The Best of Brunch by Crème de Cornell

` CREME de cornell

THE BEST OF BRUNCH

spring 2019 vo l x i i i

SAY HELLO TO THE STAFF

Editor in Chief JUNE-SUMMER KIM Managing Editors ABBY REING

Editors ILANA HILL, JESSICA JIANG, PRIYA PRADHAN

Layout Director CHASE LIN Layout Staff CHEONG YI, MUFFIN LAOSIRICHON

Photography Director KEVIN CAVALLO Photographers ANNA TEDIJANTO, HAILEY SCHWARZ, JENNY CHEN, KAREN ZHAN

Culinary Directot TINA CHOI Webmaster HARRISON CUI Publicity Chairs ILAYDA SAMILGIL, CAMILLE CHEN Social Media Chair LINA HUANG

Event Chairs SANJNA DAS, ZOE ALCOTT Treasurer JAEIN KIM Advisor HEATHER KOWLAKOWSKI

Contributing Writers DANNY SICKLE, PAOLA AGUIRRE, TAMARA SATO, DANA SLAYTON, AMEILA PROBST, TRIN KITISOONTORNPONG, RILEY HOLLERMAN, ANNA WEISS, DYLAN WEIL, TINA CHOI, SARAH HWANG

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Without a doubt, my favorite meal would have to be brunch. Breakfast and lunch are structured and limited, but when combined, provide the freedom to choose any combination of savory and guilt-free sweets. This issue of CrĂ¨me de Cornell embarks on an adventure exploring brunch trends everywhere from your home kitchen to Thailand. As our team immerses you in the grand variety of brunch, your appreciation will spark for this relaxing weekend tradition. With busy weekdays packed with classes and responsibilities, weekends must be a refuge for rest and self care. We hope that this issue of CrĂ¨me de Cornell inspires your brunch plans this weekend. You deserve to reward yourself with feast of your favorite flavors, and take the time to indulge in the best meal of the week. Sincerely, June-Summer Kim

TABLE OF CONTENTS 06 five encounters with a waffle 09 bouj your way 10 weekend brunch at banfiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 12 donuts 14 personal quiche bars 15 bulid-your-own-crepes 16 green cuisine 18 brunch: hangover edition 21 brunch recipies 22 into the streets of thailand 26 brunch trends of 2019 28 more than mimosas

five encounters with a waffle by Dana Slayton

My mother is the gatekeeper of this ancient waffle iron. It’s older than I am, and it sits comfortably in the far left corner of the kitchen in my plain, suburban Virginia house. I have cooked with it, burned myself on it, and experimented with a plethora of bizarre types of waffle batters. But my mother has retained her status as the waffle whisperer, the sole master of that ancient waffle iron, even in my creative attempts to usurp her. She has crafted the same batter from the same yellowed recipe card every weekend of my life and shaped from it the densest, most perfectly golden buttermilk waffles I have seen. And she is a stickler about the buttermilk. Waffles without it will never stand a chance in this iron, because to her, buttermilk waffles are a tether. Before my mother made them in this old Virginia iron, my grandmother made them in her old Pennsylvania iron. My father and I ate the same waffles after Mass every Sunday as we grew up, though three decades separated us, and though two different women prepared them. Buttermilk waffles are a highway spanning twelve hundred miles up the East Coast, from the tiny northwest Pennsylvania town in which my grandmother was born to the temperate suburbs of southern Florida where she raised my father. My mother, when she married him, entered the tradition as a latecomer, determined nonetheless to take her place in the buttermilk story and keep it warm and gold in the ancient waffle iron in the Virginia house. Pizzele break if you hit them too hard. I learned that from watching them arrive at the Pennsylvania house in tightwrapped stacks of ten or twenty, lumpy and delicate in their cellophane carriers and perfuming the old brick walls with aniseed and butter. These waffles are older than the buttermilk highway. When we gather each year in that tiny Pennsylvania town, in a house too small for us -- loud and Italian as we are -- they lie everywhere. My sister and I sneak them after dinner and eat them for breakfast, but it takes a long time of eating them once a year for me to realize the path they traveled to get to my hands. They look almost crystalline, piled high in stacks at the Italian bakery. My mother marks our family history with the tang of buttermilk in our waffles on Sunday mornings, but pizzelle mark it with the designs carved into them. Around the edges, they are crosshatched like any other waffle. But the center of the pizzelle disrupts the uniformity with a cross or a flower or a star, depending on the baker, the place,

but it takes a long time of eating “...them once a year for me to realize the path they traveled to get to my hands.

”

and the time. When you break a pizzelle, it snaps like a pencil. When you eat one, it dissolves quickly. Where my mother’s waffles taste of butter, these taste of anise or lemon. My grandmother’s mother brought her love of them with her from southern Italy to Pennsylvania long before I knew anything of waffles or the world. She carried them with her when she uprooted herself, and prioritized finding them again as soon as she arrived. This Pennsylvania house has never sourced its pizzelle from anywhere other than the little bakery she found -- tiny and proud of the echoes of Italy ringing in the towers of waffles that crossed time and the Atlantic to make it here. In Liege, the cathedral square is always jam-packed. The

catch a whiff of it. The storefront is almost an apparition amid the chaos of big-city traffic. Pollux is an average bakery with a black awning, selling nothing but the dense, sweet Liegois waffles which are the reason for my venture. Yet no research about the best waffles in Belgium passes without reference to it, this little window in the shadow of the cathedral in Liege. The waffle handed to me from the dark window is sticky with caramelized sugar and smells like vanilla. It is heavy and sweet, distinct from anything I have tried before. It is hard to believe it shares a history with my mom’s buttermilk waffles or the pizzelle we eat as a family every summer. It takes me a long time to finish the Pollux waffle, and I spend the next few hours in Liege wiping syrup from my hands. The first two waffles I encountered tasted like home. This one tastes like adventure and Belgian cobblestones, a moment of discovery encompassed in sugar crystals and vanilla. cobblestones, clogged with cars, humans, and more than a few waffle connoisseurs such as myself, are alive with the constant noise of a city in full swing. If I am completely honest, my previous experiences with waffles and wandering are what brought me here, craning my neck in search of the bakery selling Belgium’s greatest waffles. The title comes with a heavy burden in a country already renowned for its connection to waffles in countless iterations. In Belgium, waffles are a far cry from the Sunday carb-loading traditions of my family in Virginia or the ubiquitous pizzelle in Pennsylvania that remind us of our history. They are an art form and an industry. My search yields little until the wind shifts in the narrow street and I

Waffle irons are blank canvases in the art of brunch. They are temptingly versatile. On more than one occasion, my attempts to make chocolate chip cookies in the waffle iron rewarded me with half an hour scrubbing melted chocolate and hardened sugars off the appliance as atonement for this sin of transgression -- one inspired by Lulu’s, a Richmond fixture, a symbol of the funky food scene evolving in my booming hometown. The day I sit down for a breakfast of red velvet waffles for the first time is the day of my confirmation, a religious ceremony that brings together my huge, waffle-addicted family for a short few days in this Mecca of success stories for non-traditional waffles. Lulu’s is hailed as the best in the city, and the praise is due. The waffle tastes like cake, and my family loses its

collective mind tasting it. It is neither Italian nor American nor Belgian, a marvel all its own. After my second failure to recreate it, smearing chocolate all over my waffle iron at home again, I give up the chase. I think some waffles are reflections of the places they’re made-- quirky and unforgettable-- but some are reflections of the irons in which they’re cooked. Every brunch is an act of reconciling the past with the future. I have never wanted a waffle this badly. The man standing behind the pastry case next to my school, shoehorned unceremoniously in between a multi-story McDonald’s and an overpriced cafe, makes no effort to hide his laughter when I approach his stall, sweaty and confused, and point wordlessly at one of the enormous waffles he has on display. It is covered, like most pastries in Morocco are, in hungry bees, and I know it will taste nothing like home. But the week has been long, and the Friday prayers will start soon, clearing the streets and making the shops shutter their windows for a few hours, and for the first time in months, I have found a waffle. I love my life here. I love that the streets in Morocco smell like cumin and fried dough at the same time every day, when the owners of corner-stores start cooking bread and sweets for the masses. I love that I get to eat that bread with every meal. I love that nothing here is like suburban Virginia.

Invariably, though, I miss it. I miss Sunday brunch with my mother and piles of pizzelles, and I miss the weird restaurants of Richmond. I miss walking with my sister in Belgium with no plans and no time to lose. Most of the time, I am so caught up in the race of all these new things that I forget the simple fact that moving to somewhere new implies moving away from somewhere else. I never realized how much I missed waffles until I saw this Moroccan pastry vendor selling them. The transaction is simple, the waffle swatted to clear it of bees and handed to me on a paper plate. For all intents and purposes, it is ordinary -- buttery, light, neither overcooked nor too doughy -but an ocean away from all the waffles I have known before, this one tastes like me.It speaks of home and far away, of familiar and foreign all at once. When I finish it, I realize that the five best waffles I have encountered are delicious because of their diversity, but more than that, because of their connections. They are brunch fixtures, snack fixtures, and fixtures in history. They are tasty, and unique, and spread wide in the unlikeliest corners of the world -- and they are a part of what it means to be me.

Bouj Your Way by Daniel Sickle

OK, everyone. It is time to stop hiding your inner boujee. Embrace being extra – if that is who you are. Become a caricature and order that avocado toast with a soft poached egg and care what region of France that salt comes from. Have fun and make fun of yourself. Get a guava mimosa because why would you ever settle for lowly fresh-squeezed orange juice. I am one that opts for a whole production, but that is me, and not necessarily you. My love affair with brunch started in the fall of 2011 when Chicago magazine published a list of their 75 favorite breakfast spots throughout Chicago land. The list ranged from $2 subpar donuts at a neighborhood institution to Michelin-starred breakfast tasting menus overlooking the iconic skyline. My father and I made a Sunday morning tradition of hitting one different spot a week, whether it was a hidden gem an hour away or a James Beard recognized pastry artist atop Barney’s. While I’m partial to the extravaganza, there is value in both ends of the spectrum, so try everything. Love brunch separate from what Instagram or Snapchat have to say about it. Under no circumstances should a cute photo influence where you go to eat or what you order. If you go to Sadelle’s in SOHO, don’t get a three tiered, $180 bagels and lox platter because you are “curating the

Become a caricature and order that “...avocado toast with a soft poached egg and care what region of France that salt comes from. Have fun and make fun of yourself.

”

Find out who you are, what you like, and don’t care what people think of your choices. If you want goat-milk cream cheese and wild Maine blueberry stuffed french toast – ORDER IT, and don’t reign in your “extraness” to appeal to other’s superficial judgmental tendencies. This is not, by any means, to say ordering something expensive for the sake of the price is what you should be doing. Don’t drink Kopi Luwak unless you truly love the subtle nuttiness and caramel notes in its unique flavor profile. There is no need to order hand-squeezed orange juice when Tropicana is already your favorite. What I’m trying to say is be authentic – be yourself, enjoy the little things, and you do you.

There is no need to order hand“...squeezed orange juice when Tropicana is already your favorite. ” perfect Instagram;” get exactly what you want, whether or not it will break the bank. Be yourself and don’t change who you are or what you want because of a silly photo a few people may glance at.

Weekend Brunch at Banfi’s By: Tamara Sato If you’ve ever woken up with a growling stomach and an urgent desire to satisfy your famished belly, don’t spend hours scrolling through Yelp to find meager eateries in Ithaca. Instead, head to Taverna Banfi, The Statler Hotel’s very own Tuscan inspired Italian restaurant, for a splurge-worthy dining experience. Taverna Banfi’s brunch has it all: a comprehensive buffet menu, a convenient location, and a rustic yet elegant setting to appease your hunger. With everything from creamy yogurt parfaits to smoked salmon to classic brunch items like eggs and bacon, you’re bound to leave Banfi’s with a satisfied smile and a happy tummy. Open from 11:30-2:00 p.m. on Saturdays and 10:00-2:00 on Sundays, “Banfi’s”, as it is affectionately nicknamed, is a student favorite for brunch in Ithaca. Banfi’s is the perfect place for anyone looking for a hearty meal and lively conversation amongst a diverse group of guests, ranging from Cornell students and staff to hotel guests and visiting Ithacans. Though the price is a bit steep,

at $25.50 on Saturdays and $25.00 on Sundays, the restaurant has attracted a steady stream of customers who come for the classic offerings, as well as the splurge-worthy options including made-in-house creme brulee, beurre blanc salmon fillets, an interactive crepe station, and a huge carving table adorned with juicy prime rib. So, what is it that makes Banfi’s so special, and what should you know before attending? To answer these questions, I interviewed Stephanie Sek, a student supervisor of the restaurant, to gain a little more insight into the inner workings of this incredible eatery. According to Stephanie, dining at Banfi’s is “one of the rare opportunities to eat at a place where you can taste the fruits of people’s labors intertwined with the university’s program from people who are passionate about food and hospitality.” It is Banfi’s distinct association with Cornell’s Hotel School, intertwined with its unparalleled array of gourmet offerings, that make it such a unique and comfortable place to dine.

Here are some insider’s tips (brought to you graciously by Stephanie) to keep in mind when planning to eat brunch at Banfi’s:

1. Make reservations ahead of time. Although the longest wait time is usually around 15-20 minutes, being seated right away is always better than waiting anxiously at the door. 2. If you are unable to make advanced reservations, another pro-tip is to go as close to opening time as possible or about an hour before brunch service closes. This way, you will avoid the rush and can spend less time waiting in the buffet line to pick up your delicious food. 3. Don’t forget about the extensive drink options. Many guests don’t take advantage of is Banfi’s bar, from which guests can order mimosas, bloody marys, lattes, cappuccinos, and more. 4. If you’re on a tight budget but looking to splurge, visit Banfis on Easter and Mother’s Day, when the kitchen goes all out with rib roasts, whole fish fillets, and truffle honey-butter fried chicken, spreading out the buffet in not one, but two rooms.

Donuts By: Amelia Probst

When I was a kid, my mouth would water and my eyes would enlarge as I saw the conveyor belt lead the fried, golden circles of dough under a waterfall of icing. I’m talking about doughnuts. There are endless varieties of doughnuts to choose from; cake, glazed, doughnut holes, crullers, beignets, jelly-filled, among others. Before we dive into features of some of the modern world’s most popular doughnuts, let’s talk about their history. It goes as far back to ancient Greece and Rome, where strips of pastry dough were fried and coated with honey. So, doughnuts did not originally have a hole in their centers! The characteristic hole came about when the middle of the doughnut was left uncooked after frying, and it was removed to maintain a uniform consistency. Doughnuts made their first appearance in North America when Dutch settlers arrived, calling them olykoeks, or “oily cakes,” a rather unappetizing term for the delicious food. The dough is traditionally made with yeast, which requires more time for the dough rise. Yet, with the introduction of manufactured leaveners like baking powder in the mid-1800s and machinery to produce doughnuts, doughnuts quickly became more widespread. In 1920, a bakery in New York City was the first to create a machine to produce the treats. This was just the start of the public spectacle of doughnuts, where people stared in awe as the doughnuts made their way through the machine. Now, doughnuts have become a staple in American cuisine. They have been transformed from the simple treat that I enjoyed as a kid to an edible platform that showcases intricate designs and interesting flavors.

Imagine if the only option we had was the classic glazed doughnut. Now, there are so many more options to choose from, and doughnuts have become a trendy food. From cronuts to unicorn doughnuts, these fads have quickly transformed a plain pastry into an Instagrammable item. There are so many designs and textures made from different bases, glazes, and toppings. In particular, the doughnuts with galaxy and marble glazes were some of the most popular. However, doughnuts are not only for those who have a sweet-tooth, as delectables like the doughnut sandwich have been invented to also allure savory-seekers. Contributing to the doughnut craze, chain stores, like Dunkin’ Donuts, Krispy Kreme, and Tim Horton’s, offer crazy new flavors to appeal to the masses or copy trends like the cronut. Unique creations, such as the cereal-inspired Cap’n Crunch doughnuts, maple-bacon doughnuts, Snickers-filled doughnuts, and creme brulee doughnuts were created by pastry chefs from small boutique shops. These treats made their way into the stomachs and camera rolls of consumers, and the inevitable sharing on social media propagated these doughnut trends. Despite the increasing popularity of trendy doughnuts, the classics still remain favorites and will persist long after the fads disappear. The one that started it all for me, a simple glazed doughnut, will never be replaced.

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personal

Quiche Bars by Sarah Hwang

M AKES 24 QUICHES INGREDIENTS

D I R EC T I O N S

C U S TA R D

Preheat your oven to 375 ºF. Grease your muffin tins with cooking spray and prepare any fillings as necessary.

6 large eggs ¾ cup whole milk or heavy cream ¾ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. black pepper Pinch of cayenne pepper optional)

FILLINGS Chopped, cooked ham Chopped, crumbled bacon Spinach

To make the custard: whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl and set aside. Place desired f illings into muffin pans. Ladle the custard over the fillings until fully submerged. If desired, top with cheese. Bake for 15-25 minutes until the egg mixture is just set. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before removing from tin.

N OT E S

Halved grape tomatoes Diced peppers Diced, cooked asparagus Sautéed onions Chives Shredded cheese

Diced, sautéed mushrooms

Leftover quiches can be frozen and reheated in the microwave for 30-45 seconds for an easy breakfast!

build-your-own

Crepes by Sarah Hwang

M A K E S ~2 0 C R E P E S INGREDIENTS

F I L L I N G S & TO P P I N G S

D I R EC T I O N S

C R E P E B AT T E R

Chocolate hazelnut spread

2 cups flour

Ricotta or mascarpone cheese

In a large bowl, stir the flour, eggs, butter, and sugar together until slightly combined.

3 large eggs

Sweetened cream cheese

¼ cup butter, melted

Whipped cream

3 Tbsp granulated sugar

Berr y compote

3 cups whole milk

Honey F r u i t ( s t r a w b e r r i e s , b l u e b e rries , bananas) To a s t e d c o c o n u t s h a v i n g s

Add ½ cup milk and vigorously stir until the batter is smooth. Repeat until all milk is incorporated. Heat medium sized pan over medium-low heat, and grease the pan with butter. Pour ⅓ cup of batter into the center. Quickly swirl the pan so the batter coats the entire surface. Flip crepe when bottom side is lightly browned and cook the other side until the edges are slightly crisp. Transfer crepe onto a plate and cover with a paper towel to retain moisture. Repeat until batter is gone. Fill crepes with desired fillings and toppings.

Green Cuisine Eating Green and Going Green By: Riley Hollerand Kermit the Frog put it best when he said, “it’s not easy being green.” Nowadays, people are becoming increasingly conscious of how their food choices impact the environment, but living more sustainably isn’t always easy. It can be difficult to determine where one’s food originates from and what environmental impact its production has. However, as more data emerges on sustainable farming and food production, we are able to make more responsible and green decisions about the environmental consequences of our food choices. Brunch is all-inclusive, boasting foods from every color of the rainbow. At brunch, cocktails are poured into tall glasses and come in a kaleidoscope of colors, and foods range from the crisp red strawberries perched atop your waffles to the vibrant violet hue of your blackberry mojito. But much like green is the central color of the rainbow, green foods are also a central part of brunch, represented by the creamy avocado slathered toast to the celery stalk in your Bloody Mary. Not only are these foods well represented on your brunch menu, but they also constitute some of the most sustainably grown crops. So, take a cue from the rainbow, and dare to go green at brunch.

| LENTILS According to the Environmental Working Group, lentils are considered “the top ‘climate-friendly’ protein.” Green lentils are nitrogen fixers, meaning they take nitrogen from the air and convert it to ammonium, which enriches the soil and is beneficial for plant growth. Lentils can fix up to 285 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare, significantly reducing the need for fossil fuel fertilizers on farms. They also only produce 0.9 kg of CO2, seven times less than chicken, the animal protein with the lowest carbon footprint, and thirty times less than the carbon footprint of beef. While the protein content of one cup of lentils (18 grams) is slightly lower than a 3-ounce serving of lean beef (21 grams), lentils provide key dietary elements like iron, phosphorous, and soluble fiber that more than make up for the marginal protein difference. The high fiber content in lentils helps to lower blood cholesterol levels, while the high saturated fat content of meat is known to do the opposite.

| MATCHA TEA Matcha tea has been growing in popularity recently, revolutionizing the tea market for many consumers. Unlike most other crops, matcha is harvested by picking the leaves from the top of the plant rather than digging up the whole plant, allowing a matcha tea plant to remain commercially viable for up to a century. This reduces the need for replanting and any of the emissions associated with replanting. As of 2016, 40 international tea companies and retailers have joined the Ethical Tea Partnership which aims to train tea workers and farmers to use agrochemicals safely, to reduce energy use and carbon footprints, and by ensuring that workers earn a living wage. Many tea brands, such as Lipton and The Republic of Tea, have also been working with the Rainforest Alliance which certifies that products are produced in accordance with rigorous sustainability standards with an emphasis on halting deforestation.

| GREEN APPLES AND PEARS Apple and pear orchards are valuable habitats for wildlife, contributing to greater biodiversity and helping to increase habitat connectivity. Orchards are unique habitats that contain elements of woodland, pasture, meadow grassland, and scrub, making them uniquely suited to house a diverse assortment of animals like thrushes, hedgehogs, hares, bats, and all kinds of invertebrates and fungi. Orchards also provide a welcome feast for local pollinators like bees, which have been suffering the consequences of the intensification of modern agriculture. These trees have a minimal carbon footprint, making apples and pears sustainable and delicious foods found atop pancakes and French toast or inside martini glasses and turnovers. While consuming green foods can be much better for the environment than consuming other foods like meat, some green foods do not make the list as environmentally friendly options. Many people assume that their green foods are automatically good for the environment because they’re the same color as the grass and the trees, but some green foods are better than others.

| AVOCADOS Unfortunately, if you’re looking to make more sustainable food choices, your avocados may be toast. The United States has become the world’s largest consumer of avocados, and American farmers cannot keep up with the demand. According to Michigan State University, “today, over 80% of the avocados we eat come from other countries.” This means that when avocados are not in season, they must be imported from other countries, which results in an increase in greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. The popularity of this “green gold” has fueled illegal deforestation in countries like Mexico, where growing avocados is one of the most profitable forms of farming. These avocado trees also take approximately 272 liters of water to grow about half a kilogram of (two or three medium-sized) avocados, which puts a strain on the water supplies of neighboring towns and villages. While there are a few bad apples—or avocados in this case—when it comes to sustainable foods, green is often best. They provide necessary fiber and antioxidants and have a much lower carbon footprint than many other foods. So next time you’re deciding on what to get for brunch, remember that, for the most part, going green is as easy as eating green.

BRUNCH: BRUNCH: HANGOVER HANGOVER EDITION EDITION PAOLA AGUIRRE

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You open your eyes and it’s Sunday. The time?

Who knows, and who really cares? You decided to let loose last night after a long week of grinding away for classes and exams. Maybe a little too loose? Your head hurts and your wobbly legs barely keep you from toppling over. You may have fallen down a few staircases, and slipped on some of that characteristic Ithaca ice. It’s late in the morning, or perhaps afternoon. You’re hungry and need to replenish your body after that seemingly never ending night of lights, music, and dance.

THANK GOD FOR BRUNCH. It’s what will wake you up from the post-anesthesia-like grogginess of an alcohol-induced slumber. It’s the fixer-upper that will hold your hand preparing you to face a whole new round of due dates, readings, and long club meetings.

For the more ascetic brunch person/ a simple yet substantial and powerful combination of waffles, fruit, and eggs can cure the worst of hangovers. The pungent sweetness derived from the waffles and fruit can revitalize your brain by making those demonic hammerings fade away into ticklish goose feathers that tingle your mind like a sugar rush. The eggs, on the other hand, are, according to this interviewee, a perfect cure for that heavy and dizzy feeling of drag bogging down upon your body and mind. The well-rounded flavor of the egg gives a sense of balance not only in your palate, but also in your mind. In addition, the protein from the egg and the healthy sugars from the fruits will help replenish your much-needed nutrients. Chicken noodle soup will deliver a warm well-rounded feeling, giving the same effect as eggs. The dehydration can be cured by this saltier brunch item packed with electrolytes and water. Also, this food item possesses a special property: it will most likely bring back those warm, fuzzy childhood memories from when your family would make you this soup whenever you weren’t feeling well. That headache is now in the past as you dwell in the realm of sweet memories and feelings of gratefulness. Chicken noodle soup really is the omnipotent cure for almost any type of ailment.

However, as you plan to march over and exploit the all-you-can-eat buffets of Cornell - splurging on delectable dim sum, plush pancakes, well-seasoned tofu scramble, mouth-watering ba]]con, and an abundance of ambrosial fruit - you remember the all too common and comically tragic case: you are not the only one in PJs heading over to eat at these havens of brunch dreams. A dilemma ensues in your head. Endure the headache as you wait in line? Or instead, cook up a lovely 2 PM brunch, whilst also blessing the souls of those who walk in and are sanctified and rebaptized by the delectable aromas? If the latter is what you desire, here are a few ideas that some fellow college comrades have suggested:

Accompany these brunch items with a warm cup of tea to cure that nausea that doesn’t seem to go away. It will clear your mind, and warm your stomach. In my experience, the cold really worsens stomach aches and feelings of nausea. Make sure this is decaffeinated as caffeine is a diureticdefinitely not what you need after losing so much water from last night’s hurlings. Melt that luxurious piece of cheddar or mozzarella onto your whole wheat bread, add a few slices of ham, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and mayo for a dreamy ham and cheese panini. With a side of coleslaw, potatoes or eggs, you’re set for the day! For more vegan/vegetarian friendly options, the waffles can be replaced by plantain pancakes, chicken noodle soup with a vegetable broth and soft tofu, a ham sandwich with an egg or seitan sandwich! (Temple of Zeus, I’m looking at you!)

brunch recipes VEGAN BANANA PANCAKES

by tina choi

Serves 2

1/2 cup of Cashew Milk (I prefer sweetened) 1/2 cup of flour 1 tbsp of coconut sugar 1/2 ripe banana 2 tsp of baking powder 1 pinch of salt 1 tsp vanilla extract In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients: flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine. In another medium bowl, mix wet ingredients: cashew milk, banana, and vanilla. Whisk the mixture until the wet ingredients thoroughly â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s okay for bits of banana to remain intact. Add the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Rest the batter at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. In a non-stick pan, melt coconut oil over medium heat. Pour in a ladle of batter to cook for approximately 3 minutes, flipping once. Add a teaspoon of water and cover the pan with a lid for a soft and spongy texture. Serve with maple syrup.

EARL GREY FRENCH TOAST Serves 4

1/2 cup whole milk 1/4 cup cream (optional) 2 eggs 1/2 tbsp of cane sugar 1 pinch of salt 4 slices of bread (preferably an absorbent white bread like Challah or Brioche) 1/4 stick of butter 1 Earl Grey tea bag or tea leaves Powdered sugar (optional) On medium high heat, add whole milk and cream. Heat on low with the tea and sugar. Remove from heat once the tea has steeped for 3 minutes. In a medium sized bowl, whisk eggs with a pinch of salt. Gently combine the cooled earl grey milk into the eggs. Add slices of bread to absorb mixture. Set aside for 10 minutes. In a non stick pan, melt butter on medium heat. Fry the bread on medium heat, flipping once, until golden brown. Serve with powdered sugar.

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Into The Streets of Thailand By: Trin Kitisoontornpong On the concrete floor, the blazing heat is periodically interrupted by the cool breeze from the vintage ceiling fan. In the midst of the hectic morning, the sounds of laughter and joyful conversation are punctuated by the clamor of diesel-powered cars. Everyone around me is smiling as they rush to prepare for work. For someone who has been living in the US for almost a decade, the unique serenity of the Thai morning rush has taught me that it is possible to live life to the fullest, even in moments of turmoil. The chaos is interrupted by a petite woman in a bright orange apron as she fills the empty breakfast table with neon green plastic plates and faded blue bowls full of food. The first course she serves is muu satay, a sizzling skewered meat dish that is beautifully charred and yellowed with seasoning. The grilled meat’s flavorous aroma engulfs the shop and overtakes its patrons, creating mouthwatering memories. As I dip one of the tender pork skewers into a rich peanut sauce and help myself to acidic slices of vinegared cucumbers, the lady in orange reappears. This time, she brings with her oodles of noodles, each bowl overflowing with a unique concoction. She brings steaming bowls of sliced pork studded noodles in thick brown broth and plates full of vermicelli noodles drowned in glossy coconut curry. “khanom jeen nam yaa jaaaa…..” she says in a drawn-out way common to Thai food vendors, indicating that noodles on curry are arriving at the table. The noodle bowl, or kuai-tiao, is composed of thin flat rice noodles, along with blanched slices of beef, phak bung (ผักบุ้ง) or morning glory vegetable, beef meatballs, and a garnish of fried garlic and pepper. The broth is meaty and flavorful, filling the room with the distinct aroma of star anise and a hint of cinnamon. These dishes reflect the generations of immigrants from all over Asia who have shaped Thai food into the melting pot that it is today. In addition to the diverse influences that are evident in Thai home cooking, many of Thailand’s legendary brunch spots also reflect the immigrant communities and cultures that have historically defined breakfast and brunch in Thailand. Typical morning dishes such as congee (‘โจ๊ก’ (jok or chok)), a versatile rice porridge, and ‘pathongko’, a fried dough similar to churro, a present in different renditions in a multitude of Asian cuisines. Congee’s origins can be traced back to the ancient Tamil people, but it has since become a breakfast staple and known comfort food in over a dozen different countries. Furthermore, ‘pathongko’ is a dish that originated in China, where it is called youtiao, making it a prime example of Chinese influence in Thai cuisine. In addition to the aforementioned Chinese influence, traders and merchants from all over the world have introduced herbs, spices, and dishes that

have become integral to Thai cuisine. For example, the chilis that are so integral to Thai cuisine were first introduced by Portugese missionaries and traders. Thai cuisine varies from region to region based on trading influences and neighboring nations. In my northeastern city of Buriram, it is the immigrants from bordering Laos and Cambodia that have shaped the identity of the distinct Isan cuisine that we cook. As a result of the diverse cultural influences in Thai cuisine, the brunch scene in the historic sectors most influenced by international merchants and traders have enjoyed significant growth over the past century. In these districts, each store often specializes in certain dishes, ranging from dim sum to boat noodles to Isan’s original som tum kai yang (papaya salad with grilled chicken) with sticky rice. These hearty meals are served along with a selection of freshly brewed drinks that range from the westerner favorite, Thai tea, to the ever popular โอเลี้ยง (oliang), a unique type of iced black coffee. The locations are full of personality, with their unchanging decor, faded manuscripts on the wall, and wobbly ceiling fans have the ability to transport you back in time. In many ways, these Thai brunch spots are reminiscent of my family’s crowded Thai kitchen. Every dish shines with the influence of family and history, and each bite seems to reflect the very soul of its chef.

Thai brunch? Take a look at these dishes

หมูสะเต๊ะ (Muu Satay) Served alongside peanut sauce and vegetables dressed with vinegar, this pork dish is tender and flavorful. The charring on the pork and the skewer emits a delicate smokiness. The rich, mild peanut sauce compliments the spice of the turmeric-based marinade. The acidity of the vinegar-coated shallots, cucumber, and chili provide the freshness needed to balance this rich dish . While satay is now commonly associated with Thai cuisine in the Western World, its origins can actually be traced to the Indonesian island of Java as a rendition of Indian kebabs. However, the pork variant of the dish was made popular by Indonesian Chinese cuisine. At 20 cents per skewer, moo satay is the perfect quick, delicious appetizer to start your brunch.

ขนมจีนน้ำ�ยา

(Khanom jeen nam ya) Khanom jeen nam ya is one of the many selections of Khanom jeen (fermented Thai rice vermicelli) you can find in Thai cuisine. Nam ya is a type of curry made using fish, coconut milk, and a variety of herbs and spices. The rich umami flavor derived from the fish and tamarind juice gives this dish a complexity that is difficult to replicate. The dish is usually served with pig blood curd alongside the huge amount of vegetables such as bean sprout, Thai basil, and asparagus bean.

ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ

(Kuai-tiao ruea) : Boat noodles This dish’s origins come from the floating market, where noodle vendors would prepare noodle bowls while simultaneously receiving payment and paddling their boats. Because of this, the bowls are kept small, to prevent spilling, and can be quickly eaten and returned using only one hand. Boat noodles are a delicate but flavor intense dish. The soup, thickened with pig or cow blood, is meaty and rich with an undertone of spices such as star anise, lemongrass, and cinnamon. The soup is then served with whichever noodle type the customer chooses. The dish is usually garnished with bean sprouts and seasoned with chili powder, vinegar, and fish sauce by customers to their liking. Finally, if the customer so chooses, the noodles are topped with what I consider to be the holy grail of food: chicharrón, which is a delicious smattering of crispy, juicy pork cracklings. Thai noodle bowls are distinct because they are meant to be “ปรุง” (bprung), meaning to be mixed or seasoned by the customer. In many cases, the highlights of noodle shops are their unique in house seasoning options that you can pick and mix depending on what you are in the mood for that day. Because of the small portion, boat noodles are meant to be ordered multiple bowls at a time, and are a perfect addition to any meal.

“Phone eats first,” but does it? Your phone has

“snacked on” and snapped skillets of Shakshuka, french toast coated in everything but cinnamon, eggless scrambles, and rainbow bagels. Brunch trends come and go, but where exactly do they come from? By the time you’ve managed to reach the bottom of your bottomless mimosa, somehow, a new brunch trend has emerged. Seemingly out of nowhere, the next big thing seems to materialize on every brunch menu brought to you. Unbeknownst to you, that hot new dish has been inching its way onto the menu for the past 12 years.

BRUNCH TRENDS OF 2019 by Anna Weiss

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That’s not an arbitrary number, that’s the incubation period for an ingredient, idea, or concept to become a widely recognized food trend. The Menu Adoption Cycle (MAC) helps us trace and track trends in the foodservice industry. It identifies 4 key stages that constitute the life cycle of a trend: inception, adoption, proliferation, and ubiquity. It all begins at inception. In this stage, the food item is in its most original, authentic form, and may be found in fine dining or ethnic independent service points. From here, only 30-40% of products proceed to the gastropubs, fast-casual restaurants, and casual independents characteristic of the second stage: adoption. With the progression from inception to adoption, the dish is usually assigned a lower price point and preparation methods may be simplified. Nonetheless, it retains its authentic identity. Now, 60-70% of the items that managed to make it to the second stage continue to proliferation. In stage three, the item will be adapted to a more familiar format like that found in causal chain and quick service restaurants. By the time food items have reached ubiquity, the final stage, they’ve lost much of their authenticity due to mainstreaming. On the plus side, you can now find the dish nearly everywhere, including family restaurants and convenience stores. To ease your concerns, just because a product has cycled the MAC doesn’t mean that it is to disappear. Rest assured, your go-to oatmeal can be found on nearly all menus.

As brunch retreats further and further into the day, we see an expanded horizon in acceptable times to eat breakfast. Between 2014 and 2017, menus offering all-day breakfast increased by 21% (Fona International). During these extended hours, we are seeing the popularization of breakfast bowls, breakfast skillets, gluten alternatives to traditional pancakes and waffles, signature Bloody Mary’s and more (Restaurant Business). As the demand for brunch increases, with 9/10 consumers saying that they regularly eat brunch (Restaurant Business), the best way for suppliers to stand out is through differentiation. One way to differentiate Restaurant A’s eggs benedict from Restaurant B’s, is by adding an ingredient from the inception stage. With this tactic in mind, don’t be surprised to begin seeing freekeh, za’atar, or even togarashi eggs benedict (Datassential). While I can’t vouch for the taste quite yet, the good news is that we can leave it up to the MAC to make this decision for us. To reach ubiquity, the freekeh, za’atar, and togarashi will have to pass through the adoption and proliferation stages first--an organic flavor screening before it touches our tongues. While the chef at your favorite brunch venue is preparing your cereal milk flavored pancakes; a line cook, millions of miles away, is monitoring a saute pan. In that pan, ingredient X is just beginning to carmelize, announcing its presence with sweet, umami aromatic notes. Give it some time to truly develop its flavor, but ingredient X is destined for fame, to be served to you at a future brunch date.

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More than Mimosas

Cucumber Mint V&T

by Dylan Weil

Repeat after me: ‘tomato juice is not a mixer.’ As a huge proponent of brunch cocktails (and of getting toasted at 1PM), I am often frustrated by society’s narrow focus on bloody marys and mimosas as our only options. The bloody mary is an abomination of a cocktail, and, as a general rule if you ever make a drink and think a celery stick would be a good garnish for it, do everyone a favor and just pour it down the drain. While mimosas are much better, they get dull and repetitive after awhile, especially if you’re making them with Andre and that half-bottle of Tropicana you forgot about in the back of your fridge. So it’s time to look beyond the mimosas and marys towards cocktails that offer the same sweet, sour, refreshing, and spicy notes in fresh new ways. A few new drinks (and the complete removal of tomatoes) can revolutionize the way you brunch and bring some verve back to your Sunday morning drinking habit. When you’re thinking about replacing anything in a meal, whether it’s the sides, main course, or the drinks, it’s useful to think about what role the element you’re substituting served, so its replacement can occupy the same niche. And so, with that in mind, consider these three drinks to spice up your brunch. The cucumber mint V&T is light, vegetal, vodka-based, and optionally spicy to sub in for the bloody mary. The Paloma is fruit forward just like a mimosa, with a bit of bitterness off the grapefruit and fizz off the seltzer to take the place of the Champagne. And finally, the French 75 for a lot of citrus and because, honestly, were you going to host a brunch and not have Champagne? NOTE: Some of the below beverages call for a Cocktail Shaker. While this will greatly benefit your drink quality, whisking or stirring vigorously will result in a delicious cocktail as well.

GLASS TYPE LIST of INGREDIENTS

highball glass

2 parts vodka

2 to 4 parts tonic

1 part lime juice

½” cucumber slices

mint leaves

ice cubes

¼” sliced jalapeno

DIRECTIONS for CRAFTING the DRINK In a cocktail shaker, shake vodka, lime juice, cucumber, mint leaves, ice, and hot pepper if you’re using it for about 15 seconds, pour unstrained into glass, then add tonic water. Garnish with another cucumber round. Ideally, do everything but adding the tonic water the night before so the cucumber has more time to diffuse.

BRIEF THOUGHTS on the DRINK Nice, clean, and classic. Pretty unobjectionable and a nice way to spruce up a drink everyone’s familiar with. The refreshing qualities of the cucumber, the sweetness and earthiness of the mint, and the sour tang of lime, plus any optional spice you may add hit all the marks for the perfect brunch cocktail.

Paloma

French 75

GLASS TYPE LIST of INGREDIENTS

2 parts tequila

2 parts grapefruit

2 parts gin

1 part club soda

1 part lime juice

3 parts dry sparkling wine

1 part simple syrup ice cubes highball glass

GLASS TYPE LIST of INGREDIENTS

chilli salt (optional, for rim)

champagne flute

1 part lemon juice ice cubes

1 part simple syrup lemon peel (optional, for garnish)

DIRECTIONS for CRAFTING the DRINK

For the Chili Salt: Put some kosher salt on a plate and mix with chili powder. Rub the rim of the glass with a slice of lime, grapefruit, or wet paper towel, then roll the rim in the chili salt prior to assembling the drink.

Using a cocktail shaker, aggressively shake all ingredients but the wine for a good 15 seconds, then pour and top with chilled wine. If garnishing, use a paring knife to cut a long thin spiral of peel and curl it around your finger to make a twist. Place the twist over your filled glass.

Paloma: Combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, and simple syrup in a glass, then stir until mixed. Stir in the tequila of your choice. Add ice cubes and top off with club soda. Serve. Thoughts: A little more interesting than the V&T, this drink plays with less common flavors that are often ignored in a brunch setting.

BRIEF THOUGHTS on the DRINK

BRIEF THOUGHTS on the DRINK The French 75 is very light and delicate, with just enough acid and bitterness to cut through high fat dishes, such as eggs benedict. This cocktail really spotlights the alcohol, so if you’re going to splurge on liquor that isn’t Barton’s now’s the time.

If this drink doesn’t quite do it for you, here are some variations to switch up this versatile cocktail: Scrap the simple syrup and replace the club soda with tonic to up the bitterness Replace the club soda with Sprite or flavored seltzer to increase sweetness and build flavor. Use chili salt and a thin slice of jalapeno or serrano pepper as a nod to the spice of the tabasco heavy bloody mary Further amplify the citrus by boosting the grapefruit and lime, or by adding other juices like that of a blood orange. The amplification of citrus will create a taste profile that mimosa fans will love.

` CREME de cornell