From the weekly gathering with friends to a holiday celebration, a delicious brunch becomes a moment. While iconic television shows might have had four-friends sipping cocktails and reading the drama from the week, the reality is that a brunch is more than slipping the tea. The combination of food, beverages, and tasty conversation makes people hungry to experience that meal and again.
Carolina Gelen knows about the lure of brunch. The NYT bestselling author recently published, “Pass The Plate.” While she is well versed in all types of food and meals, she is ready to offer some helpful tips and tricks to make the next brunch even more fabulous.
Through her collaboration with Starbucks At Home, specifically Starbucks by Nespresso for Vertuo Iced Double Espresso, Gelen graciously answered some questions about brunch, food and beverage pairings, and one drink that might be best left off the brunch menu.
Cristine Struble: Brunch is often associated with holidays. Why do you think that the duality meal captures people’s attention for a special celebration?
Carolina Gelen: I think there’s something so refreshing about changing up the typical dinner setting and meeting friends and family during a sunny morning or afternoon. Brunch gives us an opportunity to enjoy the best of both worlds—breakfast and lunch—and get playful and creative with food and beverage selections.
Struble: When planning a brunch menu, do you need to have sweet and savory menu items? Is it important to have a theme for the menu?
Gelen: It’s totally up to you as the host! Personally, my brunch must-haves are: a combination of sweet and savory items, a stocked coffee bar and a theme attached to the brunch as I find it very helpful when it comes to planning the menu. I recently put together a brunch entirely inspired by strawberries, from baked goods like homemade strawberry pastries and jam to my signature Starbucks by Nespresso Strawberry iced latte using their new Iced Double Espresso Vanilla capsules (inspired by this recipe from Starbucks Coffee At Home) – it was a huge hit with my friends.
Struble: What is the one dish that you think epitomizes brunch? Is there a food and/or beverage that should never be served at brunch?
Gelen: When I think brunch, I immediately think quiche and coffee. Quiche really feels like the perfect brunch food: it’s shareable, easily customizable—I really enjoy using as many seasonal veggies in it as I can get my hands on—plus it’s a great dish to prepare in advance. Another thing I always recommend is creating a signature coffee drink, as it’s an easy way to elevate at-home hosting and tie all dishes together at brunch. No matter the roast of the beans, milk varieties or syrups (this is also where you can get creative!), a good cup of coffee rounds out brunch and creates a little extra moment of connection with your guests.
Brunch is all about being playful and entertaining your guests, so I can’t really think of a beverage that doesn’t belong to the brunch menu. Maybe beer? Beer would be a little odd!
Struble: Do you need to be thoughtful about the total dishes served? Is there a situation where too many dishes can be overwhelming?
Gelen: Absolutely. I think they could be overwhelming for the host, not so much for the guests enjoying the dishes. As hosts, it’s important to be aware of the amount of food we feel comfortable preparing ahead. Not every brunch needs a dozen different pastry selections and seven desserts; a brunch can be just as special with three homemade dishes, some fun, customizable drinks and, most importantly, a happy, present host.
Struble: While many people think about food items, are beverage pairings equally important? What do you suggest when pairing food and beverages on a brunch menu?
Gelen: To me, the beverage pairings are what completes the brunch experience. Coffee is my go-to and because it can complement any dish, I like to first build out my food menu. Once dishes are conceptualized, I’ll create at least one signature coffee recipe that brings a featured ingredient to life, like an iced vanilla latte with homemade vanilla syrup. What I recommend is having a variety of coffees and add-ons like milks and home-made syrups, so that friends and family can customize their drink, based on their personal preferences. I just partnered with Starbucks for Brunch Month in April and utilized their new Starbucks by Nespresso Iced Double Espresso capsules – it’s a new go-to for me, given the variety of flavors (Vanilla, Caramel, Blonde Espresso Roast) and ease of customization. My guests loved sampling and making their own drinks which took one thing off my plate, given the ease and versatility of the coffee!
Struble: Why is the Vertuo Iced Double Espresso a great brunch beverage? Are there ways to customize or adapt the beverage to compliment certain foods?
Gelen: The Starbucks by Nespresso Iced Double Espresso offers your guests something premium but still convenient and approachable for you to prep. The capsules are so easy to use, I often find myself inviting my guests to customize their own drinks as they please at the coffee station – especially given the variety of offerings with Vanilla, Caramel (at Target-only) and Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast to choose from. All deliver two shots of espresso expertly crafted for iced beverages – which makes it easy to customize my coffee bar syrups, milks, etc. to a variety of dishes I might be serving for brunch.
I recently made a Salted Caramel Latte using the Starbucks by Nespresso Iced Double Espresso Caramel capsules, and the sweet, buttery notes were the perfect complement to the flakey, delicious croissants we had on the table. I even dunked my croissant in my drink for the perfect bite and cannot recommend that pairing more!
Struble: If you aren’t drinking the Vertuo Iced Double Espresso, what other Starbucks coffees do you enjoy?
Gelen: During summertime, I enjoy having a big jug of homemade cold brew in my fridge. I like Starbucks’ Veranda Blend when I make that at home. I like to serve it over ice, with a slice of orange or lemon muddled in the glass. It’s so refreshing!
Struble: For anyone who is thinking about serving a Mother’s Day brunch, what is your best advice to help them calm their nerves or get through the event without too many hiccups?
Gelen: Picking your battles when hosting brunch is one of the most important things to keep in mind. Understand what you are comfortable making at home, make a plan, make a list and prepare as much as you can in advance so you can be fully present once guests arrive: I’m talking homemade syrups for the coffee station, pastry doughs, fillings, even picking the tableware and glassware. Once my plan for the coffee bar is ready, I assess what I want to make from scratch food-wise and what I want to buy from the store or local bakeries. Identifying items that offer you convenience without sacrificing quality or experience for your guests – my go to’s are the Starbucks by Nespresso Iced Double Espresso capsules and supplementing a pastry from my favorite bakery – are great ways to make the day easier for yourself to actually have fun and enjoy time with your guests.
Ready to elevate that beverage menu at your next brunch? It is time to focus on the refreshment and everyone will be satisfied once they leave the table.