Sunday Dinner: Brunch … by Juanita Garrison

I like the sound of the word “brunch” and the vision it brings of casual, relaxed dining with good friends, good food, and good conversation.

Juanita Garrison

(As soon as I wrote those words, I thought, “Hmm, that sounds familiar.” I checked and discovered I had shared with you a similar subject a couple of years ago. It’s still a good subject, so just in case you haven’t yet taken to the idea of brunch, please read on.)

“Brunch” is one of those made-up words to describe a meal that is a combination of breakfast and lunch. It has some of both. Brunch is usually served around 10 or 11 a.m. If served much later than that, it becomes lunch. Frequently, hotels and restaurants will advertise “Sunday Brunch” from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. If someone shows up at 12, he isn’t having brunch; he is having lunch.

The nature of brunch is casual. One could have a brunch as for a bride, or any special occasion, and make it an almost formal meal by using all the best china, etc., but that isn’t usually the case.

Brunch is the time to set the prettiest, cheeriest table you can by using colorful dishes, table linens, glassware, etc., but don’t use so many different, contrasting ones that the eyes spin. Use bright flowers in your centerpiece and consider food color in making your menu decisions.

A porch, sun room, patio, or even outdoors under the shading branches of a tree are good locations for a brunch, assuming the temperatures aren’t too high. Of course, an air-conditioned dining room can be the best choice on those hot days, or a warm dining room on the cold ones.

Any day is suitable for a brunch, but Saturdays seem made for such entertainment. On Sunday, one must get to Sunday school, and during the weekdays most people, though certainly not all, have jobs. Of course, if your guest list includes people who don’t have jobs away from home, any day is a good one for a brunch.

Although you can have a large number of guests for brunch — as one would do for an organization, an “opening” event of some sort, etc. — most of the time the number is small. A brunch is a good time to invite friends to meet a visiting relative, to have a committee meeting, to gather before an afternoon event, or to just get together for a pleasant meal.

Having your guests come early at 10 or 11 on Saturday morning gives them the afternoon free to do those chores and errands that seem to pile up for the weekend. It’s also an agreeable time for the hostess, because it gives her time to make preparations before they come and to do all the cleanup afterward without rushing.

As the name implies, the brunch menu combines both breakfast and lunch, and, in my thinking, it has two characteristics. First, there should be a dish that includes eggs (the breakfast part), and second, a dessert (the lunch part). Often guests are greeted with juice or a fruit drink. Coffee is not served at lunch or dinner, except after the meal or with the dessert course. Breakfast is the only meal when coffee is served during the meal, so you may want to have coffee. If the day is warm, you may want to have iced coffee or iced tea.

Limit the menu to a few dishes. Choices are usually light and could include any of the following items: a baked fruit compote, scrambled eggs and country ham, cheese grits, filled omelets, shrimp and grits, a light seafood casserole, a pretty fresh fruit salad, a light dessert such as lemon pie, something strawberry or blueberry, etc., and a good bread such as croissants, hot biscuits, Parker House rolls, etc.

If you haven’t entertained at brunch, try doing so during our beautiful Southern days of summer. It will be almost as much fun as … Sunday Dinner.