Of all the food-related aromas on my favorites list, the smell of breakfast is at the top. Perhaps because breakfast, above all other meals, is a nurturing meal.
Prepared by someone who must love you very much, indeed, to raise him or herself out of bed to begin the process of cooking for you.
For the less energetic cook, or simply cooks with lots of friends, there’s always the brunch option, which generally takes place at more civilized hour.
And once spring offers up its delectable smorgasbord of seasonal foods, from asparagus, rhubarb and the creamy Haas avocado, to tiny Pacific shrimp, I find myself craving to unite them in one special brunch.
The challenge is to present a colorful and abundant spread buffet-style. But unless you have a serving staff lurking in the wings, ease of self-service is another important consideration, so be sure to provide serving utensils that can be manipulated with one hand.
If your guests are to be seated at tables, the choice of dishes is more flexible than if they will be perched around the house, balancing plates on laps or any available surface.
In the latter scenario, be sure that you have provided generous cloth napkins and either bite-size or finger food that can be managed without a knife — or a dish such as french toast, that can be cut with a fork.
Remember, the best buffet foods are those that are delicious and attractive at a wider range of temperatures, from hot to room temperature. And finally, when planning a brunch, consider the following tips, keeping in mind that the food should be festive, yet comforting. Delicate, not sharp, flavors work best at this time of day.
Melon margaritas
2medium honeydew melons, chilled
Juice of 12 limes
2cups tequila
1/2cup fresh orange juice
1cup Cointreau or triple sec
Peel and seed the melons and cut them into cubes. Puree the melon cubes in a food processor. Mix the puree with the remaining ingredients. Stir with ice in a pitcher or pour into glasses over ice. These margaritas can be made the night before and chilled in the refrigerator.
Yields 12 to 16 servings.
Adapted from "New Home Cooking," by Florence Fabricant
Black bean <
BR>cakes with <
BR>smoked salmon <
BR>and Pacific shrimp
3cups cooked black beans
3large eggs, beaten
3/4cup whole wheat flour
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
4tablespoons corn oil
3/4cup sour cream or plain yogurt
8ounces smoked salmon, cut in thin strips
1/2pound cooked fresh Pacific shrimp
2tablespoons minced fresh chives
Mash the beans and place them in a food processor. Add the eggs and process to blend. Transfer to a bowl, mix in the flour, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees degrees.
Heat the oil in one or more heavy skillets. Drop tablespoons of the batter into the skillet, flattening each portion into a round cake about 3 inches in diameter. Fry on both sides, then transfer to a platter. Place the fried cakes in the oven to keep warm while you make the rest.
When ready to serve, top each cake with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, a few strips of the salmon, and a sprinkling of shrimp and chives.
Serves 12.
Adapted from "New Home Cooking," by Florence Fabricant
This is a colorful dish, old-fashioned springtime classic brightened with roasted red peppers.
Asparagus tips <
BR>and roasted <
BR>red pepper salad
2 1/2pounds fresh asparagus
6sweet red bell peppers, roasted and peeled (as described below)
4tablespoons shallot vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4hard-cooked eggs, chopped
To prepare the asparagus tips, first cut each stalk to measure 4 to 5 inches long. (Don’t waste the lower portion of the stalk: refrigerate it until later in the week and use in a soup or stir-fry dishes.) Peel the stems to within 1/2 inch of the budded tips. Plunge the asparagus into a large pot of boiling, salted water and cook, uncovered, for 4 to 5 minutes, just until the stems are barely tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Drain immediately and plunge into cold water to stop the cooking and set the color; drain again.
Arrange the asparagus and pepper strips on a large platter (if done the night before, cover with plastic wrap at this point and refrigerate). Whisk together the vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. When ready to serve, spoon the vinaigrette over the asparagus, and top with the chopped hard cooked egg.
Yields 12 servings.
Roasted and peeled peppers: Place washed peppers under the broiler and broil on all sides until black all over. Remove them to a bowl and place a plate or lid on top. Leave them to steam and cool for about 10 minutes (the steaming process helps loosen the skins). When cool enough to handle, peel the blackened skin off the peppers. Core and remove the seeds. Cut into long, thin strips. This can be done several days ahead, then covered and refrigerated.
Adapted from "Easter Menus by Chuck Williams," a booklet by Williams-Sonoma.
Overnight <
BR>french toast
1pound egg bread, firm white bread, or brioche loaf, cut into 1-inch thick slices
12eggs
1tablespoon vanilla extract
3tablespoons granulated sugar
2tablespoons grated fresh orange peel
1/2teaspoon freshly grated (if possible) nutmeg
1 1/4cups half-and-half
1/2cup unsalted butter
Powdered sugar
Spread the bread slices in a single layer in 1 or 2 baking pans. If the slices are large, halve or quarter them.
Beat the eggs until well blended but not frothy. Add the vanilla, granulated sugar, orange peel, and nutmeg, then stir in the half-and-half. Pour this over the bread, turn the slices to coat both sides, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.
Melt some of the butter in 1 or 2 heavy skillets over medium heat and fry the bread slices, turning them once, until lightly browned on both sides. Add more butter as needed. Transfer the cooked slices to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep them warm. Just before serving, dust the toast with sifted powdered sugar. Be sure and serve with a variety of toppings, such as rhubarb-strawberry jam, maple syrup and raspberry jam.
Recipe from "New Home Cooking," by Florence Fabricant
Ham, potato <
BR>and onion au gratin
1/3cup unsalted butter
3pounds onions, peeled and sliced thin
2tablespoons Herbes de Provence
4pounds russet potatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 pounds cooked ham, cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
3cups heavy cream
Butter two 4- to 4 1/2-quart baking dishes.
Heat the butter in a large frying pan. Add the onions and Herbes de Provence and cook, covered, over low heat until transparent, about 2 minutes. Stir several times during cooking and do not let them brown.
Meanwhile, peel and slice the potatoes evenly into thin rounds. You can use a mandoline or food processor if you have one. Rinse the slices in cold water and dry thoroughly on paper towels. In each of the baking dishes, layer one quarter of the potatoes in overlapping rows. Sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground pepper, remembering that the ham is salty.
Spread one quarter of the onions over the potatoes in each of the dishes, then arrange the ham in a single layer. Top each dish with the remaining onions and finally, the remaining potatoes in an overlapping layer.
Pour 1 cup of cream evenly over the potatoes in each dish (you will use a total of 2 cups). Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and cover each dish loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.
The casseroles can be prepared to this point 24 hours ahead and refrigerated.
About 2 hours before serving, place the casserole in a 375 degree oven and bake for 1 hour, brushing the potato slices several times with the remaining cream.
Remove the foil and continue baking for another 30 minutes (if the dishes have been refrigerated, you may need to give them an additional 10 or 15 minutes in the oven), brushing the potatoes with cream several more times. If necessary, tilt the dishes and baste with the cream from the bottom of the dishes. The potatoes will absorb most of the cream and be very tender; top should be golden.
Yields 12 servings.
Adapted from "Easter Menus by Chuck Williams," a booklet by Williams-Sonoma
Almond crumb loaf
2cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
2teaspoons baking powder
1/4teaspoon salt
2/3cup butter, room temperature
1/2cup[ chopped sliced almonds
3/4teaspoon cinnamon
1/4teaspoon ground allspice
2eggs
3/4cup milk
1teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2teaspoon almond extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Line bottom and sides of pan with single piece of waxed paper, allowing 2-inch overhang of paper at the top.
Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Add almonds, cinnamon and allspice and mix until well blended. Stir eggs, milk, vanilla and almond extracts into remaining mixture; beat until blended.
Pour about 1 cup of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the nut mixture. Repeat twice, ending with nut mixture. Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 75 to 80 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes. Loosen sides of loaf pan with wide spatula. Grasp waxed paper firmly and carefully pull loaf out of pan. Transfer to rack. Discard waxed paper. Let loaf cool on rack before slicing. May be prepared up to 24 hours ahead or frozen for several months. Makes 1 loaf.
Recipe from "Breakfasts and Brunches," by the Editors of Bon Appetit
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contract her by e-mail at janrd@proaxis.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.