Issues → March/April 2007 → Feature Stories →

Brunch to Welcome Spring

Serve strata, challah, and salmon to start the day

by Annie B. Copps

COMMENT

SHARE

SOCIAL BOOKMARKING SITES

X

•  del.icio.us
•  Facebook
•  Google
•  StumbleUpon
•  Yahoo!
•  Windows Live

EMAIL

PRINT

Credit: Erik Rank

A springtime brunch buffet brings friends and family together. Gathered around the table are, left to right, guests Caroline Wharton, Nathaniel Wharton, and Stephan Brockman, and hosts Fern Berman and Faith Middleton.

Credit: Erik Rank

Super Strata -- For best results, assemble it the night before your brunch and bake it in the morning. Try adding spinach or other cheeses (such as feta), substitute crumbled sausage for the bacon, or keep it vegetarian.

Credit: Erik Rank

Writing a note on a simple wooden spoon helps buffet guests identify their favorite sweets and savories.

Credit: Erik Rank

In the past two and a half decades, Faith Middleton has interviewed more than 7,000 people. "The Faith Middleton Show" airs Monday through Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturdays at noon on Connecticut Public Radio. Visit wnpr.org for streaming audio and an archive of past installments.

Credit: Erik Rank

Pink peonies put spring on the table.

Faith Middleton and Fern Berman know they're pushing the season, but after weeks of short days and shades of gray, they're ready for some color -- and a good reason to get together with friends. In the fishing towns along the Connecticut coast, spring arrives a few weeks earlier than in other parts of New England, so we thought we'd tag along to the celebration and pick up a few tips on entertaining.

For more than 25 years, Faith has been the host and executive producer of her own six-days-a-week radio interview program, The Faith Middleton Show, on Connecticut Public Radio -- including twice-weekly installments of "The Food Schmooze."

As for Fern, well, she just happens to be one of the most sought-after publicists in these parts, with a client list that has included New York's renowned Le Cirque 2000 restaurant, the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, master chocolatier Jacques Torres, and none other than Julia Child. She's also the cofounder of StarChefs.com, one of the very first food Web sites, launched in 1995. So these two know more than a little about food, cooking, and how to get a party going, big or small.

Fern and Faith love to entertain, and what's most striking about their cozy-yet-sophisticated home is its simplicity -- in both design and function. With pots and pans in every shape and size and a wide mahogany island smack in the center of activity, their kitchen irresistibly beckons everyone to just come in and hover. And while the bright assortment of plates, napery, and whimsical art clearly reflects Faith and Fern's enjoyment of life, their Viking range -- all 15,000 BTUs of it -- boldly states that they mean business.

"The author Brendan Gill famously wrote that 'the first rule of life is to have a good time,'" says Faith. "So we'll use any excuse to celebrate with friends and family."

"And nothing is more delicious than celebrating after a long winter," adds Fern. "We chose a spring brunch because so much of the food can be made ahead or bought and assembled, letting you enjoy your guests. And it's a little different from entertaining at night. This way, our guests tend to linger."

RECIPES