One of the greatest ways of entertaining friends and family during this busy season is entertaining at a brunch. Most of us think of brunch as strictly an American invention. Not so, according to H. L. Mencken, who wrote, “Brunch, designating a combination of breakfast and lunch, eaten about noon, appeared in England about 1900. It was 30 years later before it began to make any headway on this side of the water.”
Mencken goes on to tell us about one of the first brunches ever served in a restaurant. On Easter Sunday, April 10, 1941, the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York advertised a “Sunday stroller’s brunch, $1 per person served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.”
In 1896, a Punch magazine food critic in London wrote: “To be fashionable nowadays we must ‘brunch’. Truly an excellent portmanteau word, introduced last year by Mr. Guy Beringer of Hunter’s Weekly, and indicating a combined breakfast and lunch.”
The French culinary bible, Larousse Gastronomique, attributes the origin of the word to the United States but clearly our English cousins deserve all the credit for this gastronomic invention.
This is my favorite brunch recipe because it is not only delicious but it can be made the day before, refrigerated and baked the next morning while you’re have a mimosa or bloody Mary with your guests.
Sausage strata
Ingredients
6 to 8 slices white bread (I use Wonder Bread)
Enough softened butter to spread on bread
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup diced sweet onion
1½ pounds skinned or bulk pork sausage (either spicy, sweet or mild)
6 large eggs
1 cup milk or more as needed
Salt and pepper to taste (I use white pepper but not necessary)
2 or 3 drops hot sauce, to taste
1 teaspoon dry mustard, optional
¾ cup grated or shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese
¾ cup grated or shredded Swiss cheese
Preparation
* Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (if serving immediately). Grease a 9- or 10-inch baking dish that has 2-inch sides.
* Butter the bread and arrange the bread slices in one layer to cover bottom of the dish with buttered side up.
* Place the sausage in a large skillet over low heat and when it begins to release the fat add the onions and mushrooms. Stir until the sausage is cooked, taking care not to brown the onions and mushrooms. Drain the sausage well and place on top of the bread.
* Beat the eggs, milk, seasonings, hot sauce and mustard until well-blended and pour over the sausage mixture. Sprinkle with the cheese and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and seal with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator over night.
* The next morning, allow the strata to come to room temperature before baking in a preheated 350-degree oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
* Serves 8 to 10. May be doubled.
Once a popular brunch libation, the bloody Mary has been replaced by the mimosa. Yet there are those who find Mary to be bracing and invigorating, especially for the host and hostess who prepares it the night before. Also, the mixture without vodka can serve as a Virgin Mary.
Overnight bloody Marys
Ingredients
46-ounce can V-8 juice
46-ounce can tomato juice
2/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon seasoned salt or to taste
3 cups vodka
Tabasco sauce to taste
Preparation
* Combine all ingredients except the vodka. Mix well and cover and chill overnight. Also place the vodka bottle in the refrigerator to chill.
* Stir in the chilled vodka just before serving. Pass the Tabasco for those who like plenty of spice. Makes 12 to 15 servings.
No brunch would be complete without something sweet and this coffee cake is a delectable addition to any meal, including Easter breakfast.
Prune and apricot coffee cake
Ingredients
¾ cup dried prunes, pitted
¾ cup dried apricots
Boiling water
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon sifted flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
¼ pound plus 4 tablespoons butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Preparation
* Cover prunes and apricots with boiling water. Let stand 5 minutes. Drain and chop finely.
* In small bowl sift 2 cups flour with baking powder and salt. In another small bowl combine brown sugar with remaining tablespoon flour and cinnamon. Set aside.
* Cream butter until fluffy. Add ¾ cup sugar, mixing well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until light. At low speed add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk and vanilla until just blended. Fold in chopped fruit.
* Pour a third of batter into greased 9-inch tube pan. Spread evenly and sprinkle with a third of brown sugar mixture. Drizzle with a third of melted butter. Repeat for 2 additional layers. Top with chopped nuts.
* Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 55 minutes or until inserted tester comes out clean. Cool on rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and return to rack to cool thoroughly. Serves 12 to 15.
ASK DORIS
Question: Friends in San Francisco invited me to a dinner party that was catered. The food was outstanding, especially the dessert, ice cream that was made with yogurt and served with a raspberry sauce. I tried to get the caterer to give me the recipe but no luck. I have a good recipe for the raspberry sauce but hope you can provide one for the ice cream. — Frances Marshall / Naples
Answer: This is an interesting and relatively easy recipe. The recipe I found was for vanilla ice cream but I am sure that other flavors can be added.
Vanilla yogurt ice cream
Ingredients
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 scant cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups Greek-style plain yogurt
Preparation
* Whisk the cream with the sugar and vanilla until all the sugar has dissolved and the cream starts to thicken. Add the yogurt, whisking it in to incorporate, and then pour into a bowl or container that has a lid. Put the lid on and place in freezer.
* After an hour; give the mixture an energetic whisk with a hand whisk or an electric mixer. Put it back in the freezer and then whisk again after another couple of hours.
* When the ice cream is nearly firm, give it one last whisk and put it back in the freezer to set.
For easier preparation: Pour into your ice cream machine, churn and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Makes 6 cups.
Doris Reynolds is the author of ”When Peacocks Were Roasted and Mullet Was Fried’ and “Let’s Talk Food.” They are available for sale in the lobby of the Naples Daily News. Also available is a four-part DVD, “A Walk Down Memory Lane with Doris Reynolds.” For comments and questions regarding today’s column contact Doris Reynolds at foodlvr25@aol.com
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