You’re invited to vintage Sunday brunch

There’s an inherent, comforting beauty to Sunday mornings, tied as they are to images and memories of serenity, relaxation, and personal reflection. Perhaps no other day of the week is so ideally suited to a large, leisurely consumed meal than Sunday, which explains why brunch – a mash-up of both breakfast and lunch – has long gone hand-in-hand with the seventh day.

Having been unable to add a new edition of either Wonderful Wednesday Recipes or Saturday Snapshots this week, I thought it would be oodles of fun to merge elements of both of those posts into one, and invite you all to a marvellous Sunday brunch!

Unfortunately, it’s not possible for you to pop over to my home for a tasty meal, but we are able to gather together here and enjoy an imaginary brunch, comprised of vintage images of some of the most iconic foods and dishes one might have found at a good sized brunch spread during the mid-twentieth century.

Whether you’re in the mood for simple fare like juice and eggs, or your taste buds are yearning for something more elaborate, this spread is sure to satisfy one and all alike.

Please, pull up a chair, let the week’s worries disappear from your mind for a while, and nosh with me on a scrumptious feast of vintage brunch foods.

♥ ♥ ♥



{Before finalizing the menu for our delightful brunch (were it a being held as a "real world" event), I would have turned to engaging vintage recipe sources, such as this 1936 copy of Recipe of the Month Magazine, with its immensely cheerful breakfast bedecked cover.}



{What respectable brunch table would be even remotely complete without a freshly squeezed (or stirred, should the OJ be of the frozen variety, such as the Florida juice being promoted in this 1956 ad) pitcher of vitamin C loaded orange juice?}



{Something about the classic childhood fairytale of Jack and the Beanstalk portrayed in this charming 1950s ad (where it’s now morphed into Jack and the Grapevine) made me smile, and thus Welch’s grape juice was added to our selection of brunch beverages.}



{Many vintage cookbooks and magazines I’ve read were super keen on featuring tomato juice as part of one’s breakfast menu, and really, why not? It can be served hot, cold or at room temperature, pairs well with everything from hash brown potatoes to scrambled eggs, and is one of the lowest calorie juices around.}



{While there will, of course, be plenty of fresh milk (and cream) on hand (delivered via the milkman, naturally), what vintage meal would be complete without Carnation evaporated milk, either as a drink or used in one of our yummy recipes? (One can’t but wonder if this shot of a young fellow with milk on his upper lip constitutes the original “Got Milk” ad? ;D}



{For those who prefer a warm beverage before, during, or after their meal, a lovely selection of teas will be available, which you’re entirely welcome to enjoy al fresco, as the fine folks in this beautiful vintage King Cole Tea ad were doing.}



{If you’re still semi-asleep until your first sip of java, fear not, our brunch includes this almost whimsically named brand of coffee (Nob Hill), to help perk you right up!}



{This playful vintage French ad expresses a concept that was often used in culinary literature of the time: grapefruit was the answer for those who pondered how to stay both trim and full at the same time. However, you certainly don’t have to be counting every last calorie to enjoy one of the most classic breakfast fruits of all time – complete with an adorable maraschino cherry on top.}



{Dainty scopes of mint ice cream sit atop the fancy fruit salads on today’s menu, for a meal as a special as brunch definitely deserves to include a dessert treat to help liven up a commonplace dish like fruit salad.}



{From pancakes to waffles, drizzled over oatmeal or used a descendant touch on a bacon sandwich (as in this ad), a large bottle or two of maple syrup is a must at the breakfast – or bunch - table.}



{Light and fluffy baking powder biscuits (which we always fondly called “cloud biscuits” when I was growing up) are often a cornerstone of brunch. They pair perfectly with syrup, jam, marmalade and preserves, or alternatively, can be used to help mop up the sauce or juices from other dishes (they’re also terrific paired with gravy, if you’re in the mood for some Southern inspired cooking).}



{That great new invention everyone keeps coming other innovations to will certainly be present at our AM smorgasbord. We’ll put sliced bread to use as both regular and French toast alike, as well perhaps as some lovely little finger sandwiches for those who are craving lunchtime foods.}



{One of my favourite breakfast staples has to be jam, and while there’s no topping homemade varieties, store bought jams, jellies and preserves, such as these from A&P, are certainly a wonderful sweet treat to serve with any brunch.}



{Two fantastic breakfast foods team up in this cheerful 1950s ad for Py-O-My products, which featured mixes for blueberry muffins and coffee cake (yum and double yum!).}



{I’ve always been a big time cereal fan, and used to delight at the rare opportunity, when as a youngster, a package of assorted breakfast cereals would appear at our table. For those guests who also love to select from an array, we’ll definitely have a classic mix of cereals in adorable individual portion sized boxes, such as these from Post.}



{Sweet, juicy, and versatile, apple sauce is a marvellous invention and certainly one of my favourite ways to enjoy fruit. Here it pairs up with pancakes, strawberries and breakfast sausages, three other foods that will certainly be at our brunch buffet.}



{There’s little denying the shortening was used somewhat rather more prolifically during the mid-twentieth century than it is today, there’s also no skirting the fact that it does make for a wonderful cooking fat when you want to whip up a homemade batch of doughnuts, such as these golden little bundles of doughy goodness.}



{Long before Spam was the word given to the online equivalent of junk mail, it was (and still is) a popular brand of canned meat, which could be put to good use at any meal of the day – including brunch. In this 1940s ad its paired with waffles oozing with maple syrup and a generous sized pat of butter, for a meal that delivers both salty and sweet tastes to anyone partaking of it.}



{Rich and creamy, filling and utterly delicious, when done just right, few brunch dishes can top a plate of eggs Benedict, with their English muffin bottom, warm poached egg centre, and coat of pale sunshine yellow hollandaise sauce.}



{Last but certainly not least, this image shows a sample of just some of the dishes (including baked apples) that have helped to make our vintage brunch such a roaring success, laid out prettily on a turquoise table with darling pink dishware.}

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}

♥ ♥ ♥


Ohhh, I’m so stuffed, I don’t think I’ll be able to eat until next Sunday! Brunch has always been a favourite meal of mine, even more so from the perspective of cook (than guest), for it gives me the perfect excuse to combine a myriad of different dishes into one meal. It also allows me to use a tad more cream, a pinch of vanilla sugar, the choicest berries – anything that’s a little opulent and entirely delicious, in the name of "we don’t do this every day" style cooking.

What draws you to brunch? Are you a fan or cooking or eating it (or both)? Do you have any treasured recipes that have become your signature brunch dishes?

While I don’t get to prepare a full brunch spread all that often, when I do I always love to surround myself with the foods and people who bring me the most joy, and that, dearest friends, most certainly includes all of you. Which is entirely why I wanted to invite you to share a leisurely (imaginary) meal with me on this crisp, gorgeously sunny May morning. I hope you had a wonderful time, I know I can hardly wait to do it again sometime! :)

Wonderful Wednesday Recipe: Rosemary, Baby Potato and Fried Egg Skillet

In true Toronto fashion we’ve hopped from winter to summer in a matter of days. No sooner had the below freezing nights subsided when the summery temperatures whirled in – bringing with them some heavy rains (no storms yet, but I’m sure they’ll be along yet any day now). Perhaps it’s a little early to say that spring skipped us over entirely, but if the past is any indicator of the future, than chances are those humid dog days will be here in the blink of an eye.

Before they do though, and the thought of heating up our tiny, stiffing hot apartment kitchen becomes about as inviting as swimming with a pack of sharks (ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a tad - but not much ;D), it’s a joy to turn out quick, delicious recipes like this week’s skillet crowd pleaser with fresh spring produce.

Bursting with tastes from the garden care of the fresh rosemary, mushrooms and darling baby potatoes, this dish can be made without the eggs, if you wish (or simply with egg whites, for all the flavour with less of the calories), or changed up by swapping in different herbs or veggies (think oven-roasted cherry tomatoes and fragrant basil for an Italian spin or caramelized shallots and zingy tarragon for a French inspired breakfast).


{Whimsically sweet little baby potatoes engaged in cheerful conversation smile out from this charming vintage illustration. Less anthropomorphic ‘tatoes make this scrumptious skillet dish just as much fun. Image via Wyle_hare’s Flickr stream.}


You can speed up the cooking time of this hearty recipe even further if you use cubes of leftover boiled, steamed or baked potatoes (using baby potatoes isn’t a requirement by any means, merely a suggestion, stand sized spuds work wonderfully here, too – as to precooked sweet potatoes or yams).

I think this makes a fantastic breakfast dish anytime you need plenty of fuel to see you through a long day – or as a light lunch or supper. It can even be packed up (after being cooled in the fridge) and taken on a picnic, paired with fresh fruit like pears or peaches, homemade rolls and your favourite chilled summertime beverage.


Rosemary, Baby Potato and Fried Egg Skillet


Ingredients

• 450 grams (1 lb) new potatoes, washed and cut into cubes (I like to leave the skins on, but it's up to you)

• 2 tbsp better or or olive oil

• Leaves (needles) from about 6-8 stems of fresh rosemary

• 1 garlic glove (or to taste), peeled and finely chopped

• 125 grams (1/4 lb) white or brown mushrooms, cleaned and sliced or quartered

• 2 large eggs

• Freshly cracked sea salt and black pepper, to taste


Directions

In a large sized skillet, griddle or frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of the butter (or olive oil) over medium high heat, until the butter has just melted (or the oil has heated slightly), then add in the potato cubes. Cook, string occasionally, for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potato cubes have just cooked through.

Next sprinkle the fresh rosemary, chopped garlic, and sliced mushrooms over the potatoes; cook everything together for a few minutes until the mushrooms are lightly cooked through (take care not to overly brown the garlic as this will impart a bitter, unwanted flavour to your final dish). Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Push the vegetables to one side of the pan (or remove to a plate if you need more space in the pan) and add the remaining tbsp of butter (or olive oil). Add both of the eggs, one at a time and fry (sunny side up or down) until cooked to desired degree of doneness has been achieved.

Divide the eggs and vegetables between two plates (or make more eggs and divy the potato mixture between 3 or 4 people) and serve at once with salt and pepper at the table. All the better if eaten in a sunny breakfast nook or on the sun-kissed patio.

Serves 2 people

Bon appétit!