Eas
New

Year

Ring in
the new year
deliciously
with a
super-simple
brunch
for family
and friends.

ANNABEL COHEN

Special to The Jewish News

T

his year, make a resolution
to not fuss when it comes
to cooking and entertain-
ing.
Sound impossible? It's not. That's
because, contrary to many folks'
impressions of what's impressive,
some foods actually taste better when
they're minimally prepared. Made
ahead is fine, too. Some edibles are
just as good reheated and served one
or two days later.
Don't take that to mean that
what you eat shouldn't be well pre-
pared, seasoned and cooked with
the utmost care. Rather, think of
cooking as a process that shouldn't
have to take long or be overly corn-
plicated.
Consider the following scrump-
tious New Year's Day brunch menu as
a choice illustration of the "simple is
more" rule:

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84 Detroit Jewish News

expanded to other menus. It's a trend,
in fact.
Many fancy restaurants are offering
bars that include such staples as
mashed potatoes and pizza.
As for the rest of the aforemen-
tioned brunch menu, crowd-pleasing
spinach filo triangles, a roasted potato
dish, an undressed fresh green salad
and breakfast treats mostly can be
Even unskilled non-cooks can
made ahead of time, frozen, and then
make scrambled eggs. Your guests
either baked, assembled or
can do the rest by building
finished at the last minute.
Schnecken ,a
their own entree: scrambled
Other shortcuts include
Scramble d Egg
eggs with the works. Dis-
"Bar" an d other
ready-to-assemble pre-made
play your "bar" fixings in
treats com bine for
salads (they're popular sell-
attractive bowls a day or
a simple and
ers at the market) and sim-
two ahead of time and
delicious New
ple fruit presentations.
chill. All that's left is for
Year's Da y brunch. Rinse a few strawberries or
you to literally whip up
mixed berries (heck, you
some scrambled eggs at the
can even leave the stems on), and toss
last minute.
them into a pretty bowl. What could
Elegant toppings for the eggs can
be easier?
include minced smoked salmon,
For the New Year's Day menu,
caviar, Bleu cheese, sautéed mush-
pour glasses of celebratory champagne
rooms, roasted red peppers, and
or a few Mimosas (equal parts cham-
more.
pagne with orange juice), and your
The bar concept can also be

Scrambled Egg "Bar"*
Spinach Filo Triangles or Cigars*
Mixed Baby Greens Salad
Southwest Roast Potatoes*
Cream Scones*
Super Simple Mini Schnecken*
Fresh Strawberries
* Recipes included here

easy, elegant brunch is even more
refined.
Nearly effortless to make and
serve, this brunch is a superb way to
start — and set a precedent for —
the new year and beyond. Cheers!

SCRAMBLED EGG "BAR"
Nearly everyone loves scrambled
eggs. They're fast to fix and infinitely
adaptable with a seemingly endless
variety of fixings.
Ingredients for each person:
2 eggs
2 T skim milk, low-fat milk or
water.
Salt and pepper to taste, optional
1/2 to 1 t butter, margarine or oil

Beat together eggs, milk or water, salt
and pepper. In an appropriate sized
non-stick skillet for the amount of eggs
you are making, over medium heat
melt butter until hot and pour in egg
mixture. As eggs begins to set, drag a
rubber spatula completely across the
bottom and sides of the skillet. Contin-