Sparkling winemakers are fond of reminding us that Champagne — and its effervescent cousins, cava, sekt and spumante — should be considered more than a special-occasion beverage.  A gossamer-gold blanc de blancs with pinpoint bubbles dancing merrily in the glass and caressing the palate adds more verve to a celebration than does a sedate glass of ho-hum Chardonnay.

Traditionally, Champagne is the drink du jour at any celebration. But if the very thought of throwing a party complicates your already stressful schedule, consider an unharried alternative: invite your friends and family to a leisurely, midday Champagne brunch buffet. There is no more elegant way to capture the celebration spirit than with a table laden with delicious food and Champagne icing in buckets.

By working in advance, you can design a meal that doesn’t trap you in the kitchen. Do as professional chefs do — prepare everything you can ahead of time, choosing your menu so that the cooking can be done over a period of several days. A buffet presentation is beautifully efficient because everyone serves themselves. Although the look is lavish, the table practically sets itself — the food, presented on generous platters and in bowls of varying sizes, shapes and hues, serves as a colorful and edible decoration. For a welcoming scent, simmer cinnamon sticks on the range. Hang an herb wreath on the door, place pots of poinsettias in the foyer, fill the house with fresh flowers and garlands of evergreens, put on festive music and you’ve set the mood for a memorable affair.

Being organized is the key to hosting a successful brunch or party of any kind. A checklist will keep you focused and marking off the tasks as you complete them will help you stay calm.

After the guests have been invited, the next step is planning the menu. A special meal — particularly one served early in the day — need not be complicated. Strive for a menu that is both simple and elegant. Because of its late-morning hour, there is plenty of time before the brunch to complete the preparations, even allowing for dishes that have to be finished at the last moment. Don’t be shy about asking a friend to lend a helping hand by stopping at the bakery for a crusty loaf of bread, Danish and croissants on the way over.

Order the Champagne in advance from your favorite merchant. Ask about special, by-the-case sale prices. You can’t go wrong with non-vintage French Champagne, which is usually competitively priced at this time of year ($20 to $40 per bottle). Look for houses such as Bollinger, Billecart-Salmon, Moët, Mumm, Perrier-Jouët, Roederer, Taittinger and Veuve Clicquot.

Non-vintage California sparklers also make suitable brunch companions and are easier on the purse ($15 to $20 per bottle). Look for names like Domaine Carneros, Domaine Chandon, Gloria Ferrer, Iron Horse, J, Mumm Napa Valley, Roederer Estate, Scharffenberger and Schramsberg.

One bottle of Champagne will yield about six four-ounce pours. When computing how much wine to buy, you should figure on two to three glasses per person.

If you have the room, organize the Champagne and food stations in separate areas so neither serving place becomes too crowded. For purists, the idea of diluting the world’s most celebrated beverage with fruit juice is heresy. Some of your guests, however, may prefer mimosas, so have a pitcher of fresh-squeezed orange juice on hand.

Arrange the buffet on the table in a circular pattern with a logical order — main dish, vegetables, salad, bread. Stack large dinner plates at the starting point of the buffet and put flatware and napkins at the end so guests’ hands are free to fill up their plates.

Serve desserts from a coffee table so your company doesn’t have to revisit the messy buffet table. On a heating stand on a side table, place the coffee pot, plenty of cups and saucers, cream and sugar.

Because a celebration is a time for splurging, you might consider hiring a professional server for three or four hours. The server can reheat or finish the food you have prepared, set up the buffet and keep it restocked, help clear the dishes, pour the coffee, set out the dessert and, finally, wash the dishes. (Even Martha Stewart doesn’t do it all by herself.)

If preparing a homemade brunch sounds like too much work, call a caterer. Ask if he or she can make the main dish and a few of the side dishes. Or, consider take-out, which you can transfer to your own serving dishes and garnish with fresh herbs, edible flowers or a colorful confetti of finely chopped vegetables. (No one will be the wiser, so don’t tell anyone you didn’t make it.) Order a fresh-roasted ham or smoked turkey from a deli or specialty gourmet shop, warm it, carve it and arrange it on a handsome platter. Make the bread pudding yourself and order one or two extravagant desserts from your favorite neighborhood pastry shop.

Get the morning rolling by greeting guests in the living room with a flute of well-chilled Champagne. Serve the spicy crab cakes drizzled with roasted red pepper sauce. The fact that Champagne is the perfect foil to both mildly spicy and rich foods often comes as a surprise to even the most savvy connoisseur. The acidity found in most brut-style sparklers cuts through the opulence of butter, cream and shellfish, while the fruit stands up to the mild heat of a jalapeño pepper.

Move into the dining area for the main event. Your buffet table should be laden with sophisticated food. The menu I’ve created includes a colorful salmon and caviar terrine; a platter of sliced red and yellow tomatoes, red onions and buffalo mozzarella bathed in a basil vinaigrette; warm zucchini frittatas; and a bubbling butternut squash gratin. Set out the freshly baked New Orleans bread pudding and other desserts. Finish with steaming cups of coffee or tea and you have a wonderful brunch for ten to twelve people.

If you do a little cooking when you can find a spare moment, the burden of last-minute preparations is lightened considerably. The only thing left to do when your guests arrive is to pour the Champagne.

Consider making up a schedule to follow:

Three weeks ahead: Invite your guests and plan your menu. Talk to a caterer if necessary. Make three shopping lists. One list for storable staples and ingredients for dishes to be cooked in advance, along with beverages such as sparkling water. A second list is for those dishes to be cooked a few days before the party and a third list for items to be bought at the last minute, such as flowers and bread.

Two weeks ahead: Shop for non-perishables. If you are making any items for the freezer, now is the time to prepare and freeze them. This would also be a good time to prepare and freeze the crab cakes. Order the Champagne from a reputable merchant.

One week ahead: Make the vinaigrette for the tomato salad. Check the silver, stemware and china; wash and polish as needed.  Look through your closets for antique tablecloths, mementos from trips and heirloom ornaments. If you don’t have a crystal ice bucket, get creative — use a big copper pot or a plastic-lined wicker basket.

Three days ahead: Buy items on your second list. Be sure to have a large bowl of fresh, ripe fruit. Keep in mind that fresh fruit and  vegetables make attractive, inexpensive table decorations. Make the salmon-caviar terrine.

Two days ahead: Order your flowers and baked goods. Check the ice supply. Set the table. Assemble the butternut squash gratin and place, covered, in the refrigerator.

One day ahead: Assemble the bread pudding and place it in the refrigerator. Prepare egg mixture for frittatas. Refrigerate the Champagne. Set up the bar. Defrost any frozen dishes (crab cakes). Buy fresh-squeezed orange juice and whatever prepared foods you need at the take-out shop. Stop at the florist and pick up your flowers.

Morning of brunch: Ask someone to stop at the bakery to buy a bag of ice, if needed. Set up the coffee and tea station. Prepare everything that has not been made already: cook the frittatas; bake the bread pudding; slice up the tomatoes and mozzarella.

One hour before guests arrive: Take foods to be heated out of the refrigerator and bring them to room temperature. Turn on the oven to reheat crab cakes or purchased hors d’oeuvres. Place several bottles of Champagne in ice buckets; keep your back-ups refrigerated.

Fifteen minutes before guests arrive: Fry crab cakes. Start baking the butternut squash gratin.

During the cocktail hour: Start baking the New Orleans bread pudding. Warm the breads in the oven. Place all food to be served on the buffet table.

During the brunch: Replenish food as necessary.

At the end of the brunch: Prepare coffee while plates are being cleared. Set out desserts.

Recipes

Spicy Crab Cakes

2 large eggs
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeños
3 tablespoons snipped chives
3/4 cup fine, seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 pound fresh lump crab meat
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup canola oil

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until blended. Stir in cheeses, chives and 1/4 cup bread crumbs. Gently stir in crab meat. Form tablespoonfuls of crab mixture into 1/4"-thick cakes; place on a cookie sheet. Place remaining bread crumbs on a sheet of waxed paper and coat cakes with the crumbs. Place cakes on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate for at least one hour. Crab cakes can be prepared up to this point and frozen. After defrosting, it may be necessary to coat them in additional bread crumbs.

Preheat oven to 325°. Line cookie sheet with paper towels. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. In hot oil, fry crab cakes a few at a time, until golden on both sides, about 3 minutes in all. As cakes finish cooking, remove from pan, drain on prepared baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Arrange crab cakes on a serving platter and drizzle with red pepper sauce. Serves 12.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

1 jar (7 ounces) roasted red peppers, drained
1/3 cup mayonnaise

In food processor, process red peppers with mayonnaise until smooth. Pour into a plastic squeeze bottle. Squirt the sauce in a decorative pattern over the crab cakes.


Salmon-Caviar Terrine

Caviar is tiny, salted roe, or eggs, from sturgeon. The most prized comes from three species of sturgeon (the beluga, ossetra and sevruga) found in the Caspian Sea. Top-quality caviar is labeled "malossol," meaning lightly salted. Experts say fresh caviar should be served on points of unbuttered white bread toast. Caviar is sometimes served with sour cream, chopped egg or lemon, but experts say you ruin or mask the flavor of excellent caviar with these extras. Caviar can be served "straight-up" for purists, but it does wonderful things to this combination of salmon and cream cheese. In this case, the quality of the caviar does not have to be the best grade, but the salmon should be of excellent quality. Crispy potato pancakes topped with crème fraîche and a dollop of caviar also make a delicious hors d’oeuvre.

The key to making this terrine is to keep the ingredients well chilled at all times. The terrine makes a beautiful centerpiece for our brunch, but it also can be served as an elegant first course.


1 pound thinly sliced smoked Norwegian or Scottish Salmon
1 pound smoked Norwegian or Scottish salmon or trimmings, cut in 1/2" cubes
1/4 pound chilled cream cheese, coarsely chopped
2 sticks (8 ounces) chilled unsalted butter, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 teaspoon each finely chopped chives, dill and parsley
6 to 7 ounces black caviar (the quality depends on your budget)

Process the smoked salmon cubes in a food processor until smooth, pulsing on/off. With the machine running, add the cream cheese and then the butter, several pieces at a time. Add the cream and process until smooth and fluffy, pulsing on/off and stopping to scrape down the sides of the container. Stir in lemon juice and herbs. Taste and add more lemon, if necessary; set mousse aside.

To Assemble:

Line a 4-cup terrine or other rectangular mold with plastic wrap, leaving overhanging edges that can be folded over top when terrine is full.

Cover bottom of terrine with a layer of sliced salmon. Using a sandwich spreader or metal spatula, spread on a thin layer of salmon mousse, then a thin layer of caviar. Repeat layers until terrine is full. Last layer should be sliced salmon. Fold plastic wrap over top of terrine and chill for at least 24 hours.

To unmold terrine, unfold plastic wrap on top. Invert terrine on a platter, and, holding sides of plastic wrap taut, lift off terrine (you may need to tap it once or twice). Cover loosely, and chill for at least four hours or overnight before serving. The terrine can be prepared three days ahead of time.

Present the terrine whole on a serving platter. Garnish platter with baguette toast, cucumber slices and lemon wedges. To serve, cut into 1/2"-thick slices with a chef’s knife dipped in hot water. If desired, cut each slice in half again diagonally, forming two triangles. Serve with toast, cucumber slices and lemon wedges. Serves 12.

Tomato and Mozzarella Platter

8 ripe but firm tomatoes, cut in 1/4"-thick slices crosswise
2 red onions (same size as the tomatoes), peeled and cut into thin slices crosswise
1 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced
1 bunch basil leaves
Cover a round platter with lettuce leaves. Overlap alternating slices of tomatoes, onions and cheese. May be refrigerated covered with plastic wrap for several hours. Before serving, pour desired amount of vinaigrette over salad. Garnish with basil leaves. Serves 8 to 10.

For the Vinaigrette:

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped basil
Combine vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until completely blended. Slowly add oil in a steady stream, whisking continually. Stir in basil. Taste for seasoning. Refrigerate for up to one week. Remove from refrigerator one hour before serving and whisk thoroughly to make sure dressing is emulsified. Makes 1 cup.


Butternut Squash Gratin

Butter for the baking dish

3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, cut into 3/4" cubes
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 large leeks, white part only, coarsely chopped
8 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Butter a 2 1/2-quart shallow baking dish. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, toss squash with flour until coated. Place half the squash in the prepared dish; sprinkle with the leeks and half the Gruyère cheese. Top with remaining squash and cheese. In the same bowl, with any remaining flour from coating squash, combine half-and-half, salt, nutmeg, ginger and pepper; mix until blended. Pour over squash. (The recipe can be prepared up to this point and refrigerated for two days.)

Bake one hour until squash is tender and sauce is thick and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 12.


Frittata di Zucchini

Roasted peppers, a variety of herbs or thinly sliced boiled new potatoes are all good additions. The frittata can be prepared one to two hours ahead, covered and served at room temperature. If you prefer it hot, it can be reheated in a 300° oven.

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4" rounds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 eggs
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons butter
Preheat oven to 425°. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over moderately high heat in an oven-proof, 9 1/2" non-stick skillet. Sauté onions until golden brown. Add zucchini and sauté until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Take skillet off the heat and remove onions and zucchini with a slotted spoon and reserve. In a bowl, beat the eggs, half-and-half and 1/2 teaspoon of salt until well-blended. Add the cheese, zucchini-onion mixture and parsley. Mix well. (The mixture may be covered and refrigerated until ready to cook.) Add remaining oil to the skillet, if necessary. Heat the oil over moderately high heat and add the egg mixture. Turn the heat down to medium and cook without stirring until mixture begins to set, about 3 minutes. Place skillet in oven and bake 8 to 10 minutes, until frittata is set in center and slightly puffed. Loosen the frittata gently with a rubber spatula. Place a plate over the pan, flip it over and turn the frittata out. Cut into wedges. Serves 6 to 8.


New Orleans Style Bread Pudding

In New Orleans, where brunch remains as integral to life as Mardi Gras, bread pudding continues to be popular. Serve on its own, with maple syrup or fruit purée drizzled on top.

1 tablespoon softened butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
1/2 loaf challah (egg bread) cut into 10 x 1/2" slices, crusts trimmed
1/2 cup golden raisins
Powdered sugar
Whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla and spices. Butter a 2-quart oven-proof casserole dish with 2 1/2" sides. Place 5 slices of the bread on the bottom of the dish, sprinkle evenly with half the raisins and repeat the step once more with a second layer. Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 300°. Place the covered casserole dish in a slightly larger pan with enough water to come halfway up the side of the casserole, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for an additional 20 minutes (a knife inserted into the center should come out clean). Let the dish cool somewhat at room temperature but serve warm with a dusting of powdered sugar. Serves 4 to 6.


Food Editor Carole Kotkin is a Miami-based food writer, cooking instructor and consultant.



Courtesy of The Wine News