Breakfasts & Brunches by The Culinary Institute of America

I have thrown a few dud parties in my day, but when I decide to go all out, I go all out. Parties can be broken down into two main types: the eating kind and the drinking kind. The drinking kind is when all of E’s friends come over, we order pizza, and play poker. Everyone brings a case of beer with them. Earlier this year, we threw one on Superbowl Sunday and held our first winner-take-all poker tournament after the game. People are still talking about that one, especially the winner of the tournament, who walked away with over three hundred dollars.

The eating kind of party usually involves me spending a day in the kitchen before preparing side dishes and grilling meats. An inordinate amount of time is then spent making a few really impressive desserts (crème brulee is a favorite among my friends), and by the time the guests arrive, I’m pooped out.

This year, I decided that my big hurrah would be something really memorable, and best of all, would require very little preparation. I decided to throw a New Year’s Day Brunch. Because the holiday season is always so hectic, we are constantly going to other friends’ houses, or everyone’s just too busy to enjoy yet another night out. Rather than add to the stress then, I thought New Year’s Day would be a perfect time to have friends over. There is never anything to do that day except nurse a hangover and watch football anyway. Why not get together and do it?

The best part for me is that all I had to do was buy some raw materials, and do most of the work on the day of the party. The menu was do-it-yourself Belgian waffles, fill-‘em-yourself crepes, and choose-your-own-filling omelets. I made the waffle batter and crepe batter the night before, chopped all the vegetables and fruits for the fillings, and I was ready to go.

Champagne, orange juice, and coffee were available on the sideboard, and the waffle maker sat on one of the kitchen counters. The dining table was covered with little bowls of diced ham, tomatoes, spinach, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, Nutella, honey, chocolate, and whipped cream. I manned the stove: on one burner, a crepe pan cooked up the thin pancakes. On the other burner, an omelet pan cooked the omelets one at a time. Those waiting with a plateful of omelet fixings could chat with me while I flipped and stirred. There was never too long of a line, because our house was open all day. Come whenever you wake up, I told everyone. So some people arrived at 10:00 in the morning, while the last finally left at 7:00pm.

I love that casual come-and-go feel to having a party. Also, many hosts prefer to be done with the kitchen once the guests arrive, but I find that I really enjoy cooking on the spot. I spend most of every party in the kitchen anyway, and my role gives everyone a chance to come talk to me, because you have to go through me to get your omelet or crepe.

I have, in the past few years, developed a great fondness for Brunch. I like to eat brunch foods (perhaps because they are so closely related to dessert foods?), and I like to cook brunch foods. E leaked this information to his mother, and a week before the big New Year’s Day bash, we were at his family’s house in Los Angeles celebrating Christmas. E’s mom gave me a big fat cookbook called Breakfast and Brunches by The Culinary Institute of America. It was too late to incorporate new recipes into the menu I had planned, but I can always use it next year. The book covers everything you’ve ever wanted to eat for breakfast or brunch, from coffee drinks to soft boiled eggs to cheese blintzes with mixed berry sauce. It has beautiful full-page, full-color pictures of every recipe, which is really the best part when it’s not time for brunch but I want to drool over it anyway.

Just for kicks, here are the post-party notes I jotted down for my own reference, to prepare for next year’s Annual New Year’s Day Brunch.

28 People:
-4 batches waffles
-6 dozen eggs
-3 batches crepes
-get more strawberries (ran out)
-4 lbs. bacon (not enough)
-2 gallons O.J.
-2 bottles champagne
-not that much espresso
-need munchies for hangers-on

Breakfasts & Brunches by The Culinary Institute of America

Tags: cookbooks brunch+food parties Culinary+Institute+of+America