Tasty, Easy Brunch For Mom, On A Budget
You've got the flowers, you've got the card and the presents, but what's Mother's Day without a great brunch?
On The Early Show Saturday Edition, Food & Wine magazine Senior Recipe Developer Grace Parisi showed the way, making the perfect Mother's Day brunch - delicious, yet simple.
On the menu: Celery, Pear & Hazelnut Salad, Brioche French Toast with Fresh Berries, and Blackberry Bellini.
What's more, Parisi tried to do it on our budget of a mere $35, since she accepted our "Chef on a Shoestring" challenge.
And as a "Shoestring chef," Parisi automatically became a participant in our "How Low Can You Go?" competition. The "Shoestringer" with the lowest ingredients total in 2009 will be invited back to make our whammo holiday meal at the end of the year!
Parisi regularly contributes original recipes to the "Tasting and Testing" column in Food & Wine.
Her recipes come from the magazine's annual cookbook.
FOOD FACTS
Asian Pears: Asian pears differ from traditional European ones. They're usually round, firm to touch when ripe, and are ready to eat after harvest. Asian pears reach prime quality when they ripen on the tree, like an apple and peach. These pears will be crisp, juicy, and slightly sweet with some tartness, especially near the core.
Brioche: Brioche is a highly-enriched French bread, whose high egg and butter content give it a rich and tender crumb. It has a dark, golden, and flaky crust from an egg wash applied before and after proofing. Brioche is so delicate, light and buttery that it's just one tiny step removed from being a pastry. Plain brioche bread is delicious on its own, toasted or with loads of jam. But brioche dough also makes an ideal casing for all kinds of fillings, both savory and sweet.
Prosecco is an Italian wine - generally a dry sparkling wine - made from a variety of white grape of the same name. The wine is generally the main ingredient of the Bellini cocktail, and more recently became popular as a less expensive substitute for champagne.
RECIPES
Celery, Pear & Hazelnut Salad
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup hazelnuts
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup canola oil
6 celery ribs, thinly sliced on the bias
1 medium Asian pear, cut into 1 1/2-by-3/8-inch matchsticks
1/4 cup chopped dill
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the hazelnuts in a pie plate and toast for about 8 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. Let cool, then transfer to kitchen towel and rub them together to remove the skins. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts.
In a large bowl, whisk the cider vinegar with the mustard and salt. Gradually whisk in the hazelnut oil. Add the celery, Asian pear, dill and hazelnuts and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
For more recipes, go to Page 2.
Brioche French Toast With Fresh Berries
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound mixed fresh berries, such as strawberries and raspberries, sliced (4 cups)
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
6 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Unsalted butter, for the griddle
Twelve 3/4-inch-thick slices of brioche (from 2 small loaves)
Crème fraîche, for serving
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 225°F. In a medium saucepan, combine the berries with 1/4 cup of the sugar and the water and bring to a simmer. Cook over moderate heat until the berries are softened and the sugar is dissolved, about 8 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the heavy cream, the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and the ground spices. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Heat a large cast-iron griddle and lightly butter it. Working in batches, dip half of the brioche in the egg mixture, turning once, until moistened but not soggy. Transfer the bread to the griddle and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until golden and cooked through, about 4 minutes.
Transfer the French toast to a baking sheet, cover loosely with foil and keep warm in the oven while you cook the rest.
Serve the French toast with the berry compote and crème fraîche.
Berry Bellini
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup black berries
2 teaspoons sugar
1 750 ml bottle prosecco or sparkling rose, chilled
METHOD:
In a small bowl, mash the berries and the sugar with a fork. Spoon the mixture into 6 champagne flutes and top with chilled prosecco.
So, how did Parisi do in our "How Low Can You Go?" competition?
Salad:
hazelnuts $.99
cider vinegar $.89
mustard $.99
celery $1.49
asian pear $1.29
dill $.99
Total: $6.64
French Toast:
strawberries $1.99
blueberries $2.99
eggs $1.99
heavy cream $1.19
ginger $.79
allspice $2.79
brioche $2.49
crème fraiche $2.99
turkey bacon $2.49
Total: $19.71
Bellini
black berries $1.99
prosecco $5.99
Total: $7.98
Grand total: $34.33
"How Low Can You Go?" Leader so far:
1. Paul Liebrandt $32.35
Corton
2. Scott Peacock $32.60
Watershed Restaurant
3. Joey Campanaro $33.27
The Little Owl