Whole grilled sea bass with lemon-fennel-pepper salsa.Mashed potatoes. “Fusion breads.” Bloody Marys spiked with Japanese wasabi. Welcome to an Easter brunch of the future. Where lunch items outnumber breakfast items. Where ethnic foods predominate in surprising combinations, but homey American fare still makes its presence known. And where takeout food is no longer an embarrassment, because of its higher quality.
These are just a few of the trends visible today that will affect entertaining at brunch in the near future and into the 21st Century, according to a recent Good Eating discussion with three local caterers: Lisa Gershenson of J&L Special Events and Corporate Food Management, Laura Kimmel of Sault & Pepper in Highland Park, and Jean True of True Cuisine in Glen Ellyn, plus party furnishings specialist Kathy Ruff of Tablescapes Party Rentals. We also asked each of them to design a brunch menu for the future (we’ve included recipes for several of the items).
The bottom line, the caterers say, is that brunch will continue to be a popular way of entertaining. And the more couples and families eat out, the more special a meal at home will become.
“Cooking can be fun, relaxing,” Kimmel says. “Brunch for a group or another couple becomes a great project.”
Sunday brunch “is one of the most enjoyable meals to do at home,” Gershenson adds. “People are laid-back, not tense. That will continue.”
“For any meal, even now,” Kimmel says, “the hostess need only make a couple of items. She can pick up the rest from a market or a caterer because today there is so much more to choose from among prepared foods, the quality is better and, for ingredients, you can buy more fresh things.”
Ruff, whose passion is for decorating her table instead of creating at the stove, also sees the quality of prepared food in supermarkets continuing to improve. Gershenson adds: “By the turn of the century, you will be able to be considered a wonderful hostess and not cook anything at all. Only those who love cooking will feel a need to do it.”
Healthful notions
The caterers agree that human nature doesn’t change. Although people will continue to seek a balance between their desire for pleasure and a healthful diet, at a party the pleasure instinct will still take over.
“Few people want nothing but `healthy food’ to be served at a brunch,” True says. “For one thing, they diet all week. For another, they’re bored talking about it. But they do want healthy options.
“Furthermore, people preoccupied with health have switched from talking about fat grams to talking about organics and `clean’ food. The best way to sum up the change in attitude among my clients is that instead of ordering a tofu cheesecake, they now order tofu or cheesecake.”
Cholesterol concerns have cut into cheese boards and courses, but crumbled cheese will remain popular on salads, they predict.
The ethnic trend
“It’s easiest to obtain a balance of tasty and healthy with ethnic foods,” Gershenson says. “Ethnic for dinner has been OK for quite a while. The big change in brunch, already under way, will be its internationalization. There will be Middle Eastern breakfast items and dim sum at a typical American brunch in 2001.”
For her futuristic brunch, Gershenson included such ethnic touches as Vietnamese crepe bundles filled with Moroccan eggplant salad, Norwegian smoked salmon, creme fraiche and chive in a tortilla cup, and Szechwan pot stickers filled with Jamaican jerk chicken.
Gershenson also sees increased use of whole grains in the years ahead, but little strict vegetarian entertaining. She thinks there will be more emphasis on rice and ancient grains such as quinoa.
Kimmel has one blockbuster premonition: “People soon will be admitting they are getting tired of pasta.” She expects shrimp and salmon, both farmed, to remain popular, along with grilled foods. “Actually, any kind of cooking except frying is OK.”
Eggs will remain a brunch mainstay, but no longer will they be the only choice. Look for brunches to increasingly feature lunch foods at the expense of breakfast fare.
You’ll see cocktails, fondue and crepes (sweet and savory) making a comeback, the caterers say. Expanded coffee service (offering cappuccino and flavored brews) will be more common, as will more tea options.
Casual ambiance
The fashion mood of the moment is casual and likely to remain so, Gershenson says. “What we are seeing is the `Aspen syndrome’–Champagne in flutes, great food and the guests all in blue jeans.” The group predicts no return to formality except on those occasions when adults decide to play at being adults and wear tuxedos and party dresses.
Gershenson says that the trend to casual is reinforced by contemporary home design with family rooms as the center of activity. This setting, in turn, suggests themes for casual entertaining such as a Mardi Gras party or an evening featuring microbrewed beers.
As for table settings and decoration, Ruff forecasts an emphasis on appearance, with a much more sophisticated selection of flowers. “There is more willingness to spend for the total package when giving a party, and that should continue.”
Will we eat less in the new century?
Skepticism, even disbelief, greets this question.
“Not in the Midwest,” Kimmel says.
BRUNCH TRENDS
What caterers say will be in or out in the coming seasons:
IN
Cocktails
Fondue
Crepes (sweet and savory)
Whole grilled sea bass
Chocolate with fruit
Plain mashed potatoes
Expanded coffee service
Tea options
Fusion bread baskets
Easy omelets
Lunch foods
OUT
High-fat cheese
Scrambled eggs
Bacon and other greasy meats
White toast
Pasta
Fruit-flavored cream cheese
JEAN TRUE, TRUE CUISINE
“My menu has been created by the blending of traditions of Easter, future food trends (healthy, healthy) and what we know our guests really enjoy.”
Appetizer:
Garlic souffle baked in an egg shell with tomato coulis and chives on a bed of green peppercorns
Salad:
Julienned beets and sliced avocado on watercress
Buffet:
Grilled sea bass with lemon-fennel-pepper salsa
Pan-seared slices of leg of lamb with red wine sauce and lacy potato pancakes
Blanched garden vegetables (leeks, green beans, peas and asparagus) with caper and pickle sauce
Rhubarb muffins* with Amish butter
Dessert:
Poached spring berries with cream*
Lemon shortbread cookies*
* Recipe included on this page
POACHED SPRING BERRIES WITH CREAM
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 8-10 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Adapted from True Cuisine. Jean True serves these berries with the lemon shortbread cookies at right.
3 tablespoons each: unsalted butter, sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled, cut in half
1 pint each: blueberries, raspberries
2 tablespoons strawberry liqueur or Grand Marnier
Creme fraiche, whipping cream or French vanilla ice cream
1. Melt butter in large skillet. Stir in sugar; cook and stir until sugar is melted. Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape out seeds into skillet using tip of knife. Cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add fruit and liqueur; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Remove fruit from sauce; set aside.
2. Cook sauce until reduced by half. Pour sauce over fruit. Top with creme fraiche, whipping cream or ice cream.
Nutrition information per serving (without cream):
Calories .. 110 Fat ………….. 5 g Cholesterol …. 12 mg
Sodium … 3 mg Carbohydrates … 16 g Protein ………. 1 g
LEMON SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Chilling time: 2 hours
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Yield: 60 cookies
Adapted from a recipe by True Cuisine.
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed packed brown sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1 large egg
2 teaspoons water
1. Beat butter and brown sugar in bowl of electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour and salt to make fairly stiff dough. Stir in lemon zest. Shape into 2 flattened disks; wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough 1/2-inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut dough with assorted 1 1/2- to 2-inch cookie cutters. Place cookies on parchment paper lined baking sheets.
3. Beat egg and water together in small bowl. Brush cookies lightly with egg mixture. Bake until lightly golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet; remove to cooling rack. Store in airtight container.
Nutrition information per cookie:
Calories … 100 Fat ………….. 6 g Cholesterol … 20 mg
Sodium …. 6 mg Carbohydrates … 10 g Protein ……… 1 g
RHUBARB MUFFINS
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Yield: 18 muffins
Adapted from a recipe by True Cuisine.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons red currant jelly or strawberry jelly
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups diced fresh rhubarb or 2 cups frozen rhubarb, thawed, finely diced
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in large bowl; stir well. Whisk egg, brown sugar and jelly together in medium bowl. Whisk in milk, butter and vanilla. Stir in rhubarb. Pour over dry ingredients; fold in just until dry ingredients are moistened.
until muffins are lightly browned and spring back when touched, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn out onto cooling rack; cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition information per muffin:
Calories …. 105 Fat ………….. 3 g Cholesterol … 18 mg
Sodium … 125 mg Carbohydrates … 18 g Protein ……… 2 g
LAURA KIMMEL, SAULT & PEPPER
“Worldwide access to a whole new range of fresh everything makes menu planning exciting, but good old-fashioned foods are still favorites sometimes.
Appetizers and drink:
Potato blinis with creme fraiche and caviar
Cucumber-watercress sandwiches
Springtime mimosas
Main dishes:
Springtime salmon hash*
Cornmeal crepes filled with spicy chicken and exotic mushrooms
Chicken apple sausage
Fresh asparagus drizzled with chutney vinaigrette
Pasta with dried apricots, goat cheese and macadamia nuts
Assorted mini-muffins
Dessert:
Fruit focaccia
* Recipe included on this page
SPRINGTIME SALMON HASH
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 7 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
This not your typical hash. It’s really a baked marinated salmon dish on top of cooked potatoes and vegetables. Adapted from a recipe by Sault & Pepper.
2 1/2 pounds fresh, skinless salmon fillets
Marinade:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sherry
2 tablespoons each: chopped fresh ginger, chopped parsley
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped dill
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Artichokes (optional):
2 pounds baby artichokes
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Hash:
2 pounds small new red potatoes, cut in half
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, white parts only, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 each: red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces Salt, freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1. Split each fillet lengthwise; cut each half into 1-inch wide strips. Arrange strips in baking pan.Stir together marinade ingredients in small bowl. Pour marinade over strips; set aside 15 to 20 minutes before baking.
2. If using artichokes, remove tough outer leaves and stems. Heat enough water to cover artichokes and lemon juice to a boil in large saucepan. Add artichokes; boil until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 500 degrees. Drain and cut artichokes in half lengthwise. Place on baking sheet; sprinkle with garlic. Bake until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees.
3. Heat salted water to a boil in large saucepan; boil potatoes until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain; set aside.
4. Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add leeks and onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in peppers and potatoes. Cook until vegetables begin to brown. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
5. Bake salmon until cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes. Arrange vegetables on serving platter. Top with salmon. Place artichokes around hash. Sprinkle hash with basil.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ….. 275 Fat …………. 12g Cholesterol …. 45 mg
Sodium …. 110 mg Carbohydrates .. 23 g Protein ……… 21 g
LISA GERSHENSON, J&L
“A `fusion cuisine’ that is now considered an avant-garde fad will develop in earnest. Taste and textures that make great culinary sense, regardless of country of origin, will appear in the same dish, and many different cultural and geographic influences will appear on the same menu.”
Appetizers:
* Moroccan eggplant salad
Norwegian smoked salmon, creme fraiche and chives in a tortilla cup
Szechwan pot stickers with Jamaican jerk chicken
Beverages:
Bloody Mary with Japanese wasabi
Georgia peach juice with French Champagne
Costa Rican coffee
Buffet:
French souffle roulade filled with Black Forest ham, Spanish onion and Greek feta
Canadian wild rice waffles with Indian mango-ginger chutney
Incan quinoa salad with free-range Amish turkey sausage and foraged wild mushrooms
Desserts:
Viennese strudel with New Zealand kiwi and gooseberry filling
Italian biscotti with Swiss chocolate and Virginia peanuts
Polish babka with Asian apple-pear butter
* Recipe included on this page
MOROCCAN EGGPLANT SALAD
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 1/2 hour to 2 hours
Yield: 8 servings
Adapted from a recipe by J&L. This salad is perfect served in baby lettuce leaf cups or in homemade or store-bought crepes.
1 medium each, cut into 1-inch cubes: eggplant, red bell pepper
3 ribs celery, diced
1 small onion, chopped
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup each: olive oil, halved green pitted olives
1/4 cup each: balsamic vinegar, raisins
1 teaspoon each: ground cumin, paprika
1/2 teaspoon each: ground cinnamon, ground ginger
Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
Bibb lettuce leaves or ready-made crepes
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Stir together all ingredients in large bowl. Transfer to baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil; continue baking until vegetables are very tender, 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes.
2. Cool mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in lettuce leaves or crepes.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ….. 175 Fat ………… 15 g Cholesterol … 0 mg
Sodium …. 160 mg Carbohydrates .. 13 g Protein …….. 1 g
