Customer Reviews

Gale Gand's Brunch!: 100 Fantastic Recipes for the Weekend's Best Meal

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a wonderful collection of recipes that makes it easy to take on entertaining first thing in the morning. The recipes have an elegance fitting for special occasion celebrations but are simple to make, and many of the dishes in the book can easily be enjoyed any morning of the week. Like her other books, Gand gives great guidance, tips and lots of personal stories in the recipe introductions that make the book friendly and personal.
The variety of recipes cover the expected pancakes, waffles, muffins and omelets, but all have interesting variations that add a little inspiration beyond the expected. In addition to the standard brunch elements there are some really interesting dishes like Goat Cheese Cake with Slow-Cooked Quince, Bacon-Scallion Scones (I have made these twice. Fantastically delicious!), and Watermelon Gazpacho that has cubed cucumber, bell pepper, and pomegranate seeds in it.
It is a beautifully printed and photographed book that is enjoyable to simply flip through, but I find myself making something from the book every few days because the recipes are very do-able on a whim. Everything I have made I have really enjoyed.

This book is an awesome reference for basic brunch recipes like fritattas, stratas, waffles, pancakes, crepes, bread pudding, etc. Even though there is nothing revolutionary in the recipes (although there are many great twists and variations!), they are so well organized, so beautifully presented and so un-intimidating, that I fell in love with this book from the first page. It's just so convenient to have all my brunch needs in one book like this instead of having to go to different sources! So far, every recipe I've tried has been a winner. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves beautiful food without the hassle.

Weekend breakfast foods can be pretty boring, but with Gale Gand's new book one just has to open it and randomly select something. There's not a bad recipe in the bunch! Each weekend we make 2 of these, working our way through the entire book. The recipes are easy with ingredients easily obtainable.

"Brunch" is destined to become a major go-to source for planning elegant brunches of interest to the experienced home cook, but also easily accessible for the novice. This book offers wonderful ways to surprise friends and family with something different for that meal that isn't quite breakfast but isn't exactly lunch. Yes, breakfast pancakes are there, but so are Gand's caramelized apple crepes, which are ridiculously easy to make and good for eating anytime.

By the by, if you love chocolate and you love waffles, get the waffle iron ready.

Finally, as an inveterate egg-lover, I wanted this book to make the baked eggs in ham cups I had seen Gand prepare on the "Today' show. Instead I've gone nuts over Cucurumao, a splendid concoction of eggs baked in a tomato sauce laced with red pepper flakes and fresh basil. Like several other recipes in this nifty book, you could also enjoy this Sicilian dish as a meatless dinner; add a couple of chunks of focaccia or sourdough and, well, wow!

From everything I've read about Gale Gand, I guess I was expecting more. The book is well written with many photos. I really like the way the photos match the recipe. I've seen others where that isn't the case and it is off putting.

However, I have found nearly all of these recipes online for free at other cooking sites. So, the big selling point here is that they are all grouped in one place.

There are plenty of variations on themes to create a wide variety of dishes from one basic dish, but once you have one or two, thinking of others really isn't that much of a challenge.

I will be looking into her other books with more caution.

This is a beautifully done cookbook. I wanted a book that gave me recipes that could be made ahead for next-day brunches when I have friends staying over (so I don't have to get up so early) There are many recipes that fill the bill. Its beautifully illustrated also, which makes it much more fun to cook with. Gale also includes a nice selection of cocktail recipes. I made her Pim's Cup drinks to serve my guests as they arrived the prior evening and they were a big hit. Very different! Just about anything you'd like to see for breakfasts and brunches and general entertaining are here!

As always, Gale gives us the best of her quick and easy recipes for the weekend brunch with your family. I love all of her books as they are written for the beginner or experienced cook and you don't need a culinary degree to follow her instructions.

Another Home Run!

Okay, 'chef' might be a little over reaching. I was working in a small pizza place that decided to do breakfast and to get it going, I worked for awhile to help the owner get it going. Well, I searched for the best 'breakfast' book and found Gayle Gands Brunch and credit the book for one of the reasons the breakfast menu did so well! The lemon creme that I added to the blueberry pancakes on the menu was by far the biggest hit - but everything I made from the book was so well received.

One of the best features of the book is that there are many sections - from drinks to eggs to toppings to salads.

The pictures are fabulous (for me, a must for any cookbook!) and the book is written as if you're sitting at a table chatting over a cup of white hot chocolate!

One of my favorite all time most used cookbooks.

If you love brunch, you'll love these recipes. They also work as a light evening meal, especially on those evenings when you're eating alone. Add this cookbook to your collection; you'll be glad you did.

Love this book for many different reasons. Namely the fact that the recipes are clearly written for all levels of cooking experience. And who doesn't love a great breakfast! Photographs are what sold the book for me. I was surprised at just how great the recipes turned out. A winna'.