Let Me Entertain You: Brunch as a Superior Social Gathering (and also, Cinnamon Rolls Make Great Gifts)

Brunch. That amazing combination of breakfast (eggs a million ways, waffles, sausage gravy) and lunch (Bloody Marys) that is situated just late enough in the day that you don't have to set an alarm to get to it on time.  Fancy or casual, eggs Benedict or eggs over easy, it's easily tailored to suit your mood (or degree of hangover). 

If you're a brunch fan--and seriously, who isn't?--the talented (and wonderfully dedicated to a cause) Nick Dekker just published a spectacular book (Breakfast with Nick, natch) on all the great places in Columbus to get your breakfast (and by proxy, brunch) fix. He does an excellent job covering everything from greasy spoons, to doughnut shops, to upscale brunches.  If you love breakfast, you should totally buy this book--it's an excellent reference guide, showcasing off the beaten path holes-in-the-wall as well as classic standbys. Reading it on an empty stomach will make you very, very hungry.

...Anyway, while Nick has shed a lot of light on the great morning dining experiences in the 'Bus, I'm offering one that I don't think made his book: my house. Well, your house, or anyone's house, for that matter. Sure, going out for brunch is definitely awesome, but sometimes you don't want to fight the crowds or even change out of your pajamas.  Conversely, maybe you're thinking of hosting a holiday/New Year's gathering that doesn't lock you in to an all-night eggnog-a-thon: the brunch is here to help you.  

As it happens, over the course of the last several months the TNDC crew has expanded their get-togethers from Thursday nights to the occasional Sunday morning, finding that we like each other not only in dark bars, but also in the harsh light of mid-morning. The format is simple, and requires very little planning: someone hosts, and everyone brings something.  It's extra casual, since hell, everyone pretty much just woke up, and there's no worry about rushing through your meal so you don't get the stink-eye from people waiting for your table. Also, the mimosa refills are free.

Our first go around at "TNDC: Brunch Edition" centered on some cured salmon I made, based on Michael Ruhlman's recipe in Twenty. My guests brought bagels and knishes from Katzinger's, and coupled with a large pot of coffee and a pepper and onion fritatta, it made for a lovely way to start the day. Plus, everyone was done and out of the house by by 1pm and I had the rest of the day open to contemplate my next curing project.

For our most recent brunching, I pulled out the superior cinnamon roll recipe from Ree Drummond AKA The Pioneer Woman.  If you are looking for something ciminally delicious to bring to brunch (and a vehicle for adult onset diabetes) these rolls are the way to go.  Her insanely good recipe makes an ungodly amount (six or seven 9"x9" trays of 9 rolls each) but they can be frozen for later and/or given out as gifts.  And if you give them as gifts, people will love you. Bonus.

This is what Ree's 9cups-of-flour dough looks like on it's second rise.  Impressive, and only mildly intimidating.  The dough is rolled out in a rectangle, slathered in butter, sugar, and cinnamon, then rolled and sliced.  At this point, these are really ideal for their flexibility: you can let them rise and bake, then freeze, or keep in the fridge for a day or two then bake, or wrap tightly in foil and freeze.  Just defrost for an hour before you bake them and your kitchen (or your friend's) will be redolent of cinnamon...and coupled with some frying bacon, it's a perfect olfactory wake-up.

Ultimately, the long and short of this all is, get some friends, pick a house, share some breakfast.  Host a holiday brunch and celebrate the season with your friends over some biscuits and a pan of fluffy scrambled eggs. Give Ree's cinnamon rolls a shot, try your hand at curing some salmon, or just whip up a stack of pancakes, put out a copy of the Sunday New York Times and confirm that someone is bringing the vodka and Bloody Mary mix. And, if all else fails and the eggs burn or the bacon blackens, just make sure you have a copy of Breakfast with Nick handy.