Lifestyle

Casual Fall Brunch… with Crepes!

Why not get a few friends together for a casual brunch… with crepes!
5 simple ingredients: milk, flour, eggs, butter and salt.

No structured table settings… no fussy menu, just enjoying some great food and cooler weather. The weather is a crispy 68 degrees outside and I absolutely cannot wait for Fall to set in.
Midtown Atlanta is buzzing with activity.
The back door stays open to the backyard, and I’m in the kitchen cooking, while my little black hound dog is chasing chipmunks outside along the fence.

Part I

The Menu

• Fresh espressos
• Chilled water
• Crusty Sourdough bread/real butter
• Seasonal fruit. In this case it was plums
• And savory crepes!!! With wilted spinach, egg, fresh Parmesan and cracked black pepper.

Part II

Behind the scenes at the studio, prepping for a brunch.
At the bottom is the basic recipe I use for easy crepes.

I love getting ready for a gathering as much as the gathering itself. The 2 days before our brunch, I start to plan ahead, making my lists and heading to the market! I like to be relaxed when guests start to rolling in, as opposed to scrambling in the kitchen with a dirty dishrag flipped over my shoulder, hair in a saggy ponytail.
Casual entertaining is a true art…. that’s Im still desperately trying to learn!!

Here is the behind the scenes look of prepping for brunch and a few secrets I learned along the way.

Two days before:

I make my grocery list.

Don’t laugh but I have to check my cabinets to be sure I have the ingredients I actually “think” I have. The goal is to have everything you need before you actually start cooking.

Lay out my table. What serving pieces and napkins do I want to use? Glasses? Plates? Table cloth?
I lay it all out. What might I want to use? My old wood bread board? Absolutely!!! You don’t want to be looking through your cabinets for the last linen napkin in a set of 6 when your guests arrive. Enjoy laying it out… but go ahead and gather these items.

One day before:

I get up early and head to buy my items from market. Especially with bread you want fresh bread without preservatives.

I mix my crepe batter and let it rest over night. Yes you can mix your batter the day of the brunch but it does need to rest at least 30 minutes. I have had better luck with crepes letting the batter rest over night.

The day of the brunch:

I layout my table…. linens, plates, glasses, silverware.

Set out the bread, let the butter soften and place the seasonal fruit. Don’t overthink it folks. Let it be super casual!

Get your Bialetti ready for the first round of fresh espressos, or if your using a coffee pot get your water added and coffee grounds placed in the filter, but don’t make the espressos/coffee just yet… you want those beverages piping hot and freshly made when your guests start to arrive.

Next start making your crepes. My recipe makes approximately seven crepes, but I make them in a single pan, one by one. This takes time and I don’t want to be cooking them when my guests arrive. Give yourself an about an hour to make a set of crepes before your guest arrive.

As they are cooked I place the crepes in a cast iron pot with a lid to keep them fresh, and most importantly, warm. Use parchment paper between the crepes so they separate easily.
I bought this case iron pot for $8.00 at a second hand store, and I use it all the time!! The crepes need to stay moist and warm for your guests

The day of the brunch…

Here is my recipe for fresh crepes. Super easy, 5 ingredients, no special equipment needed.

Milk, flour, eggs, butter, salt! I use a basic nonstick pan. Don’t overthink it.

Just a reminder the batter needs to rest least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before you start to make your crepes. I recommend making the batter the night before and storing it in the refrigerator until the next day.

Recipe

Crepe Ingredients

2 cups of Whole Milk
1 cup All Purpose Flour
2 Large Eggs
1 Tbs Butter/melted
Small pinch of Salt

Mix all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend for 10-20 seconds then let the mixture refrigerate and rest at least 30 minutes.

Warm your pan on medium heat on the stove add butter to the bottom of the pan, then pour 1/3 cup of crepe mixture to the center of the pan. You need to even the edges of the batter evenly around the pan by tilting the pan and rotating it in a circle. Cook about 2 minute on one side then carefully lift the edges to flip to the other side, then cook about 1 minute more. I like just a bit of crispy toasted brown edge, but that’s a personal preference. Let’s be clear I’m not a good cook I just love to learn and experiment.

One note about you getting the hang of the batter and stove temp. The first crepe is normally terribly ugly!! No worries! Eat it or give it to the dog. The dog strongly approves of this method.

Cook all your crepes, then prepare your other ingredients.

Topping Ingredients

(amounts determined by number of guests)

Block of Parmesan cheese
Fresh spinach
Eggs

First, chip the Parmesan cheese with a knife in to 1″ shaved irregular slices. Then place cheese in a small bowl and set your fresh spinach, with a little butter, in a stove top pan with a bit of salt so it’s ready to quickly wilt once your guests arrive. Finally, fry up your eggs sunny side up. Set the eggs on a lined cookie sheet and cover, placing them in a warm oven until needed.

Now tidy up a bit and turn the Motown music on your going to have an amazing time!!