Brunch seems to be inextricably linked to Mother’s Day. Brunch
can be elegant, relaxing and decadent. It usually takes a while to
eat it, and everyone can relax and enjoy each other’s company while
lingering over another cup of coffee and contemplating whether to
go back for more fruit salad. It’s not too early to start thinking
about what you’d like to do for your wife or mother or whoever you
honor on Mothers’ Day.
Brunch seems to be inextricably linked to Mother’s Day. Brunch can be elegant, relaxing and decadent. It usually takes a while to eat it, and everyone can relax and enjoy each other’s company while lingering over another cup of coffee and contemplating whether to go back for more fruit salad. It’s not too early to start thinking about what you’d like to do for your wife or mother or whoever you honor on Mothers’ Day.
Some basic ingredients make a great brunch, with not too much work on the host’s part. If the host makes several of the items ahead of time, takes advantage of volunteer workers, and keeps the warming oven on, everyone can eventually sit down together and just enjoy what’s left of the morning.
Brunch seems to require a few ingredients: eggs, something sweet, a breakfast meat and fruit. Flowers, champagne, fruit juice and hot coffee round out the table.
Of course, you can go nuts from there, adding seafood, pasta, a frittata, potatoes, homemade bread or even a coffeecake.
No matter what you do, I’d encourage you to cook simple dishes that allow a maximum amount of time with the special women in your life. So here are a few recipes to get you started if you’re thinking about a Mother’s Day brunch.
• James Beard eggs: These have been called “the Best Scrambled Eggs” in “How to Cook Everything,” by Mark Bittman. They truly are special, very soft and flavorful. They require two special ingredients: tarragon and time.
Give this job to a reliable person who will not leave them unattended. You will be rewarded for your efforts. This makes enough for about six people.
Best Scrambled Eggs
4 to 8 T. butter
10 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tsp. minced fresh tarragon leaves
4 T. cream
Place a medium skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the butter and swirl in the pan. After the butter melts, turn the heat to low.
Beat the eggs with the remaining ingredients and pour into the skillet.
Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. At first nothing will happen; after 10 minutes or so, the eggs will begin to form curds. Do not lose patience: Keep stirring, breaking up the curds as they form, until the mixture is a mass of soft curds. This will take 30 minutes or more. Serve immediately with lots of toast.
• Favorite breakfast: My sister last weekend reminded me of our favorite weekend treat: waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. How can you beat it? If you haven’t planned ahead, Bisquick waffles will work. But if you want to make something really special, try these. Serve with freshly whipped, lightly sweetened cream and fresh sliced strawberries (pick them up from the local farm stand on Saturday).
Overnight Waffles
1/2 tsp. instant yeast
2 cups flour
1 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
8 T. butter, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Oil or Pam for waffle iron
2 eggs
Before going to bed, combine the dry ingredients and stir in the milk, then the butter and vanilla. The mixture will be loose. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside overnight at room temperature.
Brush the waffle iron lightly with oil and preheat it. Separate the eggs and stir the yolks into the batter. Beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Stir them gently into the batter.
Spread a ladleful or so of batter onto the waffle iron and bake until the waffle is done, usually 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately or keep warm for a few minutes in a low oven.
• Homemade sausage: I love sausage, whether patties or in skins. If you have the ingredients on hand, they’re almost as easy to make as hamburgers. You can also make the batter ahead of time and fry them up about 20 minutes before you’re ready to eat. The sage is key. This recipe makes 8-10 large sausage patties.
Basic Breakfast Sausage
2 lbs. ground pork
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 clove minced garlic
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. minced fresh sage leaves (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
Mix all ingredients until thoroughly blended, adding a little water if the mixture seems dry. Shape into 8-10 patties about the size of your palm and stack on a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until about half an hour before the meal.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add patties and cook until one side is browned; flip and brown other side. They will be cooked through in about 15 minutes total.
(If you like spicy sausage, replace the sage with 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper.)
his week’s tip
The night before your brunch, set the table, put out serving dishes and utensils that you’ll need, and line roll baskets with napkins. Put condiments like syrups, honey and jam in small pitchers or dishes, cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature. Do the same with butter, cream cheese and sour cream, but store in the refrigerator.
Notes
• Salsa storage … Store fresh salsas, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for no more than 5 days. Bottled, opened salsas can be stored for one month in the refrigerator.
• Sour sub … For a low-calorie sour cream substitute, put some cottage cheese and a little milk into a blender and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Peppercorny … Green, black and white peppercorns are all the same, except they are harvested at different times. The green peppercorns are harvested before they are ripe, preserved, and used in pickling or in dishes that don’t require a strong peppery flavor. The black, wrinkled peppercorns are just slightly immature and are what most households use. The white peppercorns are fully mature, smooth and are used in dishes where black flecks would detract from a finished dish.
• Did you know … the color of an egg’s yolk depends entirely on the hen’s diet. Hens fed on alfalfa, grass and yellow corn lay eggs with darker yolks than wheat-fed hens. The nutritional value of the yolk is the same, no matter the color.
• Lima explosion … You’ll be seeing Lima beans in the store from June through September. Cook in a little water until just al dente. These are great when cooled, dressed with vinaigrette and served as a salad.
• End note: “Tea is, without doubt, one of the most useful herbs ever introduced into this country … It is exceedingly useful in many cases of sickness, and particularly after having partaken of any liquor to excess, or after extraordinary fatigue.”
~ Alexis Soyer, The Modern Housewife, 1849 as quoted by author Nancy Rommelmann
Happy cooking!
