If by any chance you saw that episode of ‘The Simpsons’ wherein they famously described brunch as: “Not exactly breakfast, neither it’s lunch, but it comes with a slice of melon at the end, where you don’t get completely what you get at breakfast, but you get an insanely good meal.”
You know you’ve been thinking of hosting it for a while; your friends have been saying the same thing, so it times to get the ball rolling.
1. Pick a Date
Weekends usually happen to be the ideal time to have people come over. Sundays are preferred but any public holiday would work equally well. In either case, make sure to choose a day that happens to be a holiday for everyone.
2. Prepare Your Guest List
It’s always better to have a pre-decided list of people coming over so as to have the likes and dislikes identified well in advance and set the tone for formulating the menu. Once the friends and family members are finalized, the next thing should be to send out invitations. Make sure to have an RSVP so that you know the final headcount and can plan accordingly.
3. Set a Menu
You could modify this accordingly but an ideal brunch menu should include the following:
Chicken Ham, Mushroom and Cheese Frittata – Ideal candidate for making in batches and sufficient for 2-3 people. More importantly, extremely cheesy and super-duper tasty!
Pan Cakes with Maple Syrup – One word, Yumm!
Freshly Baked Bread – Goes well with almost everything, be it hummus or burnt butter and salsa dip
Smoked Chicken and Herb Salad – Must have, for there will always be someone who would settle for a salad!
Red Sauce Spaghetti with Olives – Just in case you happen to run out of food, this could be used as a filler.
Melons – Something that make a brunch meal complete.
4. Shopping and Preparations
We all tend to have this really bad habit of pushing things till the end, and then run in the house panicking when at the last moment we realize we forgot to get something and the grocery store trip would be a nearly impossible task. So, in order to avoid the last minute rush, make sure to have all the purchases done a couple of days in advance itself.
5. Set up the Table
Though it might be in use for a couple of hours, but setting the brunch table is extremely important for a successful meal. Try to incorporate a dash of unpressed linen with cluttered settings, as they tend to look a bit more natural and effortless. Pick crockery and cutlery to complement the surroundings, with focus on keeping the place nice and bright. Fresh flowers and some soothing music definitely add to the atmosphere.
6. Decide a Welcome Drink
If cold drinks happen to be your go-to drinks every time when it comes to welcoming people at your place, its high time that this notion changed. Let carbonated beverages take a back seat, and make way for seasonal refreshments and summer coolers.
7. Brunch Time Booze
Nothing works better than Sparkling Wine or a glass of Crystal Champagne to complement your meal. The fizz of sparkling wine stimulates the palate and gives a sense of lightness. Because of its palate cleansing abilities, champagne has always been the choice of drinks with food, especially eggs.
8. Cooking – The Real Deal
There isn’t any rocket science here. Prepare all that first which is going to be baked in batches, and salads should be made fresh. Shave the melon a touch in advance and make the pasta sauce beforehand as well. Before you start eating, what should be left should just be assembling the dishes together and serving. After all, the hosts must eat with the guests, rather than eating after everyone has eaten.
9. One for the Sweet Tooth
The desserts have to be bang on, as they mark the run-up to the finish line. Cheesecakes, Custard, or, Fruit Salad with Whipped Cream could be your options to choose from.
10. Raise a Toast and Take a Selfie
Keeping up with the tradition these days, raise a toast to the lovely meal and click a picture so that you can cherish it for years to come.
So there you have it. Host one and have an amazing time catching up with friends and family. Happy Brunching!
