In years gone by January has traditionally been about abstaining, giving things up and starting afresh – think Dry January (no booze), veganuary (eating vegan food instead of meat) and resolutions (quitting stuff!). But given the year we’ve just been through and the fact that for many of us our lives are restricted and therefore much smaller and tamer than usual, we think this month (and year, while we’re on the subject) should all be about enriching, not ditching! So rather than giving things up, we’re in favour of enriching our lives – adding new routines rather than taking them away!
So, when we came across the article 11am is the new 11pm in a back issue of Sunday Times Style we liked its style! Written by Roisin Kelly, it said: Are you ready for the brag brunch? While lockdown 1.0 was all about home-baked sourdough, now we’re seeing the midmorning meal become the main event and the staple food cliché. It began during the 10pm curfew phase when eating out got earlier and earlier, making brunch the most exciting meal of the day… Brunch is getting serious, says Freddie Janseen, founder of east London breakfast hotspot Snack bar. Think classic brunch dishes like burgers and waffles, but taken to the next level using ingredients from top suppliers… You might not be able to create the five-star experience at home but it’s a good starting point. Think pimped-up but manageable versions of the classics such as kimchi scrambled eggs, yuzu hollandaise and wasabi cream cheese. For a simpler alternative, the most instagramable brunch of winter is set to be figs on toast.
When our social lives are properly back on track, prepare to put down that refill of watery prosecco; drinks are going to be different too. People are starting earlier, so non-alcoholic brunch drinks are on the rise. To make a good mocktail it’s all about a balance of spice, fruit and citrus, says Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch drinks expert Carl Anthony Brown. Get ready to welcome back some old classics. There’s a buzz with cocktails from the 1960s and 1970s. Think reinvented old-school drinks like sea breezes, salty dogs and buck’s fizz.
What to eat by Feddie Jansssen:
Old: Omelette
New: Bacon and egg tacos – the classic scrambled egg and bacon, but served in a soft corn tortilla with guacamole and pickles
What to drink by Carl Anthony Brown:
Old: Mimosa or Aperol Spritz
New: Fresh Breeze (orange, grapefruit and lemon with cranberry juice and pink grapefruit soda or Fruity Garibaldi (Campari, fresh orange juice and a dash of peach bitters)
Futon Company says: Whether you’re in a local lockdown, self-isolation, hanging out at home or just don’t want to leave the house, there’s something lovely about brunching at home. And just because you’re in the house doesn’t mean you can’t make it special! Whether you’re brunching in bed, at a table or on the sofa; if you’re brunching solo, with your partner or on a Zoom call, there are plenty of things you can do to make it special. And whatever you choose, remember that January 2021 is your time to enrich not ditch!
