Ruining Easter with German brunch

My friend Lino posted a photo on Facebook of his delicious-looking Filipino Easter:

It made me feel a little guilty about the German feast that I had prepared, and my lack of actually writing about, much less ruining, Mom's recipes. But it turns out I am also talented at ruining Mom's idea of what a meal should be. For instance, our German Easter brunch was seriously lacking of anything of nutritional value.

At the very top, we've got an Austrian Amadeus cheese, which reminded me of one of my favorite German cheeses, Butterkaese. Just below it on the left is Brie de Nangine, which actually relates more to a wine-tasting trip a year ago that introduced me to this earthy, soft deliciousness. Continuing counter-clockwise, you've got your liverwurst, Mortadella and Emmantaler.

And to the left is the reason I even considered making this brunch. Earlier this year, a new cafe opened that I now pass daily on my commute. With an uber-German name like Kaffeeklatsch, I just had to look it up. And lo and behold, I saw photos and descriptions of German treats I've been missing for a decade, especially their Sourdough Rye with Sunflower Seeds. So I stopped by a couple of times to quench my thirst, but it just made me thirstier for German food. So I dove in and started planning an Easter of gluttony.

The only things I spent any time on were even more carbs: German Potato Salad and homemade pretzels. And not shown is the main course, the Weisswurst, whose main ingredient I will not name out of shame. But it tastes soooo good with Hefeweizen and my homemade pretzels!

OK, I gotta be honest. It wasn't completely devoid of nutrition. Mom actually brought a salad, which everybody just picked at, and Stephen and Koshare brought one delicious fruit salad, and another one in honor of Dad that is also delicious ... but in another way (fruit cocktail and Cool Whip, I kid you not).

Feast we did on Easter. Sorry, Mom, if I ruined another holiday!

My own Li'l Smokey Bread Pudding

It's been awhile since I've made the Li'l Smokey Cheeseball, because every time I do I wonder what to do with the remainder of the smoked Gouda -- besides eat it, of course. This time, I decided it would taste great with the half-loaf of Swiss onion bread I bought five days ago and was since a bit on the hard side. Remedy? Bread pudding, of course!

Unfortunately, I didn't have a specific recipe, but I had enough other recipes that I was able to make a tasty dish.

Li'L Smokey Bread Pudding
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 T. butter, room temperature
8 small slices of days-old bread
1-1/2 c. smoked Gouda
1-1/2 c. nonfat milk
3 eggs

Cook bacon in a skillet until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.

Meanwhile, butter an oven-save dish, then line with four slices of the bread. Top with half of the bacon and cheese, then cover with the last four slices of bread. Sprinkle with remaining bacon and cheese. Mix milk and eggs in a small bowl, then pour evenly over the bread. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Cook in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F. for 30-35 minutes.

Brunch at Chez Slaughter

We did a lot of eating out during the last part of "family month," while Aunt Cindy and Uncle Bart were visiting: happy hour at Maximilien, dinner at the Steelhead Diner and brunch at Kona Kitchen, just to name a few.

But everybody in the family still found time to create a home-cooked meal to remind them how the Asian side of their family shares their love. I had a lot of competition after a meal made entirely from farmers market finds by Stephen, followed by Mom's amazing pork ribs and about a dozen other dishes that Bryan and I actually missed out on because we were at what very well could have been the most beautiful wedding ever at The Golf Club at Newcastle.

I guess I have family month to thank that my brunch also was a success, namely Bryan's cousin Ryan, who gave us the most amazing smoked salmon I have ever had, which also made my Smoked Salmon Quiche unbeatable.

Smoked Salmon Quiche

9-inch pie crust (store-bought if you're smart)

4 T. butter

3 leeks, sliced thin

8-oz. cream cheese (Neufchatel works fine)

2 cups smoked salmon, broken up in bite-size chunks

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1-1/2 c. nonfat half-and-half (feel free to go full fat!)

1/2 t. pepper

Prepare pie crust and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat butter in a nonstick pan. Add leeks and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and add cream cheese until smooth.

Meanwhile, mix eggs, half-and-half and pepper in a large bowl. Add the smoked salmon and the leeks-cream cheese mixture and lightly mix. Slowly pour into pie crust and bake for about an hour. Check it after 45 minutes, then check it in five minute intervals until the top is lightly browned. I gotta be honest, mine wasn't quite done in the middle - but it was still delicious!

And here's the rest of the menu:
Cava Sangria from Bon Appetit
Sticky Buns (Overnight Bubble Bread from All Recipes)
Spinach & Feta Quiche (see the Mushroom-Spinach Quiche on the bottom of this post, except I used feta instead of Swiss cheese)

Yes, we waddled out of there, did some wine tasting at Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Winery, then somehow found it in us to eat again at the Red Hook Brewery just so we could enjoy the beautiful deck.

Please visit again soon! I can't guarantee the weather will be as picture perfect, but I can guarantee you'll leave with a full stomach!