The Royal Chef At Home: Easy Seasonal Entertaining

POOLSIDE BRUNCH

R estaurant chefs can get quite opinionated when it comes to brunch. Anthony Bourdain, one of its most vocal critics, has trolled brunch as a “horrible, cynical way of unloading leftovers and charging three times as much as you ordinarily charge for breakfast.” While I don’t disagree with him when it comes to eating brunch at a restaurant, I’ve got nothing but good things to say about inviting friends over to the house for brunch. Listen, if I can stay at home knocking about in shorts and a T-shirt, have time alone for a long contemplative cup of coffee and be creative and cook whatever I feel like, then it’s a perfect day. Brunch checks all those boxes, and for that reason it has my eternal affection. But I do have some rules. Rule #1 – Stop with the mimosas. No one needs to drink bad champagne early in the day. It’s depressing. Instead ditch the alcohol for some top quality brewed coffee and freshly squeezed juice plus a pitcher of iced water with cucumber and lemons sliced into it. Rule #2 – Don’t call lunch “brunch.” I’ve been invited to “brunches” that don’t start until noon which is ridiculously late. Really, if you are going to have brunch, get things going by 10:30 AM. That allows guests to have a good visit and still get on with the rest of their day. Rule #3 – Remember, room temperature food is your friend. When the weather is hot, I’m much more likely to put out a few salads, some cold fruit or a cold soup, and something fast from the grill. Summer heat means finicky appetites and I want guests to eat at their leisure. There’s no rush. The kids are in the pool having fun, the adults are having a good caffeine fueled chat, and there is plenty of food is on hand to keep everyone sated until dinner.

SUMMER · POOLSIDE BRUNCH

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