppy Dipping Sauce
Sweet Italian sausage links
Brewed iced coffee with coffee ice cubes
HONEYMOON BREAKFAST (Ideal for serving 2)
You’ll be cooking together for a lifetime, but the beautiful beginning of your marriage is an ideal time to start preparing and sharing really romantic brunches. The strategy behind a perfect honeymoon brunch is that it should be ready quickly, since you may have other things in mind. This one doesn’t take long at all to prepare—three-minute eggs really are ready in three minutes. If you make the crêpes the day before and keep them in the refrigerator, the vegetable and cheese crêpes take just a few minutes. To finish off, slice and get ready your fruit offerings while the crêpes are warming up, and have plenty of fresh coffee on hand. This meal is best eaten in bed, with no interruptions.
Three-Minute Eggs on buttered sourdough toast
Crêpes with Zucchini, Spinach, and Onions
Sliced Melon and Raspberries with Port Syrup
Blood Orange Mimosas
MEMORIAL BRUNCH FOLLOWING A FUNERAL (Ideal for serving 4 to 60)
During difficult times, family and friends feel cherished when a carefully chosen buffet of homemade food is at the ready to nourish and to comfort. It’s so much more personal than being at a noisy restaurant and it can help lift everyone’s spirits as you all gather together. What’s very nice about this meal is that it can be assembled well in advance and served when your guests are ready. It’s an eclectic menu with a little something for everyone. Since none of the dishes are difficult to make, it’s easy to pull this meal together during a stressful period.
Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
Savory Bacon and Cheese Bread Pudding
Assorted sandwiches
Creamy Buttermilk New Potato Salad
Fruit Salad with Lemon–Poppy Dipping Sauce
Assorted cookies
FRESH CRAB BREAKFAST (Ideal for serving 4 to 10)
An elegant brunch for a very special occasion, this is a beautiful menu to feature in springtime when asparagus is in season. It’s delicious with crusty sourdough toast. Because all the components of the menu will hold for a little while, this works well as a buffet. Consider serving this outside on a patio, or poolside, or at a beach house. It’s festive and yet sophisticated, just the right offerings for when you’re having guests you need to impress.
Scrambled Eggs
Crispy Crab Cakes
Asparagus Potato Hash
Blood Orange Mimosas
EASTER BRUNCH (Ideal for serving 10 to 20)
Besides visits to church, Easter is also marked by egg hunts, parades to show off bonnets and other finery, and baskets filled with chocolate and jelly beans for the kids. Follow it all up with a lavish brunch that’s not too trying on the cook. For a perfect feast, a smoked ham accompanied by a frittata filled with seasonal vegetables is easy and perfect for a larger gathering. Both cream biscuits and silver dollar pancakes are popular with kids on sugar overload, and the rhubarb coffee cake, served with plenty of coffee, makes a not-too-sweet dessert for grown-ups. Take advantage of spring flowers by using them in table centerpieces, and offer a guests a celebratory mimosa as they arrive.
Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Bubby’s Variation on Mr. Beard’s Cream Biscuits
Maple-Glazed Smoked Ham
Roasted Asparagus and Leek Frittata
Chocolate Chip Silver Dollar Pancakes
BIRTHDAY BRUNCH (Ideal for serving 6 to 12)
You can never have too many candles at a birthday bash, so why not start and finish this brunch by having the guest of honor blow out the candles twice? In between the muffins and the guest’s favorite birthday cake is a power brunch: steak and eggs. The port syrup for the fruit can be made ahead of time, leaving you with plenty of time to lavish on the birthday girl or boy.
Blueberry Muffins
Gingered Sweet Potato Home Fries
Roasted New York Strip Steak and eggs
Sliced mixed melons with Port Syrup
Lemon–Poppy Seed Cake with candles
SPRINGTIME IN THE PARK BRUNCH (Ideal for serving 2 to 6)
That first unseasonably and unexpectedly warm day is always a cause for celebration, and what better way to put some spring into your step than with an alfresco brunch? Keep things simple with sandwiches and homemade granola with a berry topping. Pack sandwiches, loosely covered, in an insulated hamper and pack the topping separately from the granola so the granola stays nice and crunchy. Thermoses come in handy for drinks, and don’t forget a Frisbee!
Creamy Buttermilk New Potato Salad
Cucumber and tomato salad
Open-Face Grilled Chicken, Maytag Blue Cheese, and Toasted Pecan Sandwiches
Fruity Clafouti
Copyright © 2011 by Ron Silver with Rosemary Black. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
