Brunching

Enjoyed at leisure,anywhere between mid-morning and late afternoon, brunch combines the best of both breakfast and lunch.

Food Connoisseurs rate it as the most coveted meal of the week.For what can be more tempting than waking up late on sunday and tucking into a hearty meal,be it of puris and paranthas,idlis and dosas, Spanish omelettes or scrambled eggs, pancakes or cold cuts? If brunches have become such a huge hit on holidays,it is because of our hectic lifestyle where lingering over meals is a near-forgotten luxury.But a weekend brunch has no fixed menu or fixed timing making it that much more tempting,specially if you are recovering from a wild saturday night."A brunch is always very eclectic,combining heavier breakfast itmes and light lunch items," says Pradip Khosla, Executive chef of Taj Bengal.

The brunch in many households has replaced the traditional five-course meal which used to be a must every Sunday.What have also become popular are sunday occasion brunches such as the Easter Brunch In the West which includes loads of Easter goodies or even the Holi Brunch in India where the favourites are both continental and South Indian snacks such as idli,dosa,vada, in addition to chola bhatura, samosa, thandai and lassi.According to executive chef Shawn Kenworthy of The Park Hotel,Calcutta, brunch is supposed to be washed down with gallons of champagne.One way of making a brunch both healthy and nutritious is to have a fruit platter,plenty of fresh juices and even a chaat.If family and friends are being invited,the brunch can also include croissants, waffles, meat, Danish pastry and eggs.A brunch mainly is an extension of a breakfast with a few delectable add-ons.Most Nutritionists believe in serving a healthy brunch where fruit-based desserts,stir-fried vegetables and Mediterranean dishes such as hummus(chick pea paste) and shawarma(shredded chicken wrapped in pita bread)apart from wholewheat bread and salads make it easy on the stomach.They feel organic food and spa cuisine comprising grilled food,salads, fruity desserts and drinks are fast becoming the staple of brunch.

According to food historians,brunch is a 19th century culinary tradition originating in Britain.Coined in 1895 by Guy Beringer in a visionary article titled Brunch: A Plea, the meal came to glory in the US during the 1930s.Taking over from England's early Sunday dinner which was a post-church ordeal of heavy meats and savoury pies, the brunch was served around noon and usually started with tea or coffee,marmalade and other breakfast fixtures before moving onto heavier fare.

In the rough and tumble of our present day lives, there seems to be a "brunch boom" as both hotels and homes come up with their own versions of a brunch,from a glorified continental breakfast to a veritable feast.Endowed with all the elements of a standard breakfast as well as a savoury lunch,a brunch is a great way to indulge the self-and feel good about life on a Sunday.