Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Da Capo Press, 2009
I am in love with the idea of brunch, it seems such delightful thing. Unfortunately, I rarely get the chance to have a proper brunch. Perhaps this is why I have not made all that much from this book yet, which makes me sad. I have never made one of the famed omelets, and my bag of black salt sits unopened. Why? I enjoy making brinner every now and then, but it just doesn't have the same charm as a proper brunch! Regardless, I need to kick my butt into gear and make some more stuff. This book is gorgeous. It is paperback, with some sort of matte cover material that I just really like - this book feels great! The pages are shiny, and the book has many lovely colour photos in it as well. The book is divided into four sections: The Savoury (scrambles, omelets and skillet favourites you'll devour), The Sweet (pancakes, waffles, french toast, and anything that will have you licking syrup from your plate), The Sides (potatoes, sausages, and a stuffed veggie or two - everything you need to make brunch complete), The Bread Basket (scrumptiousness from the oven, from muffins to bagels), The Toppings (gravy, sauces, and spreads to mess up your bib), and The Drinks. In addition to the introduction, there is also a section on a brunchy pantry and tips for setting up your ultimate brunch.
Because I haven't made that much, this post will share what I have made, along with their ratings.
Basic Scrambled Tofu
The thing I love about Isa's basic scramble, is that for something 'basic' it packs a punch of flavour. In addition to the basic basic version, there are also several variations with different add-ins for extra taste and fun. 4 stars.
Pesto Scrambled Tofu with Grape Tomatoes
This is a wow dish, no doubt about it. Homemade pesto mixes with tofu, cherry tomatoes and lovely red onions combine to make something that is all kinds of special. 5 stars.
Banana Flapjacks
Banana pancakes are lovely. I can't wait for bananas to become affordable again, so I can make more banana goodness. I find these burn easily, so be careful. 4 stars.
Perfect Pancakes
A classic, every time. Pancakes are the perfect food for anytime and any mood! 4 stars.
Individual Baked Hash Browns
I suspect I used the wrong sort of potatoes here and maybe didn't squeeze them enough, because these weren't so much individual as a big pile of grated potato. They were still yummy. I will report back once I have sorted the potato issue!
Tempeh Bacon Revamped
Amazing stuff. I love tempeh bacon, and this is one of my favourites. 5 stars.
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Lemon Poppy Seed is one of my favourite combinations for muffins, and these are amazing. 5 stars.
Cocoa Raspberry Muffins
I love these muffins, they are so rich and tasty and not too sweet - excellent for a morning snack. I found them to be quite small muffins, so make less if you want larger ones. 5 stars.
Coffee Chip Muffins
I made these to send out to feed the amazing volunteers clearing up after the floods in Brisbane earlier this year. Of course I tried one before I packaged the rest up, and I was very happy! I am not a fan of coffee generally (drinking it makes me feel ill, so the smell and taste are kind of off putting), but I found the coffee flavour here very subtle. 4 stars.
East Coast Coffee Cake - Berry Variation
East Coast Coffee Cake is one of my favourite cakes! Delicious variations about. I like making this on a Sunday for cake and tea in the afternoon. This berry variation includes raspberries and blueberries, with a hint of lemon zest. 5 stars.
East Coast Coffee Cake - Raspberry Chocolate Variation
The chocolate chips are baked as a layer between the cake and the crumb, leading to a delicious experience. One of the great things about this coffee cake is the crumb topping, which isn't dry and crumbly like some other cakes. It holds up perfectly. 5 stars.
Cinnamon Rolls
I cheated slightly and used the breadmaker to knead and rise the dough. I love cinnamon rolls!! These are amazing. I didn't use the icing, because I don't want to cover up the delicious flavour of these with extreme sugar. 5 stars!
English Muffins
I was so happy when these came out of the oven - my own homemade English muffins! 5 stars.
One of the good things about MoFo is going through my cookbooks and marking all the recipes I want to make in the near future. I hope to make at least 2-3 recipes from each book where I have said 'I must make more', and I will blog about these as I go along after MoFo is done.
What is your perfect brunch?
Cute Kitty Photo of the Post
Another photo of young me with our third kitty, Patches. Apparently he wasn't looking at the camera, so I helped in. Though it kind of looks like I am choking him a little! But I promise I wasn't.
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