Sometime ago I review The World’s Best Street Food which is also from this publisher. It’s a superb book and this one is too. So let me detail this book and tell you why that is so.
When I work the late shift at our pub, the Green Man Pub, I get done around three and not up until ten or so. That means my first meal of the day is really a late breakfast verging into a hearty lunch. So a book on brunches of an unusual nature definitely caught my eye.
Now I’ll admit that my usual breakfast is tea with a splash of cream, a bowl of granola (we make our own) with fresh fruit, but occasionally I like something more elaborate. And there’s certainly a lot of possibilities here, be it the Aussie Steak Sandwich, Eggs Benedict which turns to be an American creation or Polish Easter ham with beetroot salad. Did I mention the recipes here are most excellent?
Though I should back up and say that Bill Granger, an Australian owner of several cafes in Sydney, has a foreword of Marcel Proust levels on the joys of brunch in his native Sydney.
The format here is simple: one page talks about the dish, say Churros y chocolate from Spain, that discusses what it is (a yummy sounding chocolate filled doughnut), where to find the best ones and what to have with it (hot chocolate which is so thick these baked goods stand up in them) and the origin of the dish (with goat and sheep herders). The second page gives you a detailed recipe for making these in your own kitchen using easily obtainable ingredients.
Each brunch item lists the author of that item and there’s a brief bio for him or her.
My favourites here? The Aussie steak sandwich, the Indian masala omelet and Pastel de Nata (Portuguese custard tart). And I’m sure you’ll find lots of tasty brunch ideas here.
There’s also a separate drinks and condiments section (alcoholic beverages not something I do but many of you I assume do) covering everything from the Bloody Mary (from Paris) and Chai to hummus and Seville orange marmalade. The Estate Kitchen has added the latter to their repertoire.
This is certainly the best brunch book I’ve ever seen and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in broadening their breakfast or brunch choices.
(Lonely Planet, 2014)
