Cover Image: Brunch the Sunday Way

Brunch the Sunday Way

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This was a lovely cookbook with some beautiful recipes! I highly recommend for anyone who likes to host brunch or those who enjoy cooking! A wonderful assortment of recipes, from eggs to toasts to sweet desserts!

Thank you, Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley, for a digital ARC!

Was this review helpful?

Excellent book if you want to cook a fancy brunch at home. The authors cover all of their famous recipes from the Sunday Cafe in London. There are options for all tastes from the meat-eaters to the vegetarians and vegans and even some gluten-free choices which made this celiac very happy. Special chapters on eggs, breads and condiments.

Was this review helpful?

Brunch the Sunday Way is definitely more of a well prepared in advance type of cook book. It is a beautiful book and the recipes look and sound deliciously especially for me because I enjoy just browsing recipes.
In reality though very few of these recipes would make for a simple breakfast except for a few of the early egg recipes. Many recipes require portions of a second or even third recipe made elsewhere in the book and many of the ingredients I would need to buy specifically for these recipes. Then they also take hours of preparation sometimes the day before.
Overall it is a nice cookbook but I'm not sure how much use the average home cook would have for it unless they really enjoy making elaborate brunch recipes.
I received this book as an ARC for my honest review from Netgalley.com.

Was this review helpful?

FTC disclosure: I would like to thank Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing for providing me with an advance reader copy via access to the galley for free through the NetGalley program.

The recipes in this cookbook were just superb! Whether you are cooking for yourself, a duet, or entertaining for a crowd, beginner or chef, I think you’ll be inspired and satisfied.

I have yet to try every single one of the recipes, but I started with the ones leaning more toward the later brunch hours and they were so delicious! Be sure to check out my website: https://ericarobbin.com for continual updates as I continue to embark on the others I have yet to try out.

Many of the components of the meals worked like what I akin to a capsule wardrobe, being very versatile within a collection of recipes. The elements in each dish were easily carried over to other dishes, lending to a lot of additional flavor or varietal change.

I liked the spin on tradition and the decadence in each dish because they were layered in flexibility, making it easy to substitute an ingredient or pair down and still ending great final result.

With that said, it was somewhat challenging to gauge the quantity of both the components and the final dishes themselves. The elements and serving size results varied between each recipe as well, ranging from 2-12, which I wasn’t sure were always accurate either. I bake/cook a lot so it wasn't horribly out of the way for me to figure out, but glancing ahead required additional planning/shopping/prepping as I found myself doubling and halving to meet the final specificity. Conversions were okay though because the balance of the flavor profiles were spot on, so even multiplying the recipes by a factor of 10 would still maintain the desired achievement in taste. And it all worked out fine though, because again, any leftovers and even the remnants themselves were easily repurposed in another dish, ie… the Mustard Aioli (my most favorite and latest sauce to put on everything so far!) goes well on anything and the whey for another recipe was specified for use in the Lacto-fermented Raspberry Soda so I liked that there was attention to minimizing waste.

I was so grateful to see that metric and imperial measurements were provided. Instructions were easy to follow. Photos were great with a moody, bistro type vibe. I really have enjoyed the selection of recipes and I enjoyed reading about the story behind the restaurant which inspired this cookbook. I must say I would have liked a little backstory of some of the recipes just to add a little more personality and to convey inspiration and additional interest.

Everything that I have tried so far has turned out with stellar results, whether original or with the substitutions I had to make. I'd highly recommend this cookbook for anyone. It would make a great gift!

Was this review helpful?

This is a beautiful brunch book. The photographs are bright and show the reader wonderful plating options. There are many interesting recipes in here. Many, I can be honest, I will never make because they are either too time/labor intensive or they are just too healthy.

I had great luck with the following recipes: French Toast with Carmelized Bananas, Crispy poaches eggs(divine), Chicken, Bacon Jame, and Cheddar Roasted Sandwiches, Pork Belly, Crispy Spring Onion Pancakes and Kimchi Scrambled eggs- this one was very time intensive, and the cornbread with chipotle and maple butter.

I would buy this book for the jams and condiments sections alone. Wow, they are rich with information and variation. Overall, a good brunch book and one I will pull from regularly when I have a little more time on my hands.

Was this review helpful?

An amazing book to help you create your own perfect brunch at home. It is even more useful currently as a large amount of us are missing our regular spots with their instagram worthy brunches. The recipes are very easy to follow and delicious to boot. I really enjoyed this and can't wait to work through all the recipes in this book.

Was this review helpful?

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

Brunch the Sunday Way is the epitome of what a hip trendy breakfast joint is, in this moment.
Lots of egg dishes, savory dishes, grain bowls. Plus classic brunch favorites like french toast, pancakes, waffles with a modern twist. There's a nice chapter on cakes and breads that are both sweet and savory. And jams.

I wish that the ingredients had been a bit more accessible to most people, perhaps simpler versions of the dishes they make. Some of the dishes are a bit labor intensive with the extras to add to them , you could still probably edit it a bit when making and still create a dish just a s delicious while staying true to it. I can tell that everything described is exactly what they serve in house at the restaurant.
Which are probably wonderful.

I'm excited to try at least the base for their buttermilk waffles and pancakes!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing for an advance copy of Brunch the Sunday Way by true culinary artists Alice Turner; Terence Williamson.

I want to be perfectly clear; this book is definitely off the charts – it deserves at least six stars but I rounded it down to four! Why? Because it doesn’t come with a cook/chef who will prepare these tantalizing delicacies for me. The recipes and ingredients had me salivating from first page to last. And OH, the photos, Dearest Friend Dita, there are tons of amazing photos you will absolutely love – BUT (and here it comes) despite the absolutely gorgeous photos and delectable ingredients, many, if not most of the recipes take hours to prepare. Even if I were willing to improvise, where possible, to concoct something even remotely resembling these beauties, it would turn to dust in my mouth, as I could never come close to the perfection that my brain is comprehending when I read these recipes.

The book starts out humbly enough…Classic Poached eggs. I make them every morning for breakfast and although I know you should add a bit of vinegar to the water I did not know the swirly trick – and the authors will forever be in my thoughts as I prepare my rushed breakfast every morning and smash up those perfectly formed poached eggs from now on. They claim ten minutes to prepare….I do so in five, including prep, boil, and dished.

Next comes, Crispy Poached Eggs (yeah, I think I can do that!), twenty minutes? – ok I’ll pencil it into my schedule. Son-in-Law Eggs and Scrambled Eggs on Toasted Sourdough (thirty and twenty minutes, respectively) okaaaay, but then I landed on an auspiciously UNstated prep time for Feta, Kale and Quinoa Omelette and, next – BOOM – I turned the page to find Salt Cod Potato Benedict with Poached Eggs and Hollandaise. And that, my friends, is where I dropped the ball. Prep time is an unabashed three hours + and this is a big plus, overnight preparation of the cod…and I would be unfaithful if I were not to warn that there is also a quantity of Hollandaise Sauce to prepare (“see page 157”) which also takes about 50 minutes. The Roast Garlic Aioli is a glorified mayonnaise with the addition of roasted garlic cloves (yum) and a combination of rapeseed and olive oil instead of a standard vegetable or soy oil. I was a little surprised to see this – there is absolutely no comparison between delicious homemade mayonnaise (and in this case aioli) and the inferior manufactured products. I made my own for many years until I stopped because of the raw egg yolks, after reading that raw eggs could carry salmonella.

So, you get it? More recipes follow with prep time of one hour, one and half hours, two and a quarter hours…..I love my husband, but I would love him even more if he were to take me out for brunch instead of me waking up at 0800 to prepare a brunch for two to be served at 1100. Many of the recipes refer to later pages where you need to prepare something else to include in the recipe. Often if the prep time says only about 30 minutes, you will find in the small print that some of the ingredients have to be prepared or cured or simmered in advance. for several hours or a day. Furthermore, we are NOT talking one dish prep, there are recipes that call for blanching, browning, blending, baking and more – all for the sake of one dish. (Cleanup time might be entering your thoughts about now).

Fear not, however, I persevered and can state for the record that there are numerous tantalizing recipes that will not keep you up all night worrying about whether you have what it takes to stand on your feet in the kitchen for hours preparing brunch.

If you like to read cookbooks and drool, if you are a hobbyist chef, if you have a longer attention span than me, and/or if you are anxious to try the amazing more time-consuming recipes for a culinary treat at affordable prices….this is the book for you.

Was this review helpful?

How are there so many egg recipes??
The book feels like it comes right out of a cafesque restaurant, which makes sense because the authors of the book are owners of the London based restaurant, Sunday Way. It's amazing that they're sharing their recipes!
The book is filled with so many accessible recipes and accompanied with beautiful meals. After reading through just a few, I imagined myself in their restuarant. Great book and definitely recommend to cooks interested in the English cuisine!

Was this review helpful?

You can smell the hipster restaurant on this cookbook and I love it.
Would I ever have ingredients like crab or kimchi in my house? Ha, no. But goodness me did every recipe in this look absolutely delicious. Pretty sure I would sell my mother for some of their buttermilk pancakes.
So although some of these recipes are most definitely out of my comfort zone, they are presented in such a way that I want to give them a try.

Was this review helpful?

As written most of these recipes seem to have a thousand components that all get combined at the last minute and will absolutely take hours. They can be very overwhelming. However, if you pick apart the components, they are solidly tasty and fulfilling on their own so there is really something for everyone here once you dig in. The photos are great and the headers short and to the point. But I also have a nitpick about the amounts. I'll take the spinach and pea pancakes (a wonderful bright green breakfast! I loved the mint) I made this morning as an example. The recipe uses 200gr (1.5 cups) of flour and 3 eggs yet we're supposed to make pancakes 3 tbsp big which makes 6 pancakes serving 2 people. The math does not work there! (fyi, I made 14 pancakes which were more than 3 tbsp each. No regrets, they reheat well and didn't stick at all so were easy to make..) This was not the only instance of this so single or duos beware.

Was this review helpful?

I was so excited to be approved for this book, as brunch is probably my favourite meal of the day. Brunch the Sunday Way is filled with really accessible recipes accompanied with gorgeous photographs. I've always wanted to learn how to cook brunch food so I can't wait to try them out. I'd not heard of the Sunday cafe before but after reading this book I'll definitely have to visit next time I'm in London.

Was this review helpful?

I love Sunday brunch, not the boozy kind, although a cocktail never hurts, but the friendly kind where wholesome and beautiful dishes are served. Unable to go out for brunch because of the COVID-19 quarantine, Brunch the Sunday Way proved the perfect antidote to the Sunday blues.

When I first downloaded this cookbook, attracted by the cover which, when cleverly designed as this one is, does indeed sell, I had no idea Sunday refers to a London brunch hotspot. If you are not the brunch type, you can still enjoy this cookbook. I am a firm believer in breakfast/brunch for dinner, and many of the dishes covered here will taste just as fulfilling served for dinner.

Brunch the Sunday Way is divided into seven categories — eggs, toast, waffles, specialties, baking, jams and drinks — and offers something for all tastes. I solely base that on my own experiences; I have no dietary restrictions, so I could (but probably shouldn’t) eat every dish in this book. The recipes range from pure British, to Mexican to Mediterranean, and all are accompanied by gorgeous pictures.

I think the hallmark of many brunch hotspots is the instagrammable aspect of their food creations, and this feeling is certainly present in this book. Swamped with cookbooks I try not to buy any more, but if I saw Brunch the Sunday Way in my bookstore, I would not hesitate to take it home. I enjoy cooking: I am quite good at preparing food but horrible at presentation, so I appreciate it very much when food is presented in an appealing way. After all, we do eat with our eyes as well.

Yes, some recipes are very detailed and elaborate, but you can always substitute certain ingredients. If all else fails, you can at least look at the gorgeous pictures and use these recipes as inspiration to create your own. Seeing how even a seemingly simple dish such as waffles or eggs can be an elaborate process, it does make me appreciate even more the hard work people put in at restaurants. I’d be the first in line to try Sunday next time I am in London, but in the meantime I will take out my pan and get those eggs cracking.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

A great cookbook with all the recipes you need to have the perfect Sunday brunch at home! Lots of variety and all recipes are easy to follow!

Was this review helpful?

This is great if you are a breakfast person. Lots of oatmeal based recipes. I was hoping for a make ahead for a large group of people brunch menus. Photo's were nice and the book is laid out well.

Was this review helpful?

Beautiful Cookbook! I love that *almost* every recipe has a picture - beautiful photos to go with great recipes! This cookbook really focuses on the food and not on extra stuff - I appreciate that. Yummy food! Can't wait to cook some recipes.

Was this review helpful?

The recipes of "Brunch the Sunday Way" are all a little too elaborate for me too cook at home, but I might try some for Special occasions.

Was this review helpful?

Exactly what’s needed in these gloomy times- a book full of beautiful photos and mouthwatering recipes. I want to imagine cooking and preparing many of these for friends in happier times but in the meantime I can drool over these and practice will make perfect for my next big brunch. Thank you netgalley.

Was this review helpful?

I love brunch and breakfast foods so had to request this when I saw it!
I think there are some great recipes there! There are some really useful recipes there, especially for people who don’t feel confident with poached eggs or making things up.

Most of the recipes are things I’d do anyway but I found the condiment, jam and pancake recipe really useful!

Was this review helpful?

Gorgeous photographs.of meals that will make you hungry .On my bucket list visiting this delightful restaurant.Each. Brunch recipe sounds so delicious I can’t wait to try them out,#netgalley#quartro

Was this review helpful?