Hosting Sunday get-together saves money, eliminates hassles

Going out for Sunday brunch is a fine old Las Vegas tradition, but it's one that, depending on the venue, can set you back $11.99 to $85 -- gulp -- per person.

Host brunch at home, however, and you can reap all of the benefits -- a slow-paced, relaxing experience on a lazy Sunday morning or afternoon -- without the hassles of crowds, transportation and picking up a supersized tab.

Maggie Pallan, chef/partner of Two Chefs to Go personal-chef service, said there's one fundamental secret.

"Plan ahead," Pallan said by phone from Jackson Hole, Wyo., where she was opening a branch.

Kimberly Gora, director of private dining and catering for the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, urged calm.

"First and foremost," she said, "don't crack under pressure when you're hosting the event. The key is always selecting a good assortment of food and getting it done the night before."

Pallan agreed that do-ahead dishes make it all easier, recommending a breakfast strata, which is sort of a cross between a crustless quiche and a savory bread pudding. Pallan said she might make them with bacon and sharp cheddar or sun-dried tomato and spinach with chili flakes. For a fancier touch, she'll do individual stratas in muffin tins. They can be baked ahead and held at 170 degrees, she said. (For recipes, she suggested www.CooksIllustrated.com and www.FoodNetwork.com.)

"The first thing you want to do is pick out your entree," said Phillip Dell, executive chef of Sin City Chefs personal-chef service. "You can choose the fruity side or the savory side."

Dell said he was working on a brunch menu featuring beef tenderloin; to keep costs down, you could use a roast with garlic and rosemary.

"Instead of doing a traditional pain perdu, or French toast, do something more elegant, where you take something like an orange-cranberry bread and make that into French toast," he said. "Serve it with berries, whipped cream and fresh fruit."

If that sounds a little daunting, consider buying the bread pre-baked; Dell said Trader Joe's sells a good one.

Todd Clore, chef/owner of Todd's Unique Dining in Henderson, knows the secrets of the upscale brunch, because he used to be chef at the Sterling Brunch at Bally's.

"I think brunch needs to seem like it's extravagant," Clore said. "Have lots of different items, colors, textures, flavors -- some hot, some cold. Just think about lots of little tastes that they can have for the brunch."

"I like to do things that are out of the norm," Gora said. "We're creatures of habit. It's a great opportunity to really create a memorable event by doing something different."

If you're serving an entree from a chafing dish, Clore said, put the components together.

"At the brunch, we used to build things in fives and sevens," he said. "Starch, vegetable, garnish were all there, so with one spoon you can grab everything you need."

But don't neglect the side dishes. Pallan likes to mix vanilla or peach custard-style Yoplait yogurt with some fresh whipped cream and sometimes a little raspberry or strawberry puree, then arrange fresh fruit on skewers for dipping.

"Definitely some sort of salad," Dell said. "I'm a big fan of spring greens."

However, he said he has cooked for a lot of people -- primarily men -- who consider spring greens "grass in the field," in which case he'll mix it about half and half with butter lettuce or romaine. Then he'll add chunks of fresh seasonal fruit, nuts or candied nuts (almonds or pistachios with strawberries or raspberries, walnuts or pecans with apples), dried fruit and a light vinaigrette (recipe follows).

Offer a bread basket, he said, with a mix of two or three artisanal breads, maybe some breadsticks for height. Pallan likes a selection of breakfast breads such as muffins or strudel.

"Make sure there's always plenty of fruit and cheeses -- things for people to pick from," Dell said. Instead of sticking to crackers, use pita chips, flatbreads or naan.

Pallan likes to serve lox and bagels with dill or parsley cream cheese.

"People love that," she said. "There's some really good smoked salmon right now at Costco." Serve it, she said, with sliced red onions, tomatoes, cucumber and capers. The International Marketplace has large marinated farmer capers, she added.

"Lots of desserts," Clore advised. "What's most popular is ice-cream-based things with fruit. We're getting into peaches, cherries jubilee, bananas Foster. It allows you to do something showy that is ultimately very simple to create."

For beverages, he suggested light wines or Champagnes.

Dell likes mimosas and recommended using nonpasteurized orange juice and floating frozen blueberries or strawberries. Use sparkling grape juice or sparkling apple cider for a nonalcoholic alternative.

"As the berries start to thaw, it will bleed," he said. "It starts going down the glass, so then you have that two-tone color."

For other nonalcoholic choices, Pallan suggested soda water flavored with Torani syrups (maybe raspberry, peach or strawberry), while Gora suggested strawberry and blueberry punch with lavender, or pineapple lemonade with cane sugar. For juices, Gora suggested spiced carrot, pomegranate or watermelon-mint.

And don't neglect the decor.

"When I think about brunch, I always think about spring, so I think about open and airy and flowers and things that are springlike," Clore said. "Setting up a table outside or near an open door gives you that appeal."

Dell said he takes a cue from TV star Sandra Lee: "Pick something that is unique about yourself or the situation, and model the whole thing after that."

"The dollar store is your friend. They're making things in plastic these days that look exactly like the china you get at the fine stores," he said, adding that Michael's and JoAnn Fabrics also have good clearance deals.

"Definitely get creative," Dell said, such as serving a pineapple-jicama salad in won ton cups instead of dishes.

"The place mats don't have to be normal," he said. "You can do that with chargers and things like that. Instead of using large plates, use a flat basket or something of that nature.

"If you want to get real creative and if you're into ice carving, ask them to do a miniature ice bowl."

Pallan and Gora recommended setting up as much as possible beforehand, from setting the table to putting condiments in serving dishes in the refrigerator and setting out other serving dishes. Measure out the coffee the night before.

Reduce the stress as much as possible, and enjoy yourself, they said.

"It's a great reason to get everybody together on a Sunday morning that's kind of unusual and nobody does anymore," Clore said. "It's a great idea."

PEACH VINAIGRETTE

1 can of peaches in pear juice

1 cup white balsamic vinegar

1 to 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar

Olive, grapeseed or canola oil, to taste

Combine first three ingredients in a blender and drizzle in oil to taste.

-- Recipe from Phillip Dell

BAKED FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)

8 eggs

2 cups half-and-half

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Praline topping (recipe follows)

Cut bread into 1-inch slices. Arrange in two overlapping rows in buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish.

Combine remaining ingredients except praline topping and beat lightly. Pour over bread, letting it ooze in between slices. Cover dish with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread topping over bread slices and bake about 40 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Praline topping: Beat together 1 stick butter, ½ cup (packed) dark brown sugar), ½ cup chopped pecans, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg.

Serves 8 to 10.

-- Recipe from Las Vegas Review-Journal files

AHWAHNEE HOTEL SALMON QUICHE

6 eggs

2 cups half-and-half

6 ounces poached fresh salmon, shredded

Salt and white pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried)

9-inch unbaked pie shell

Beat eggs in large bowl. Blend in half-and-half. Fold in salmon; add salt and pepper, to taste, and dill. Pour mixture into pie shell.

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until filling is set.

-- Recipe from Las Vegas Review-Journal files