On brunching.

As I may have mentioned before, KB and I love to entertain.  Yesterday marked our fourth annual New Year's Day Brunch.  We've pretty much got this one down to a science.  We've had other successful parties, mind you (a Guy Fawkes Night party was especially memorable), but this one seems to have become our signature party.  I like to think of it as daring anyone to top this party for the rest of the year.  But, as we all know, I have a mean, ugly, competitive streak.

This year was the first party in Austin, and we really missed our Houston friends that have been at all the other brunches.  [Sidebar/direct message to Houston friends: get yourselves to Austin for brunch next year.  That's an order.]  We had a lot of seminary folks, a few other Austin friends, and had a great time.  We decided to go with a north/south theme for the food (okay, it was accidental, but it was still cool).  Corn Pudding was back on the menu, and as delicious as ever, along with Pigs in Blankets.  The Williams-named Plunder Buns were back and devoured (nay, plundered) as expected.  New additions this year were Hoppin' John (black-eyed peas with bacon and greens over rice) and a cranberry/maple bread pudding.  So northern for the sweet pastries, and decidedly southern for the savory dishes.  Drinks, as usual, were mimosas and milk punch.  (Clearly, we prefer to save our hangovers for January 2nd).

I think the reason any party works is because you have not only good food (which we darn sure do), but great guests and company (which we are honored to have).  I am always impressed by our friends and their efforts (conscious or not) to make our parties memorable.  We could not do it without you.  In a related and repeated request (and you know who you are), if our dear, dear friends from around the country and southeast Texas could somehow make it here for NYB, it would be the party of the century.  We have a guest room now, so you have a place to stay (fair warning, we may put you to work, but it would be totally fun).

In other news, there's a new salon across from a Central New York bagel shop at which we often eat lunch.  It's name?  The Lonsale Salon.