Tips for a Mother's Day Love Brunch

"Love through Food" is one of our guiding principles here at Zelos, which is why it was only appropriate that we share our Tips for a Mother's Day Love Brunch! Brunch is one of my favorite meals, and something that I came to love and appreciate even more when I moved to the US.  It wasn't very popular in Europe when I left nearly twenty years ago (although that's changed a lot!), so it was a fun new experience when I moved to Cincinnati. I quickly came to love and appreciate it for so many reasons. For starters, it's a food-related activity, so this is a natural plus for me. It's also a relaxed activity, it is not a rushed meal with the clock ticking in your head and your next appointment in mind. We would have brunch (at least in my family) on more leisurely days, which made it even more fun and happy. On a more personal level, brunch is all about contrasting tastes, sweet & savory & more, something I love and which guides me in all my culinary choices.

So if you want to wow your mom with something different on Mother's Day, try a few ideas that we put together here at Zelos, for a loving brunch with the person that always loves you.  Happy Mother's Day to all our moms!

It wouldn't be a Mother's Day brunch if I didn't make my own mother's spanakópita with homemade dough. It was a staple of my mom's love for me and my family for many years. After I left Greece, there wasn't one visit back to my parents' home without a fresh spanakópita waiting for us, warm and fresh out of the oven.  

Brunch has become really popular now in Greece and it's so funny to see pancakes on all the trendy café menus! I have a favorite recipe from a Greek food blogger who used spoon sweets or marmalades for a Greek island experience. Try Pan-dora's recipe for Greek style pancakes with Citrus' fruit preserves and protein-rich tahini.

A classic American brunch usually has smoked salmon on the menu but this year, give your bagel and lox a Greek touch with our organic sea fennel. Not only is it healthy and tasty, but this little power plant will certainly become a conversation starter! Well + Good magazine talked all about the health benefits of what some people call rock samphire (we call it krítamo in Greek) but try it for yourself.

Try something different from the usual scrambled eggs and omelettes - baked eggs with Elli & Manos' Tomato & Feta Greek Flavor Burst. This is a really easy recipe (and easier than poached eggs or eggs Benedict if you have a crowd) and the feta gives a wonderful twist to them. Try them in your favorite mold for a really special presentation. 

Clafoutis Greek style! Do you know the French dessert, clafoutis? This is a modern Greek adaptation, swapping the usual sweet fruit ingredients for savory fire-roasted Tragano Greek Organics peppers and Kalamata olives. This is a lovely, light dish that brings color and flavor to any brunch or luncheon menu. 

Finish it all off with a simple panna cotta topped with Citrus' Chios Tangerine Peel Spoon Sweet or their handmade whole Grape Spoon Sweet. 

Need cocktail ideas for your brunch? We've got you covered! Our friends Anu & Alex shared several recipes for zeroproof and low-alcohol cocktails, and we also have more potent drinks below. 

Our friend Dina, a food blogger from Little Rock, Arkansas came up with a Chios tangerine champagne cocktail that just shines of celebration and toasting! 

But our favorite cocktail for Mother's Day is comes from our friend Onassis, who made this unique gin and mountain tea cocktail in honor of his grandmother. She would always brew him a cup of Greek mountain tea when he would visit her as a college student and that loving memory inspired him.

We hope these tips for a Mother's Day Brunch will inspire you, too!