Ahhh, Brunch

Over the weekend, I happily indulged in the pleasures of brunch and tried a few new recipes as well. My favorites:

Bacon and Cheese Grits. I cooked these grits from a well-known Fort Worth cowboy chef (ex-Riata) in chicken broth instead of water which gave them a darker color and smokier taste, then mixed in scallions, cheddar, and a pound of chopped bacon. They were very, very good. (Had to use instant grits, though, which is not my preference. No regular grits to be found in this Yankee city, can you believe it?!) Recipe from A Cowboy in the Kitchen by Grady Spears.

Scalloped Potatoes. Wow. Now I know why no one cooks like this any more. It took me an hour to make this dish even with the food processor slicing potatoes. And even using the shortened stovetop method from the Cook's Illustrated folks. But it was nice to use their notes on making this ahead. From Cover and Bake Meals by the editors of Cooks Illustrated.

Nucello Cake. Used the last of my Italian walnut liquor to make a basic Kahlua cake but with nucello instead. It gives the chocolate a nutty flavor. (And I cheat and use a recipe from the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn.)

Plus the asparagus looked very good on Saturday, so I made a big frittata with lots of cheese, plus a ham, angelfood cake, strawberries, fruit salad, Crawford's rolls, mimosas, and lots of Easter candy. Nine people in all plus two babies made for an enjoyable afternoon. Ahhh, brunch.