Wednesday, September 15, 2010

The perfect brunch: Swedish Pancakes, Foie & Making Hawaii Plans

I usually do at least one major trip each year, preferably to some place I've never been. 2008 was Sydney, Chile and Scandinavia. 2009 was Cannes, Costa Rica and Paris. 2010? Nada. And I don't have much time - there are only 3 more months till the end of the year. So I quickly scrambled to find a last minute short trip that wouldn't require much vacation time off. My friend and I finally decided on a weekend trip to Maui. It's no international 2 week vacation but it is a place I've never been to, and it has awesome surf.

We decided to gather for brunch to finalize our flight and hotel plans, over mimosas of course.

You can purchase a lobe of foie from Petrossian in West Hollywood, and it's pretty darn expensive (a lobe will set you back about $100).

The fresh brioche was from Ratata in West LA (1884 Westwood Blvd). It was buttery, eggy and topped with large sugar crystals. I love brioche, I don't know why it's not as common to find in bakeries.

Seared foie gras (recipe here) with apple on brioche was absolutely delicious. Yes, kind of extravagant and indulgent for a weekend brunch, but that's how we roll :) As if the dish wasn't rich enough, I ladled the brandy and butter sauce over the foie, buttery brioche and sweet apple slice.

Next up, batter for Swedish pancakes was cooked up in a skillet. I'm not really a traditional American pancake kind of girl (I prefer french toasts or Belgian waffles) because pancakes are usually thick and heavy, but the Swedish pancakes are really thin, almost like a crepe. And you could eat many more of them without filling up as quickly. They are pretty rich though, made with eggs, sugar and butter.

A drizzle of maple syrup is all you need to accompany the Swedish pancakes. It's simple but so much more exotic than a regular pancake.

This might have been the best day I've had in a long time. I was full, satisfied, buzzed and fully booked for our trip to Maui. It's so much more fun making travel plans over mimosas and indulgent brunch items.

P.S. would appreciate Maui dining tips if you have any (maybe a casual lunch place and a nicer dinner spot). I probably will only have time to dine at 1-2 places, but if I don't hit it this time, I'll be sure to try again on future trips. Thanks and Aloha! xoxo

No comments: