Dining In: Quarantine Brunch & Bubbles, Part II

“What nicer thing can you do for somebody than make them breakfast?” - Anthony Bourdain

Following up from last week’s Quarantine Brunch & Bubbles, Part I I’m sharing two more of my favorite brunch items! If you love to indulge in a sweet treat during the morning time, then this post is totally for you.

I’m sharing two simple recipes that you can try at your next breakfast meal.


Cinnamon Rolls with Crumbled Bacon Bits and Pecans

This recipe is so easy, and lots of fun to make. We used our favorite canned cinnamon rolls from Trader Joe’s! What I love about these cinnamon rolls is that they are not overly sweet. There are five rolls that come in each can, including a pack of icing.

I love baking the rolls in a cast iron - butter the pan a little so that the rolls do not stick. Also, bake the rolls according to the package instructions, and when your treats are nice and golden brown, then you know they are ready to be eaten! Also, adding various toppings to your rolls can be fun - chocolate chips, pecans, or bacon bits - totally take it to the next level!

Cast iron cinnamon rolls with crumbled bacon bits

Cast iron cinnamon rolls with crumbled bacon bits

Jean Vesselle

Jean Vesselle is one of my absolute favorite bottles of champagne. It is 100% Pinot Noir, pressed lightly pink, and has the most beautiful hue. The champagne is aged for 3 years in the bottle before release, so it has an amazing structure to it. You’ll get notes of red fruit, specifically strawberry, as well as green fruit, apple to be exact. This lovely champs has a creaminess to it, and is such a delight to drink. Jean Veselle is more on the expensive side and costs around $65, but it so totally worth it! Personally, I always keep a bottle of this around for a special celebration.

Jean Vesselle - Brut Oeil de Perdrix NV

Jean Vesselle - Brut Oeil de Perdrix NV


French Toast with Apple Compote

French toast is always the answer when you have a few slices of bread leftover from the week! My husband loves french toast, and when I make it we always add a fruit compote on top, for this recipe we used granny smith apples.


What You’ll Need:

Granny Smith Apple Compote

  • 1 tablespoons of butter

  • 2 cups peeled and diced granny smith apples (roughly ½ inch)

  • ½ cup packed brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Step 1: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium to high heat.

Step 2: Add apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon to the skillet, let the combined ingredients cook for about 15 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

Step 3: Once all of the ingredients have cooked, remove the skillet from heat, and allow it to cool.


What You’ll Need:

French Toast

serves 2 people

  • 4 slices of brioche bread

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

  • 3 tablespoons of milk

  • 1 tablespoon of butter

Instructions

Step 1: Whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in a large bowl.

Step 2: Begin soaking the slices of brioche in the mixture, and let sit for 60 seconds. During this time, heat a large skillet, add butter, and begin transferring the egg soaked bread to the pan.

Step 3: Let the brioche sear for about 3 mins on each side or until you see a nice crust form on the bread.

Pro Tip: Add a little bit of butter as needed to ensure that the bread does not stick to the skillet, as you flip each slice of brioche.

Step 4: Once the french toast has a good sear, transfer it out of the skillet, and plate it. Add the apple compote on top, and some toasted pecans if you like!

Step 5: Enjoy!

A stack of brioche french toast topped with apple compote and pecans.

A stack of brioche french toast topped with apple compote and pecans.

Charles de Marques Brut

This champagne is a staple at Trader Joe’s. If you are looking for something a little bit more reasonably priced, this bottle is around $20, and is a steal. It’s 60% Meunier and 40% Pinot Noir, this bottle is from a family owned producer as well.

The Charles de Marques Bruit has a lot of green fruit notes, specifically green apple and pear. Also, there is a lot of toast on this champagne, as well as some yeast notes. In addition you’ll get some almond and brioche notes as well.

For the price this bottle shows some unique complexity, and is a joy to drink!

Charles de Marques Brut

Charles de Marques Brut


Share some of your favorite brunch and bubbles combos in the comments below! Enjoy!

XO, Analise

Cork & Fork: Seafood Pairings

“Age and glasses of wine should never be counted.” - Unknown

It's summertime, and we are totally into seafood right now! I'm sharing some of my favorite dishes that I've made at home, and pairing them with wines I love. The wines that I'm sharing can be found at Trader Joe's and the price point is very affordable - less than $10! I am featuring a Rose and Prosecco, these wines will totally blow you away, and pair perfectly with your seafood dish!

 

Pan Seared Scallops with Wild Mushroom Risotto and Broccolini

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The A-List

Here are some of my favorite things, moments, and memories from this past week ...

  1. Beautiful pink roses that G picked up from Trader Joe's. We always purchase flowers from TJ! They literally have the best flowers, and last 1,000 days.
  2. My sapphire and diamond ring, that I purchased on my 25th birthday almost 4 years ago. This ring was my something blue that I wore on our wedding day. It is literally one of my favorite items that I've ever owned and purchased.
  3. The Lincoln Memorial, in Washington D.C. We acted like tourists for the day, with my best friend and her husband over the summer. The four of us walked up the memorial steps and took in the view - it was simply breathtaking.
  4. We went to visit the National Gallery of Art in D.C. over the summer. The museum is massive, it had so many gorgeous pieces of art and sculptures. The building was absolutely amazing, and was brimming with wonderful exhibits.
  5. I surprised G with a downtown historic Segway tour of Richmond, VA for his birthday. We absolutely love the city, and all it has to offer. It was such a fun time! We had a ball taking in the wonderful city landscapes, and learning about its history.

What are your some of your favorite moments from this week?

XO, Analise