How to host a perfect brunch (non-stressed edition)

Mar 30, 2018
3 min read

the set up is as important as the food you serve

The sharing of food is the basis of social life, is what Laurie Colwin once said. And this couldn't be more true. When we eat in company, the food suddenly tastes better and the moments spent together become more precious. Sadly, we experience those moments not often enough be it due to our busy schedule or someone is signing out because of a new diet or cleanse.

But we don't have to wait for the next gathering with friends or family to come, we can simply organise one ourselves. There is no need to meet in a fancy restaurant with overpriced cocktails and no parking space to find, you can have a perfect brunch at home.

Dig out your cooking utensils and put on your old, dusty apron and host your very own brunch. Preparing food for your loved ones is fun and allows you to get creative with recipes and ingredients. And after all the hard work is done, be sure to recieve a ton of compliments and grateful, stuffed guests.

To ensure that your brunch will be a success, you should keep in mind some tips and rules to prevent the preparations to overwhelm and stress you out.

Once the invitations are send, refer to this handy guide:

1. Make a grocery list

First, you should decide what you want to serve your guests. Browse for recipes and write down all of the ingredients you need. Once you are at the grocery store, it will be easy to remember everything you need and save you a lot of time. It is also helpful to print out your recipes and pin them to your fridge, so that you have them handy whenever you have to take a glimpse.

2. Prepare!

If you start cooking on the day you host your brunch, you will find yourself overwhlemed and forced to multitask. Look for recipes that can be prepared ahead and stay fresh when kept in the fridge or freezer. On the actual day of the brunch, heat up your oven slightly and place everything that needs to be kept warm in the oven until you serve it.

3. Invite the right kind of people

What do I mean by that? Well, we all have those friends that we really like but who tend to stress us out. At your brunch, you don't want naggers! Surround yourself with people that appreciate the hard work you put into this event, those, that are willing to help and don't mind some small mistakes, such as burnt toast or a missing fork.

4. Ask for help

Remember, it is no shame to ask for help. On the contrary, many guests are acutally happy to help you and will offer to contribute something to the brunch. Think of recipes you aren't familiar with, ask for a bottle of bubbly or a nice jazz cd to play in the background, just anything you can't or don't want to take care of. Just add a quick reminder on the invitation letting your guests know that a little support is very welcomed.

5. Don't worry about the leftovers

No matter how many dinner parties or brunches you have hosted so far, you will never have the right amount of food. There is either too less or way too much and most of the times, the latter is the case.

You can't avoid having leftovers but you can come up with ways to deal with them. Once your guests are ready to leave, offer them to take home some of the leftovers, ideally the food they enjoyed most. With the rest, dig out all the plastic containers you can find and freeze the rest of the food. You may even end up with enough food to have a rich leftover feast.