brunch: what's your pleasure?

Most of you probably already know that brunch is my favorite meal. The main reason is because brunch breaks down the barriers of what a "proper" breakfast or lunch should be- the possibilities are wide open. Testing recipes for Isa's upcoming brunch book has broadened the horizons even more- if there is one thing this book teaches us, it's that the only limits for brunch are those set by your mood and your appetite. Do you perhaps want something mildly sweet (like the cardamom and apricot coffee cake, above), or something more decadent like the pain au chocolat (phyllo pastry baked with a chocolate and banana filling, below)?

Or maybe you're more traditional and old-school- how about an omelette filled with mushrooms and caramelized onion, below?

Feeling more adventurous? Daiku and I are huge fans of the chesapeake tempeh cakes with remoulade sauce, below. The tempeh cakes are a perfect mix of crispy sea flavors, while the sauce adds the right spicy kick.

Or perhaps, my favorite. Being in England and passing by fish and chips shops is so much easier because I know that Isa has invented, no exaggeration, the world's best beer batter recipe. In the below photo, you see beer-battered tofu. As any Alton Brown fan knows, a perfectly fried food is light and crispy- not heavy and greasy. The beer-battered tofu (or you can beer-batter whatever you fancy with the recipe) is light, flavorful, and lip-smacking. 

So what will it be for brunch for you?

brunch: what's your pleasure?