Brunchiness

Isn't brunch just wonderful? Bagels and lox are pretty typical fare, and we'd be remiss without them, but it's all that extra homemade goodness that makes brunch really special. Things like hash brown casserole, oven-baked french toast, and veggie frittatas all induce drooling. When I heard my mom was going to host a brunch a couple of days ago, I got excited. First, she's an excellent cook and anything she makes is great. Second, this is BRUNCH! But also, my mom likes to try new recipes. After all, she must have a few thousand cookbooks lying around. So while we might expect the hash brown casserole, and every once in awhile we're spot on, she had other ideas for this brunch.

Here's a sampling of this latest affair. I was a very happy taster.

Chocolate-filled Babka. Recipe by Mollie Katzen in her Sunlight Cafe cookbook.



Muffins That Aren't, or as my mom likes to call them, Unmuffins. These are actually frozen lemon yogurt cups with fruit cocktail and sliced bananas inside. Recipe came from the food section of the San Jose Mercury News.



Savory Vegetable Cheesecake. Similar to a frittata, this is an impressive dish made in a springform just like a cheesecake, and chock full of veggies, egg, and ricotta cheese. Recipe also by Mollie Katzen in her Enchanted Broccoli Forest.



And yes, bagels and lox. They were there, too.