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Drink on!
Brunching around the world: Chinese dim sum
5 Jan
Inside a dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong
On a recent trip to Hong Kong, I knew an authentic dim sum brunch would be a must. I wanted to taste and discover what many Chinese people consider brunch. I was with a local, Annie Chen, and being that I am a brunch blogger, I had several questions about dim sum brunching. Miss Chen informed me that this is what she and her friends do every weekend. They spend several hours eating, chatting and sipping on tea. Although you can eat dim sum any time of day, most people do so in the mornings and early afternoons on the weekends at a dim sum restaurant. Some believe that dim sum inspired the whole idea of brunch.
Steamed pork dumpling with broth
What is dim sum? Dim sum is Chinese-style food prepared and served in small, almost tapas-like sizes. The food can be steamed or fried. There are a wide range of meats, vegetables and other ingredients used, which makes it great way to sample and taste many dishes during a dim sum brunch.
Typically, servers will walk around the restaurant with carts showcasing the dim sum dishes, allowing patrons to see what their options are. You simply flag down a server and take whatever you like off of the cart. There are also restaurants that have an extensive menu, and you simply check off the dishes you want, which arrive at your table in a particular order – steamed dishes, exotic eats (think chicken feet), fried items and then dessert. Ordering everything family style to share is customary.
Steamed chicken feet with mixed sauces
Where did dim sum begin? The history of dim sum cuisine started with the Cantonese in the southern region of China, who began opening tea houses for weary travelers and farmers journeying along Silk Road. The tea houses did not serve large portions or meals because it was believed that consuming tea and food would gain excessive weight. Thus, tea houses served small, bite-size portions, or what we now know as dim sum.
Examples of dim sum dishes:
Steamed shrimp dumpling
- Steamed shrimp dumpling
- Steamed pork pun
- Wonton with chili oil
- Deep fried shrimp dumpling
- Shark’s fin soup with chicken
- Baked BBQ pork buns
- Crispy bean curd
- Pan fried rice noodle
- Mango pudding or smoothies
- Fried or steamed New Year’s cake
Where to find dim sum in NYC:
Deep-fried BBQ pork & vegetable dumpling in elephant shape
- Nom Wah Tea Parlor: Chinatown
- East Harbor Seafood Palace: Brooklyn
- Buddha Bodai: Chinatown
- Chatham Square: Chinatown
- Asian Jewels Seafood Restaurant: Flushing, Queens
- Golden Unicorn: Chinatown
- Chinatown Brasserie: NoHo
- Red Farm: West Village
Written by: Erica
Last-minute gift ideas for the brunch lover
19 DecChristmas is less than a week away! Have you gotten all of your shopping done? If you’re still looking for gifts for that special someone who loves brunch, we’ve got some great ideas!
Making brunch at home can be a lot of fun, but your brunch lover needs to be prepared. With more than 100 recipes, Gale Gand’s Brunch! is the perfect cookbook for your little chef. I actually just got this book as an early Christmas gift, and I can’t wait to try out these delicious recipes. Baked eggs in ham cups, bacon waffles, goat cheese and chive hash browns … I don’t even know where to begin! You can pick up this book at your local bookstore or on amazon.com.
Now that you have the recipes, you need the tools to make an amazing brunch. An egg poacher or griddle is a nice addition to any chef’s kitchen. An egg poacher is essential for Eggs Benedict, and a griddle will cook your pancakes, fried eggs or bacon to perfection. Make a visit to Williams-Sonoma or Bed Bath and Beyond to find these and other fun kitchen gadgets.
No brunch is complete without drinks. What’s a better gift than alcohol? Your bruncher would love a bottle of prosecco and a beautiful set of champagne flutes! Stop by your local liquor store for a bottle of prosecco, and try Macy’s or Pottery Barn for the champagne flutes. They’ll be sipping bellinis and mimosas in no time!
If your special someone loves drinking mimosas, than she’ll love smelling like one. Philosophy Mimosa can be used as a body wash, shampoo or bubble bath. They also provide you with the recipe for the perfect mimosa on the front of the bottle! You can complement this gift with mimosa flavored lip gloss. Snatch up these yummy treats on philosophy.com or at Sephora.
With any of these gifts, your brunch lover will be happy for months to come. Brunch on and happy holidays!
Written by: Jen
Need a little brunch humor today?
14 DecIf you love brunch like us, you must watch this hilarious original sketch from CollegeHumor.com!
Brunchables: The kids’ snack so hip you’ll need reservations.
Brunch drinks uncovered: Screwdriver
29 NovWhat is really in your brunch drink?
Ahhh, the screwdriver. It’s like the long-lost cousin of the mimosa. It may contain vodka, but the fact that it is also made with orange juice gives us just another beverage option during brunch. This simple drink often takes a backseat to the more popular mimosa or bloody Mary, but give the screwdriver a chance the next time you’re looking for a cocktail before noon!
Screwdriver recipe
1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger good quality vodka
6 fluid ounces pulp-free pure premium orange juice
Ice cubes
Pour the orange juice into a glass with ice, then pour in the shot of vodka. Stir and serve.
Although it might be a little harder to find a brunch place that will give you unlimited screwdrivers with your meal, there are plenty of places in the city that will happily serve you this tasty beverage. Intermezzo, Essex, Waterstone Grill, Duke’s and Arte Cafe all offer screwdrivers as part of their all-you-can-drink options.
Screwdrivers are a fun drink to make at home, too! I am a huge vodka fan, so I love experimenting with different vodka drinks. Pinnacle is my new favorite brand for yummy and totally cool flavored vodka. Try pairing orange juice with Pinnacle Whipped for a screwdriver that has a hint of a whipped cream taste. Stoli is another one of my favorite kinds of vodka. If you’re looking to mix up your classic screwdriver with some fruity flavors, try Stoli Ras or Stoli Peach.
Cheers!
Written by: Jen
Brunch drinks uncovered: Bellini
27 OctWhat is really in your brunch drink?
Everyone knows about the bloody Mary and mimosa, the most common cocktails served during brunch. However, the bellini is just as good — sometimes even better — than both. It is the often-forgotten-about brunch drink that isn’t served as frequently as the others, but we’re giving the bellini the attention it deserves.
While the bellini may not take center stage in the United States, in Italy — where the drink originated — it is one of the most popular cocktails. Normally served in a flute like a mimosa, a traditional bellini is a simple mix of Prosecco and puréed peaches, peach liquor or peach juice.
Bellini recipe
1/3 of a glass of peach purée
2/3 of a glass of cold Prosecco
Well chill both ingredients. Pour purée into glass. Top off with Prosecco.
Note: If you’re using fresh peaches, be sure to strain the puréed peaches before pouring into a flute or pitcher. I made this mistake not too long ago, and although the drink still tasted good, it had way too much pulp (see photo).
Other fruits or juices can be substituted for the peach flavor. When I made brunch at home for the Gang, we enjoyed bellinis made from orange passion mango and peach pear Italian soda. Nevertheless I don’t advise using champagne as a replacement for Prosecco because the drink will lose its light and sweet flavor.
Arte Café, Pranna, Paradou and Bistro De La Gare go the traditional route in serving original bellinis, while Zucchero e Pomodori pours mango bellinis, Parlor Steakhouse rose and Puttanesca strawberry. Kittichai and Ngam add their own twist with lychée and strawberry lemongrass bellinis, respectively. And Asellina in the Gansevoort Park Hotel lets the bruncher concoct their own bellinis, providing Prosecco and three fruit juices at their Quartino Bellini Brunch.
So, if you see bellinis on the menu at your next brunch, give one a try. If you like mimosas, you’ll love the bellini.
Salute!
Written by: Stephanie
A special evening at Calle Ocho
15 SepBrunch Gang was fortunate enough to be invited by Calle Ocho to an exclusive tasting in celebration of their new location in the Excelsior Hotel. We wined, dined and had the opportunity to meet the chefs and fellow food bloggers!
The Gang at Calle Ocho!
This was our first look at Calle’s new home, and we weren’t disappointed. They may have moved to a different spot, but the food, drinks and service are still top notch. They had a great crowd for Wednesday night dinner. We were seated in a private dining room past the kitchen.
Executive chef Rodney Mitchell said there are plans to change up the brunch menu within the next two weeks, adding French toast, pancakes and eggs Benedict with duck sausage. We’re looking forward to another brunch outing to Calle when we can try the new dishes!
Consulting chef Alex Garcia gave us a rundown of the wonderful five-course menu we sampled at the event. Each dish was paired with a different drink.
Ceviche: Cured salmon, Aji amarillo, sour orange pineapple; marinated Aji tuna, ginger, cilantro, mustard vinaigrette
-Paired with Calle Ocho’s signature mojito
Aperitivo: Bacon wrapped almond-stuffed dates, hearts of palm, cabrales; Colombian sweet corn arepa, ropa vieja, crema nata, criolla salad
-Paired with their mulata red sangria
Pescado: Roasted striped bass, serrano ham-chick pea, roasted pepper sauce
-Paired with sauvignon blanc
Carne: Cuban-style “steak frites,” traditional chimichurri
-Paired with cabernet sauvignon
Postre: Dark chocolate cake with dulce de leche ice cream
It was great meeting the ladies of Bruchinée, Cindy from Chubby Chinese Girl, NYC Foodie’s Josh (who wowed us with magic tricks) and Timothy, a contributor to Tasting Table and Every Day with Rachael Ray.
Many thanks to Kristen and Karen from Goldestein Communications, Chefs Mitchell and Garcia, our server, Antonio, who was a delight, and the entire staff at Calle Ocho for making our first bloggers’ event a memorable one.
Check out some pics of the new space and delicious food and drinks we enjoyed!
Calle Ocho blogger dinner, posted with vodpod
Brunch drinks uncovered: Sangria
31 AugWhat is really in your brunch drink?
Mmmm, sangria. It’s like fruit punch for adults! Although this wine punch originates from Spain, you will often see it served at Mexican, Cuban and even some American restaurants. One of the things that I love about sangria is that there are so many variations of it. While you will always see red and white sangria on a menu, no two sangrias are made them same. Different wines can be used, it may be served with other kinds of fruits, or varying types of alcohol may be added. This truly makes sangria a unique brunch beverage!
Here’s your basic red sangria recipe:
Calle Ocho's roja sangria
1 bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rioja reds, Zinfandel, Shiraz)
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 orange, cut into wedges
2 Tbsp sugar
1 shot brandy
2 cups ginger ale or club soda
Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon and orange into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and add sugar and brandy. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving. If you’d like to serve right away, use chilled red wine and serve over lots of ice. (Source: about.com)
If you’re not a big fan of red wine, white sangria is becoming increasingly popular. Check out this basic white sangria recipe:
Calle Ocho's blanca sangria
1 bottle of white wine (Riesling, Albarino, Chablis, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc)
2/3 cup white sugar
3 oranges, sliced (or may substitute 1 cup of orange juice)
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
2 oz. brandy (optional)
1/2 liter of ginger ale or club soda (ginger ale for those with a sweeter tooth!)
Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the orange, lemon and lime into the wine, add brandy if desired. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and add sugar. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving. If you’d like to serve right away, use chilled white wine and serve over lots of ice. If you’re looking for something else to add, try sliced strawberries, peaches, a handful of fresh blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, a shot or two of gin, brandy or rum, or a cup of citrus-flavored soda. (Source: about.com)
I love trying different sangria flavors! New York is bursting with places that serve creative kinds of sangria. If you’re a true sangria lover, you must try the sangria bar at Calle Ocho. The Gang visited Calle Ocho back in June and had a great time! Serving up eight different types of sangria, there’s really something for everyone. We also loved the sangria at Rayuela. With fun flavors like guava apricot and watermelon acai, you won’t know which one to try first! If sake is your thing, check out the sake sangria at Four at Yotel.
Drink on!
Written by: Jen
Brunch drinks uncovered: Mimosa
20 JulWhat is really in your brunch drink?
What can I say about the mimosa? It’s simple, sweet and smart. There isn’t a single brunch drink that’s easier to make, and there isn’t a brunch drink that I like more! Served in a champagne flute, the mimosa contains two ingredients: orange juice and champagne/prosecco. I prefer to use prosecco in my mimosa (I think it’s lighter than champagne), but most restaurants use champagne.
Mimosa recipe
One part champagne or prosecco
One part orange juice
Well chill both ingredients. Pour champagne/prosecco into glass. Top off with OJ. Serve cold.
The mimosa is very similar to another favorite brunch cocktail, the bellini. Like the mimosa, a traditional bellini also contains champagne/prosecco but with pureed peaches or peach-flavored liquor.
The majority of brunch spots serve up the original mimosa, but you can find creative versions at places around the city. Kittichai has a blood orange mimosa, and Macondo in the Lower East Side changes their unlimited mimosa brunch menu often — from orange vanilla to blackberry mint! They also make their mimosa with cava, a Spanish sparkling wine.
One tip I can give fellow brunchers is to be careful of places that use cheap champagne. I’ve definitely left brunch with a headache after only a couple of drinks. This could really put a damper on your brunch experience.
But there’s no need to wait to go out to brunch to have a mimosa. You can make the simple cocktail at home with your weekend breakfast!
Cheers!
Written by: Stephanie
