San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
MUNCH ADO ABOUT BRUNCH.
Seven tips for a successful Sunday brunch
The family is coming! The family is coming! OK, so maybe there’s no need to sound the alarms, but with the holidays fast approaching and relatives flooding into our humble abodes, stress levels are sure to rise.
To which we reply, let them eat brunch.
“Brunch, you say? My aunties and uncles, nieces and nephews, will be just fine with Cheerios and Pop-Tarts.”
If that’s your default position, we get it. Cooking for a crowd, especially before your caffeine has had a chance to kick in, can be a real buzz kill.
But this week we have seven tips to treat those guests like royalty and while still keeping your blood pressure low with an easy, affordable and flavorful approach to brunch. Shall we to the kitchen?
Get ahead: The more preparation and cooking you can do in advance, the less hectic things will be Sunday morning.
Everybody loves a batch of scones, cinnamon buns and banana bread hot out of the oven. Nobody needs to know you made them weeks (or days) in advance and kept them in the freezer (or fridge) to reheat before serving.
Oven lovin’: Nearly any
breakfast or brunch staple cooked on the stovetop will require constant attention and probably generate a splatterfest in the process. Fortunately, most of those dishes can be reconfigured for the oven.
For example, lay strips of bacon out on a sheet pan and bake the whole package at once. Use the same strategy with French toast, dunking and baking a dozen slices at once. Even oatmeal feels luxurious when baked until brown and bubbly. It’s better with mimosas: Yes, they’ll want breakfast booze. No, that doesn’t mean you’ll spend the morning mixing bloody marys. A do-it-yourself mimosa bar is the solution.
The night before brunch, individually puree frozen peaches, frozen strawberries, frozen raspberries and any other fruits you like. Strain each of those through a fine mesh sieve into a carafe and refrigerate.
And if that seems like too much effort, just get some different juices. The next morning, set those jars out on a side table with plenty of bubbly and glasses. Your guests will figure the rest out.
Temperature control: We all love a hot meal, but foods that can be served at room temperature are your friend here. A frittata will still be delicious even if it’s stopped steaming.
That also goes for delicate cold things like salads. Swap wilt-prone baby spinach leaves for a hardy green like kale or cabbage that keeps its crunch — even when doused with dressing — for several hours at room temperature.
Put ’em to work: We all have that relative who simply won’t get out of the kitchen. But you’ve got a menu planned out and know exactly how you want it prepared.
The compromise is simple: They’re on fruit salad duty.
Every brunch spread needs one, and there’s no good reason to squabble with willing labor when you don’t have to worry about anything bigger than how they slice a strawberry.
Affordable is OK: Caviar and lox might make a statement, but simple, affordable produce prepared with care can have just as much to say. Even if you haven’t had a chance to run to the store in advance, there’s a good chance you have enough stray ingredients in the kitchen to produce a nutritious, satisfying meal.
Have a stale loaf of bread, a few eggs, some leftover sausage and a zucchini or two on hand? Then you have everything you need for a savory and satisfying strata.
Serve yourself: You’re going to be plenty busy cleaning up after brunch. Don’t sweat the service.
Put your dishes out buffet style and let your guests serve themselves. You’ll all spend more time talking, and less time sitting around bored, hungry and grumbling while the frazzled cook (that’s you, buddy) drops garnishes onto dainty plates in the kitchen.