Tags:
Journalism of Courage
A FEW days ago, lured by the prospect of good food and propelled by nostalgia, I attended 8216;brunch8217; at a city hotel. A couple of hours later, I walked away fuller, my hunger definitely satiated by good food but the nostalgia still gnawing away. It was great8212;biryanis, kormas, lots of cheesy things, chaats, kebabs, salads. A grand meal by any standards, but it wasn8217;t brunch.
So what is brunch, and why the big fuss? Brunch8212;an American creation8212;is essentially a relaxed Sunday meal, preferably en famille, which takes the best of breakfast and lunch and allows you to linger as long as you want. The origins lie in the debris of Saturday nights, and the need for a gentle, unhurried start to the morning after, to recuperate at your own speed.
There are a couple of prerequisites, whose necessity is self-explained. First, comfort foods such as cereals, scrambled eggs and lots of bread to put you on familiar ground and this is where the five-stars fail. Remember, it8217;s been a while since you last ate and you don8217;t want to jump in at the deep end.
Next, and this is VITAL at any brunch: Bloody Mary, the famous unscrambler of scrambled, hung-over heads. There8217;s a reason why it8217;s the most famous of cocktails: The combination of tomato juice, vodka, Tabasco and lemon juice packs enough punch to take you up and bring you down.
Third, brunch should be fun. And this is where my pet theory, that five-stars are the greatest, if nicest, con artists, is confirmed: They take brunch to the level of a state banquet when it8217;s actually the simplest of meals. While much of the fun lies in the eating, the preparing should not make you a wreck again. As children, brunch was a wonderful experience, watching the pancakes on the griddle, eating the batter, carrying endless plates of grilled tomatoes and sausages from kitchen to dining table. And the cinnamon rolls you could smell right down the street.
|
Great on your brunch menu
|
|||||
| 8226; Cereals 8226; Pancakes/waffles with honey, cheese 8226; Bread rolls, toast, different kinds of breads 8226; Sausages, bacon, eggs to order 8226; Salads with simple, light dressings 8226; Fruits, cut, stewed, or baked 8226; Halwa-puri 8226; Kachoris and alu 8226; Fruit juices 8226; Bloody Marys Virgin Marys will do, too |
|||||
That8217;s the way it should be. Change the menu if you want, everyone has their own comfort foods. Make enough dishes to prolong the happy hours, yet not so many that the fun goes out of it. Now you know why they made Sundays!
Bloody Mary Chez Guptas
In a large jug pour in 1 litre tomato juice,
500 ml vodka,
50 ml Worcestershire Sauce
Juice of 6 medium lemons,
Add salt, pepper and Tabasco to taste
And ice.
Mix well, pour into salt-rimmed glasses. Turn on, tune in and drop out.
