Italian-inspired Mother's Day brunch the whole family can make
Frittata del Paese is the centerpiece of a delicious, Italian-inspired brunch for Mom on Mother's Day.
Want to pamper Mom on Mother's Day? Chances are she'd like to be wined and dined.
And, chances are she'd love a meal at her favorite restaurant -- which may be packed this Sunday. That's because the second Sunday in May happens to be the industry's busiest day of the year, according to the National Restaurant Association.
A good Plan B? How about an easy yet delicious brunch that even a minimally skilled cook (say, Dad and the kids) can put together with minimal stress on anyone (including Mom).
Sam McNulty and his crew at Bar Cento, 1948 West 25th St., Cleveland, put on their thinking caps to come up with a low-fuss/big-flavor menu for Mother's Day. They came up with an Italian-inspired brunch.
"Hey, who doesn't like Italian food?" asks McNulty. "Our biggest thing was to come up with really delicious dishes that the kids can help with."
Executive chef Michael Nowak got together with partner chef Jess Huber and created a four-dish menu that could be customized according to your family's tastes and abilities. Nowak sized up the results.
"It's a lot like the rest of our cuisine: simple, rustic, nothing too over-the-top, all with Italian stylings," Nowak says.
Start out the meal with a refreshing libation: fresh orange juice for all, and perhaps a sparkling-wine cocktail for the grown-ups. Nowak's Libation Italiano is an easy twist on the classic mimosa. He combines orange juice with one of his favorite wines, a fruity Lambrusco Cleto Chiarli, a plum-red "vino frizzante" with a slight fizz and a delicious tart jammy-ness to the flavor. The combination produces a lovely shade of blushing amber, highlighted with a splash of Campari to lend a bitter-edged bite to the concoction.
For a satisfying entree dish, Huber's choice of easy Frittata del Paese or country-style eggs, is easy. Most of the preparation can be done a day or two in advance, and the frittata itself is baked in the oven -- no tricky techniques. Parmesan-cheese-laced polenta is a tasty accompaniment, and it's the only last-minute dish.
Lighten the meal with a nice variation on the classic prosciutto with melon. Nowak first crisps the thinly sliced, dry-cured Italian ham, later breaking pieces into a melange of melon chunks tossed with lumps of drained ricotta.
As for dessert?
McNulty recommends cupcakes from Campbell's Sweets at the West Side Market ("You can order a lovely vanilla 'wedding cake' cupcake; Mom will remember her special day all over again," he says) or a dessert from A Cookie and a Cupcake in the Tremont neighborhood.
Or simply assemble a nice plate of Italian cookies, suggests Nowak. "You can find biscotti just about anywhere," he says. Fill it in with iced cookies, pizzelles or whatever other favorites you can find at your nearest bakery or supermarket.
Even if it's just a plateful of chocolate chip cookies served with her favorite hot beverage, betcha Mom loves you just the same.