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Thanks for the thread, Sara Kate! It came just in time for me to poll for some recipe suggestions!

I'm hosting a brunch this weekend for my boyfriend's birthday and am brainstorming the menu. It'll be mostly just his family (about six of us total) and I'd like a few options of sweet things and savory things. My 'usual' dress-to-impress brunch dishes are sourdough pancakes and home-made bagels--all fine and dandy, but I'm feeling like branching out. I'd like something fun and unusual to surprise everyone with. Perhaps some some unexpected spice/ingredient combinations? Any suggestions?

My wife often makes buttermilk pancakes with blueberries, which are delicious. I think the buttermilk makes a world of difference over standard pancakes -- so much fluffier. I haven't tried sourdough pancakes though.

I should have also mentioned that my wife sometimes sautees apples to go with non-blueberry pancakes. The sauteed apples are delicious too.

Just wanted to say that I am really enjoying the new editors' posts.

How about pumpkin pancakes or muffins for a seasonal twist?

My favorite brunch thing is the yeasted waffles out of the Fannie Farmer cookbook. You have to make the batter the night before but they are the best waffles ever. I like to top them with sweetened fruit and herb combinations (like raspberry and rose, quince or apple poached in white wine with bay leaf and vanilla, roasted plums with honey, cardamom and star anise, etc...go wild!).

I also like to make individual baked egg dishes, a recent inspired one involved lump dungeness crab meet, scallions and heavy cream, super yum.
There are other more classic preps, didn't the NYT have a feature on baked eggs recently?

regards,
trillium

How about using sweet-potatos to make homefries?

I basically just roast some cubed sweet potatos with olive oil, salt, pepper, herbs....and voila - a side dish good for any meal....

On another (less edifying) note:

How much mold is too much mold? As a single person whose eyes are bigger than her stomach, things in my fridge get moldy when I get a little too greedy at the store or the market.

The main culprit is cheese (i usually slice off the fuzz and eat the rest). But I've had some fruit that have evidence of fuzz...and I usually chop it off and still eat it. Recently, I poured some salsa on rice and beans before noticing the lid of the jar was fuzzy. Since I was hungry...I still ate my dinner.

I'm not sure if I have a question - maybe I just want to know that I'm not alone on this score...

I recently made this Souffléed Banana Pancake (click on my name for recipe link) and thought at the time that it would be good for a crowd. It is really delicious, not cloyingly sweet and can be made in a cast iron pan if you are eschewing non-stick.

Hi JenPDX,

I think some mold on cheese is fine if you cut it out which you do. Salsa I would usually just toss, but can see where your coming from especially if you had it all made and then realized the problem, such a pain in the a**. On fruit I would toss the whole thing as I feel that mold in fruit will have a much easier time of spreading quickly then in a harder substance, i.e cheese. I will pretty much toss anything out entirely if it has any mold on it. But mainly fruit, veg, and bread. But that could be just me.

EmmaC I find fritata's are always good to make and those can be made with anything and everything, go wild with spices and ingredients, unfortunately right now I can't come up with any fantastic and crazy new idea, afternoon brain freeze.

Hey JenPDX - my grandmother taught me a trick to avoid getting mold on the lids of jars like salsa, pasta sauce, etc. After you close the lid, put it in the refrigerator upside-down (lid-side down). This keeps oxygen from getting in and keeps mold from forming. Voila - no more mold!

Hope this helps!

I second the frittatas for brunch. I made a pile of mini prosciutto, parm and parsley versions using a muffin tin (click my name for pic).

Also, thanks all for the suggestions on how to use fish stock. Ended up making a stew with monkfish, fennel, tomatoes, and thinly sliced potato. Gorgeous.

not sure what your ethnic preferences are, but we would often brunch after synagogue and in addition to lox and bagels (i didn't like lox) mom would make buckwheat pancakes and sweet kugel.

also, omelettes are always great. they cook up to order very quickly and everybody gets what they want. i had one recently with ham, cranberries, and cheddar that was an outstanding combo.

jenpdx: i think the mold question is really a matter of what grosses you out. with hard foods it seems safe to cut out, but the salsa, i'm not so sure about. it's probably not dangerous, but i would probably toss it unless i was desperate. is there a nutritionist in the house?

Thanks for all the suggestions about MOLD.

This past weekend I cleaned out my fridge and was pretty grossed out at the state of things.

I just want to make a disclaimer to the effect that I actually eat pretty well most of the time!

As for the time I discovered the mold in the salsa - I re-nuked my whole plate for a minute in the hopes of killing off anything that was really bad. ;)

Sometimes things just deteriorate...if you will!

What can one do with half a bottle of really undrinkable Pinot Noir besides make spaghetti?

I bought a $5 bottle this weekend to make Coq au Vin (the recipe in the newest Cook's Illustrated is fantastic, btw), and while it was great in the stew, it's pretty bad on its own.

I hate to just toss it, even though it was cheap. Any ideas?

Emmac,

One thing I always love and make to go with a brunch is a nice mixed salad. Nothing fancy but some guests seem to appreciate it to break up the starch/sweet of other dishes. I usually go for mixed greens with a little bit of maytag blue, cranberries, almonds, and a raspberry vinaigrette. The salad bowl is always empty by the time we are done! I love brunch...it's my favorite meal to have people over for...hope yours goes really well!

et - you can freeze wine in an ice cube tray for future use in cooking.
Jen - re mold, I read an article that said softer fruits/vegs should be discarded if you find even just some mold. In harder ones you can just cut out the offending piece. Cheese, same thing-mold in soft you throw out/hard you cut out. I get a wicked headache that lasts for hours when, by mistake, I eat a little bit of mold. No, I don't like blue cheese- maybe because of the headache thing.
EmmaC, have you tried making corn tortillas? It's easy, you could serve a fried egg on top of a tortilla, top it with a homemade salsa (huevos rancheros). It's a fav. of mine.
Arin-that banana pancake looks amazing!

Question: What are avocado leaves used for in Mexican cooking? Found some at a store yesterday, along with homemade mole poblano (& other goodies). I don't know how to use/what to eat with the mole poblano sauce..anyone?

for your brunch you could make a really great hot apple cider. i made some for a party last year and it was delicious. i cant' find the recipe, but i used the apple cider you buy at the store and added cinnamon sticks, orange peels, cloves and nutmeg.

JenPDX -- I agree with people about the cheeses, I mean, most cheese is just moldy milk to begin with!
As for other things however... the visible mold that you're seeing is just the top of the mold, molds are kinda like strings and they wind through whatever the mold is growing on, so, sorry to contradict, but you really ought to throw away just about anything that's gone moldy as the stringy bits grow all through the food and you might not cut all of it away....
i hate being the bummer...

et -- what about risotto? or wine stewed fruits? or wine poached eggs (also in last weeks NYTimes story on eggs)? or mulled wine? or poach some lamb in wine? or a wine based chutney? soooo many possibilities! experiment and enjoy!

EmmaC,

I've made this brunch recommendation before, but it really is perfect for hosting a brunch: baked french toast. Everything gets prepped the night before, then put in the oven morning of. A perfect sweet addition to your brunch - in the spirit of Fall maybe some pumpkin muffins too? And I'll 3rd (or 4th?) the frittata suggestion.

I can't find the link for the original recipe I used in the past but click on my name for a similar one (that looks great - might have to make myself this weekend)

Brunch:
Croque Monsieur and/or Croque madame (Cafe Beajoulais cookbook has recipe, but you many cookbooks will have one); simple green salad with vinagrette (after all, it's brunch, not breakfast); to drink: Prosecco and/or fresh juice and coffee

Thanks for all the great brunch suggestions, folks! I'm going to have a hard time deciding. I like the autumn-themed suggestions--pumpkin muffins and perhaps stuffing baked french toast with apples n' spices. I'm definitely going to make the hot cider.

JenPDX, I think we have similar mold-resistant stomachs. I tend to toss any leftovers that have mold or are gross-looking, but will happily pick/scrape/clean mold off of staples like cheese, jam and salsa jars, bread, and so on.

Et, could you make sangria out of the wine? Bad wine might be decent when mixed with other flavors.

EC-how about tortiere and baked beans, both homemade of course!

For the redwine - you could try this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calimocho

I was told in Spain that you can use the cheapest red-wine but you should use Coke-brand cola. Other generic colas just don't hack it.

It sounds odd but I really loved this!

JenPDX,
I have eaten "dodgy" food all the time, though I do draw the line at mould on food in jars. I've read that in hard foods (like cheese) you should cut off generous margin of food along with the mould as some can release toxins into the surrounding area.

Leah--great suggestion about upside-down storage of jars!

MofM -- you nailed what I was trying to get at. Obviously you've had more success at waking up today than I have!

leeds-- maybe they use avocado leaves to make tamales? i've had them steamed with banana leaves before...

re: mold-- yick! i had no idea. guess i've just been lucky!

Faith,

I made the Earl Grey cookies tonight -- they are delish! Thanks for the recipe!

Another random question--what food/cooking/gourmet magazines are people subscribed to? I'm currently subscribed to Cook's Country (sister to Cook's Illustrated) and the King Arthur Baking Sheet Newsletter. I think I'm going to drop the King Arthur subscription and pick up something else. (I LOVE Cook's Country, by the by.) I steal my dad's copies of Cook's Illustrated, so I don't need that one (hee hee hee). Perhaps a more foodie rather than recipe-oriented one like Gourmet or The Art of Eating? What do you guys like?

EmmaC-

I currently have no food mag subscriptions. I subscribed to the short-lived print edition of Chow but since then, nothing. To date, I've only received one issue of the replacement subscription (I can't even remember the name of it right now). Beyond that, I used to receive Everyday Food (a gift from a friend).

Every now and then I'll pick up the latest Bon Appetit or Gourmet, but these days it's pretty much internet for me.

On the other hand, I keep adding to my cookbook collection even though I have piles that go untouched.

Leeds -- depends on if they are fresh or dried. Fresh you could use to grill on or grind up and use as a seasoning. Dried you would use like a bay leaf - but the taste is not the same. Avocado has an anise flavor. I tend to use them to flavor soup. Please let me know where you got the avocado leaves. I'm in NYC and can't find them at the usual places (Kalustyans, Penzeys).

About Chow magazine -- that replacement magazine is called Intermezzo. In a word, Intermezzo blows. I actually really miss Chow. And Intermezzo is NOTHING like Chow, not even close. I wish Chow had sold my subscription to a magazine that was at least something, anything close to the type of editorial content that they had at Chow. Instead, they sold it to Intermezzo which has all the charm of an airline magazine. End of rant.

Anyone reading CHOW online? I never got the print magazine. How do the two compare? I like the recipes, but I'm finding the articles a bit lacking...

Desk - I'm in Montreal, I got the avocado leaves at a brand-new shop on Amherst (you're in NYC I know, but for other Montrealers out there...) called Chipotle & Jalapeno. It's a great boutique specializing in Mexican products, has delicious-looking Mexican pastries, etc. You can order tamales from them too. Recommend it.
Thanks for the tip about the avocado leaves (they're dry), it'll save me the trouble as SO does not like anise flavor.
Re magazines, I like leitesculinaria on line.

Ugh. I swear, everything that is good is in Montreal. I ate my weight in reindeer meat, cheese, olives and chocolate at that Jean-Talon open air market.

:) I guess you went to Marche des Saveurs du Quebec (the shop in front of Jean Talon Market)! Great stuff...! Did you try Les Chocolates de Chloe (not at the market)?
Glad you enjoyed, you'll just have to come back soon!

I went to every store in that area at least twice during a one-week period. I'd move there in a heartbeat. I especially loved (though I admit it is totally upscale) Les Touilleurs. I bought these maple cooking utensils there and they are just a dream. Gorgeous and so useful. I use them every day.

Leeds--What's up at Jean-Talon these days? I haven't been in four weeks (!!) and am wondering if it's just apples and pumpkins these days.

My lack of market-going is partly due to my two-week vacation to Belgium/Holland. Not much in terms of culinary adventures: mandatory waffles and crepes, a slightly slimy herring sandwich at a market. Did discover Elstar apples, which look like Royal Galas, but are sweet, tart and crispy. My perfect apple.

I've been reading Chow online, but haven't been overly impressed. It's an amusing diversion, but not a great resource (at least so far). I get a bit confused by their layout when I'm navigating around and will sometimes find myself on a page with no idea how I got there or how to get back to what I was originally looking at. The articles are entertaining, if a bit fluffy. Some of the recipes are good--I'm DEFINITELY making the Pecan and Salt Caramel Cheesecake for Thanksgiving! http://www.chow.com/recipes/10673

MoM-You really Have to go to J-T Market!! Harvest time, yay! Got 20 lbs plum tomatoes (just right in ripeness) & have been going crazy making all sorts of delicious tomato tarts, soups, roasted tomatoes for freezing etc.
Have used apples for crisps, etc. My fav. ones are tart/crisp as well, the Elstar sound nice.
The leeks are amazing; bought a bunch of slender ones for braising in wine etc & serving with a vinaigrette, yum. Inexpensive too. Everything was perfect and abundant on my last visit! (eggplants, peppers of all kinds, broccoli...)

Cooks Illustrated is the one food mag I subscribe to. Somehow, GOURMET started appearing in my mail box a while ago - while I like it, I never cook anything from it...

Sunset Magazine has some accessible recipes in their issues.

I also love reading the food column in The Atlantic Monthly.