For years I made the grave error of holding a grand Christmas Eve dinner at my place. Come Christmas morning, I would wake to a sea of empty bottles, a sink full of dishes, the strange stale scent of cigarettes mixed with incense, and a tree torn asunder with ravaged gifts all about. When our son got old enough to say the word Santa, Christmas morning needed to be a bit more magical and pristine, so I switched the tradition to breakfast. Like a silver cloud parting, my burdens dissolved to reveal the joy of drinking champagne in front of the oven at nine in the morning, playing the Chieftans full blast, dishing up scrambled eggs and smoked salmon instead of roasted birds and potatoes, and everyone opening their gifts in the glittering and pale winter light. Most of my guests are usually heathens, ex-patriots, or social orphans so the slight break with traditions worked well. Because of the smashing success of last year’s Christmas breakfast, I have started to do most of my entertaining before midday. A baby or bridal shower, a girl’s brunch, a crafting morning tea, a pre-flea market feast, or a parents-and-kids pancake party levels the stress and takes the fuss out of feeding people. At that hour you don’t have to front a great deal of booze (a few bottles of Italian prosecco with fresh juice mixers does fine). And what could be nicer or naughtier than sipping a bellini from a vintage teacup?
Emotionally, breakfast has a feeling of renewal, people are rather soft, grateful, and fuzzy at that hour, the younger ones have been out all night and the older ones are not rushing in from work or bringing the dregs of the day with them. Morning can be romantic too. I think it’s rather cheeky to invite men you don’t know well to breakfast: you can seduce them innocently in a pair of white silk pajamas and red lipstick.
The decorations are simply done. If it’s spring, I’ll plonk a few branches of pink cherry blossoms in the middle of the table; and in fall, I might attack the local park for leaves and pinecones and lay them flat on a big wooden plate set on a lovely, richly colored tablecloth in violet or burnt orange. Often if I can’t find a tablecloth I like, I’ll use a length of inexpensive bedding or a bright fabulous (extra wide) dress fabric in a crazy floral print from the local Senegalese fabric store. Gingham, dots, stripes, it all works. In terms of supplies I make sure to have two-dozen eggs at hand, loads of fresh strawberries, lots of milk for tea and coffee, and extra maple syrup. Smoked salmon (the least expensive I can find) I’ll tear up into small chunks to toss in the eggs with fresh herbs so it doesn’t look cheap. If you sweetly request your guests to bring fresh orange juice and fruit, the outlay will be pretty minimal. And clean up for a breakfast is far easier than for a multicourse boozy dinner.
I confess I am not a morning person, so often I will prep the night before: setting the table with a white cotton cloth, fresh teacups, and lacy vintage napkins; and mixing up a pancake batter or a big fruit salad and popping it into the fridge so preparation is minimal. To set a brisk comic mood, I’ll play really silly old-fashioned musicals such as My Fair Lady and South Pacific, or turn on a bluegrass radio station quite loud. Happily my neighbors are often my guests. The relief of breakfast as a social occasion is palpable. It is festive, intimate, and the most inexpensive way to entertain. And basically anyone who doesn’t like scrambled eggs and toasted muffins is the sort of hopeless snob you don’t want to know anyway.
Sweet breakfasts are best served to those you know who like to eat a little lighter. I like the contrast of spicy rich (free-trade) coffee with breakfast breads, but always offer tea as well. To make guests feel special, I bake each one a banana bread in its own individual tin and arrange bananas cut lengthways across the top of each loaf. It’s a stylish and sensuous touch, as when the bananas bake, they caramelize slightly and go crunchy on top. This breakfast can be almost all prepared the night before, just pop the bread in the oven to serve it warm, crumble a handful of pistachio or walnuts over the top of each slice along with a dash of maple syrup and a handful of seasonal berries (if affordable).
Girly Morning Tea Menu
Banana bread with fresh berries, crushed walnuts, and maple syrup
Baked pears with a drizzle of heavy cream
Grapefruit-juice seltzer mocktails
A big pot of Lady Grey tea
My Banana Bread Recipe
You will need three mini-loaf tins, an electric beater, trusty wooden spoon, and two mixing bowls for this recipe.
½ cup butter
2 cups plain flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
3 large, very ripe bananas, broken into pieces
1 large ripe banana, cut into thin lengthwise slices
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda
1 tablespoon raw sugar
Grease the tin loafs with a small piece of butter (I use the wrapper).
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Blend together flour, baking powder, and bicarb in a bowl.
Beat sugar and butter in another mixing bowl until fluffy. Add eggs, bananas, and sour cream; beat until combined and smooth.
Add in bicarb, flour, baking powder, and walnuts.
Pour mixture into mini-loaf tins and lay the bananas lengthwise along the top of each, sprinkle each one with raw sugar.
Bake for 35 minutes, let cool and serve.
To help you think outside of the egg, keep a breakfast recipe journal in a ring binder. This works as an aide-mémoire for entertaining and makes weekends at home more fun too. Sunday is sweeter with a stack of pancakes steaming up the kitchen. Here are some other variations on a theme:
INDIAN SUMMERMango lassi served in tall glasses, tomato-and-egg omelet with plenty of chopped green chili and a pinch of turmeric, chai tea, and dosa bread.
Touches: Play Bollywood DVDs, use a sari on a table strewn with fresh marigolds, the traditional Hindu holy wedding flower.
COWBOY FRY-UPBaked tomatoes with fresh oregano, corn fritters, sausages, thick-sliced toasted peasant bread, and chunky-grained mustard.
Touches: Fling out a gingham tablecloth, put some daisies in Coca-Cola bottles, and break out the Country collection.
GOURMET PORRIDGETake ordinary oatmeal and add ground pistachio, chopped dried apricots, almond slivers, currants, nutmeg, cinnamon, lemon zest, a dash of heavy cream, and frozen blackberries … Unbearably simple, thrifty, and delectable.
Touches: Throw a yoga breakfast at home with incense, chanting, and a light and easy yoga DVD.
MUESLI PARFAITSIn parfait glasses, place some stewed dark fruit (plums, cherries, blackberries) at the base of the glass, then add a berry-flavored yogurt, fresh bananas, more compote, and a layer of nuts and muesli; repeat one more time and serve with a sprig of mint and a long spoon.
BACON-AND-EGG BRIOCHE BURGERSThis is the hangover deluxe, ideal for New Year’s Day. Brioche buns make ordinary breakfast elements posh: stack oven-baked tomato, bacon slices, poached eggs, and chopped Italian parsley (or baby spinach leaves)—and pop a melted slice of cheddar on top.
