A Harte Appetite: Tips for the beginning of brunch season

With Mother's Day behind us, brunch season is in full swing. The next big brunching opportunity comes with Father's Day. Then with summer weather on the way, the appeal of a bountiful buffet on the weekend will become downright irresistible.

The word brunch is a blend of breakfast and lunch, indicating a meal that combines elements of both.

The term first appeared in print in 1895 in an article whose author proposed its virtue thusly: "By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday-night carousers."

But brunch is foremost a culinary hybrid rather than a linguistic one. As William Grimes puts it, "It's neither fish nor fowl nor good red herring, although all three can wind up on the same plate."

And therein lies the problem. If you're not careful, you might not get the most out of your buffet experience, ending up feeling full but not fully satisfied.

One must be wise when selecting at brunch buffets: Use large plates and avoid ordinary “breakfast” fare. (Photo Submitted by Tom Harte)

In other words, it's important to attack a buffet strategically.

As one with years of experience navigating buffet lines -- and who even once directed his travel agent to route him through Dallas on a trip to Tulsa so he could partake of the famed brunch in the atrium of the Anatole Hotel there -- I offer the following brunch tactics for your consideration.

* Eat in courses. Resist the temptation to pile all kinds of food on your plate at once. Rather, use a separate plate for each course. You'll appreciate each type of food more that way, your plates will look prettier, and all that getting up and down might even burn up a few extra calories. And always use the big dinner plates for every course, especially dessert.

* Avoid ordinary "breakfast" fare. Why waste money and tummy space on mere scrambled eggs, bacon or pancakes? That's what the IHOP is for.

* Beware the salads. Brunches are places to indulge. Save the health food for another day. Use greens only as a garnish.

One must be wise when selecting at brunch buffets: Use large plates, especially for desserts, and avoid ordinary “breakfast” fare. (Photo Submitted by Tom Harte)

* Skip the bread. Restaurants would love for you to fill up on bread. It's probably the cheapest thing on the buffet. Unless it's unusually good, let your stomach swell up with something else.

* Be selective. This is the time to load up on things you don't usually get at home, like expensive seafood or prime cuts of beef. For example, once, years ago, when I spotted the rack of lamb on the buffet at the Willows in Honolulu, the chicken lost all its appeal.

* Wear Sansabelt slacks or a muumuu. This recommendation is self-explanatory.

Brunch Panzanella

Substituting fruit for the traditional tomatoes in panzanella makes it perfect for brunch. This recipe is adapted from the cookbook "At Home with Michael Chiarello."

3/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

2 tablespoons butter

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon brandy

2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided

1/2 cup orange juice

3/4 teaspoon ground sea salt, divided

8 cups cubed Italian bread

2 pints sliced strawberries

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup torn mint leaves

1 cup vanilla yogurt

Melt butter over high heat until browned. Carefully add bay leaf. Lower heat to medium, add brown sugar and stir until melted. Carefully add brandy and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Cook 15 seconds. Add orange juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir until liquid reduces and becomes syrupy. Toss bread with half of brown butter mixture and spread in single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally. Mix strawberries with granulated sugar, remaining tablespoon lemon juice, vinegar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Allow to macerate 5 to 10 minutes. Plump raisins in hot water and drain. Combine bread, remaining syrup, almonds, raisins, blueberries and mint. Serve with the strawberries and yogurt.

Tom Harte's book, "Stirring Words," is available at local bookstores. A Harte Appetite airs Fridays 8:49 a.m. on KRCU, 90.9 FM. Contact Tom at semissourian.com or at the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63702-0699.