brunch bunch.

brunch is the most awesome hybrid meal and it's kind of anything-goes, so i'm really excited that isa is working on a vegan brunch cookbook, the crack of noon. (which, to be honest, is on the early side for me as far as brunch goes unless someone else is doing the cooking, but that it is a catchy title cannot be denied.) i treated myself to a gigantic pre-oscars meal yesterday and finally got around to making a few of the recipes she's released for testing.


i've never made a frittata before, i guess because it never really spoke to me. i didn't expect all that much from this swiss chard frittata recipe, but boy was i ever underselling it. it's a really simple tofu-chard-seasonings mixture, but something happens during baking that elevates it beyond the simplicity of its ingredients. it's hearty and healthy and a really satisfying dish for brunch or anytime, really. i guess there's something to be said for feeling like a testing slacker because i probably wouldn't have made this if i didn't. anyway, it's opened my eyes to the wonderful world of frittatas. disillusionment can be a beautiful thing.


potatoes + brunch = no-brainer. they're easy to cook and hard to screw up. perfect for hungover brunches, lazy brunches, buffet brunches...in fact, i feel like if you're calling something a "brunch," there better damn well be potatoes involved. i made these paprika rosemary potatoes with hot hungarian paprika and they were a touch spicier than i'd have liked, but i think isa meant for them to be made with sweet paprika. but, i mean, potatoes are forgiving and there are more brunch occasions that call for spiciness than not (see "hungover brunches"), so i think just reducing the seasoning would do just fine.


and last but not least, a two-fer: herbed whole wheat drop biscuits with smoked almond gravy. this was like a flavor explosion. the biscuits are super-simple to make and tasty in their own right, but smothered in this gravy that's impossible to screw up and so fast to prepare it's practically done before you start, they took this meal to new heights. even if isa doesn't include any variations on the biscuit recipe, i'm sure i'll tinker with it and come up with my own different versions because they're so delicious and easy they'd readily complement many meals.

my regular countdown to the weekend has taken on a heightened urgency thanks to this meal. i can't wait to try out some of isa's other brunch foods. only this time, i'll start cooking a little earlier so i eat before 3PM. i guess it's good that i ate late yesterday, though, because it carried me through to a late-ish dinner of hot dogs and potato salad at the 1st Annual I Drink Your Milkshake Oscars Social. slurp.