shoot .. just realised the guys who are coming for brunch this weekend are gourmands .. Heyulp

[Twiglett]

we do lazy sundays so there will be newspapers and kids going wild all around

was planning just french bread, sausages, caramelised onions and Delia's summer couscous salad (the one with the feta and roast veg with olives and capers)

and then mebbe suzywong's brownies with berries and icecream

beer and wine

do I need to / how can I gourmand it up

no it is fine

please don't turn all hysteri-wife

oh and lol at "just" followed by umpteen courses for brunch

what is a gourmand?

what you need to do is dress entirely in white

including children

and make everything in pastel coloured bowls

I love Bill Granger more than the world but I did laugh at a blog which described him as having 'teeth the same colour as his shelves'

yeah yeah

fuck it

just stick some croissants in the oven

plonk a jar of jam and a spoon in the middle of the table

ta da

what ta da .. breakfast?

I can't believe this shit concerns you, Twiglett

what? entertaining

doesn't really .. but these are new people coming and there's always that 'first time' jitters that you don't get with the standard people you entertain

ta da - food

who cares when

if it is dinnertime fling some babybels on the plate alongside, you know, for protein

A gourmand is someone who just loves stuffing their faces, a gourmet on the other hand cares about what they eat.
Just relax, your menu sounds lovely, always do stuff you are used to and that won't flap you so you can be a relaxed and genial host. Nothing worse than someone stressed about the food imo, much better to do nice food you know and like and have a good time rather than fiddling about in the kitchen proving your own brioche

yes it is dreadful if it goes wrong with fancy recipe

and you are in kitchen crying over a lot of fiddly bits of stuff all falling apart

also looks bad if you are slavishly peering at books and sweating

not that I have any experience in that area

Sounds great. Can I come round too?

What you have planned sounds very gourmand to me They'd get toast and coffee if they were coming to mine

What you have planned sounds very gourmand to me They'd get toast and coffee if they were coming to mine

What you have planned sounds very gourmand to me They'd get toast and coffee if they were coming to mine

ooops - sorry !

Twig definitely do stuff you are comfortable with. Your plan sounds great.

If it makes you feel better go and get some poncey butter and/or go to a coffee shop for nice coffee.

Sounds like my kind of entertaining - trouble is, we live so bleeding far away from everyone that they have to come on Saturday night to be in time for Sunday brunch

'poncy butter'

wtf is 'poncy butter'?

and how dare they suggest you don't have nice coffee

I mean you do, don't you? You do?

oh come out now Stealth don't be nervous

here, have a cup of Nescaff and some Happy Shopper marge on toast

What's wrong with bacon butties? or bacon bagettes?