By Michele Pulaski

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No other meal is more conducive to socializing and indulging.

“Hi. My name is Michele Pulaski, and I am … a brunchaholic.

“A brunch junkie, if you will.”

In unison: “HI, MICHELE.”

It all started when I was just a kid. My folks would have friends and family show up on Sundays — after 11 a.m., of course — , and each would arrive with fistfuls of white deli bags or red-and-white-stripped, twine-clad boxes with sweets and magical baked things, bottles of adult beverages and Tupperware bowls of homemade stuff.

In the kitchen and dining room, sat spreads of true water bagels and whipped cream cheese, platters of smoked fish, some not even on platters, just laying on the white deli paper because we couldn’t wait to start picking at the perfectly smoked chub or sable.

My vegetarian aunt always brought the masterfully made fruit salad with all her “weird” fruits mixed in with the “normal” ones that I knew. I thought, at the time, mango and kiwis were from another planet. Now, I eat anything that resembles something I should be afraid of or presents a challenge to others to eat.

This was a weekly happening. I never knew how much it influenced me until I recently revamped our home kitchen and decided that I, too, would surround myself with friends and family on Sundays — my only day off, by the way. I call it the Stone Soup Brunch. I have one requirement for those who show: Bring something. Anything. Be it four eggs from your fridge or a bunch of carrots. Bottles of champagne or vodka are always welcome. I’m also a laugh junkie, so if you show with something comical, I’ll make your omelet first.

I have a point here, I promise. As a professional caterer, I get to see how much people really enjoy getting together with friends, and I think it should be done more often because it’s easier than you think. I like brunch because it’s in the day, when everyone can feel relaxed, and because it can be as casual or extravagant as you like. Brunch is absolutely a year-round event, with the number of guests usually increasing with the temperature — especially if you have a pool (call me).

I happen to I get up at 7 or 8 a.m. because I like fresh-baked goods, but you can get this stuff ahead of time and freeze it, too.

At my Stone Soup Brunches, I make everything and hoard the booty my friends bring for next week. But if you want help from friends, just tell them what to bring. My mom handles the fruit every week. I make cream cheese-and-dill scrambled eggs and cook off some sausage, bacon and my Almost Famous Home Fries. Bagels and cream cheese and a mountain of Crossroads Bake Shop and J. Scone goodies are always available, too.

I squeeze the juice and brew the coffee fresh. And, in a bucket, there sits chilling champagne and vodka.

There are no limits. You can have salads, pre-made little sandwiches, omelets made-to-order, if you want to show off your skills.

When I’m feeling showy, I make my crème Brule French toast. It, like all things, is best served fresh, but it can definitely be made a day ahead and heated low and slow in the oven. This is a treat, so don’t even ask if it can be made fat-free. No, it can’t. Just take a walk around the block after you eat. That’s what we did back at my parents’ house in the … eh-em … seventies.

I won’t lie. It’s a little work with dishes and such, but we all pitch in, which is what makes it so much fun. I actually had two dishwashers installed with this brunch in mind. If you want to spare yourself the trouble of washing dishes, use disposables. There are some cool choices out there these days.

Either way, keep the sentiment simple: Eat, drink and be merry, Mary. This is life, and these days I take it one brunch at a time.

ALMOST FAMOUS HOME FRIES

Serves 4
(No big secret here. The most important part is the chipotle ketchup that glazes the potatoes. It’s available at Suzie Hot Sauce, New Hope, for $7.95.)

6-8 Red Bliss potatoes, cut into ¼- inch slices or chunks. (The smaller, the sweeter, meaning the actual potatoes.)
1 small Vidalia or white onion, sliced
2 tbsps. Olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
3 tbsps. Chipotle ketchup (or more)
Salt and pepper (kosher-style and fresh-ground, of course)
1 red bell pepper (optional)

Sauté the onion and pepper in the olive oil and butter until they become soft. Then, toss in the potatoes and cover the skillet. You can either leave it on the stovetop on a low heat or put it in a 325-degree oven. The slower you cook them, the better they are. Either way, cook it for 45 minutes to an hour.

Once they’re soft, uncover the skillet and crisp the mixture for about 25 minutes. Coat the potatoes in the ketchup and crisp them some more.

To make them faster, I boil the potatoes, split them with a fork, add the onion and peppers and bake.

CRÈME BRULEE FRENCH TOAST

4 one-day-old baguettes, cut into two-inch thick pieces (Crossroads Bake Shop, Doylestown, has the best)
1 quart heavy cream
8 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla paste (liquid can be used too)

Heat the cream slowly on the stovetop over a medium heat for about 10 minutes. Then, remove it from the burner and let it sit for five minutes.

Add the sugar to the egg yolks and stir lightly until they’re mixed. Next, slowly add the cream and mix with a rubber spatula. Don’t whip or mix too hard.

When the sugar is dissolved and well-mixed, pour the liquid over the baguette slices and place them in a casserole dish to soak for an hour.

Place the slices in a water bath covered with foil and bake in a 300-degree oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes to achieve a nice, crispy outer layer. (You can sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar at this point to make them really yummy.)

Yes, it’s like bread pudding, but I place my slices in a neat row for easy pick-up. I also don’t pour any excess liquid so as to keep each piece individual.

The baguette slices can also be pan-fried, which is my personal favorite way to make the dish. Peanut oil works well. Or, for even more flavor, try melted butter on a very low heat. It’s fattening, but it’s a special-occasion dish, and special occasions call for butter.

This dish can be made three days in advance. Simply reheat low-and-slow in a 250- to 300-degree oven for 25 to 35 minutes.

Serve it with real maple syrup and/or fresh berries and your guests will be forever indebted to you.

Michele Pulaski is the chef and owner of the Frenchtown, NJ-based DiSH Catering (908-996-0208; www.gottahavedish.com). For questions about these recipes and ideas for others, contact her at Michele@gottahavedish.com.

1. Nice blog babe and even nicer brunch. A

   Posted by Annelies van Dommelen | June 16, 2009, 5:58 pm