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4 Weekend Brunch Ideas
From French toast drizzled with honey to smashed avocado toast with a squeeze of lemon, celebrate the weekend and get ready to discover four delicious European brunch ideas. Brunch is an extremely popular way to catch up with friends, indulge in comfort food, and just take things a little slower after a long working week. Taking recipes and flavours from Italy, France, Spain, and England, here are a handful of brunch ideas that you can make at home for a delicious and relaxing Saturday morning.
1: Classic French Toast
We can’t talk about brunch without mentioning French toast. A classic brunch idea, French toast can be easily made at home. First, you’ll need a loaf of bread (or you can bake a fresh batch), fresh local eggs, organic milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk together the two eggs and a little milk, as well as a sachet of vanilla extract. Slice the bread and put them in a shallow dish. Lovingly pour the egg mixture over the slices of bread. Allow soaking for a couple of minutes before turning the bread over. Next, heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan, and fry the bread for three minutes on either side over medium heat. Once ready, stack on a plate and dust with icing sugar and top with Italian cherries.
2: Lemon & Avocado Toast on Saltimbocca Bread
Avocado toast is a firm favourite among millennials across Europe and can be upgraded with a squeeze of lemon or a little fresh chilli. Using a ripe avocado, scoop out the green goodness, and with a fork, smash until creamy. After making toast, top with avocado and add sea salt to taste. Next, squeeze over lemon juice, add a handful of fresh watercress, and if you’re brave, top with chilli. You can also add a poached egg on top of your avocado toast or add smoked Spanish paprika for heat.
3: Fluffy Pancakes with Cream
If you ever travel to Europe and head out for brunch, you’ll almost always find fluffy pancakes on the breakfast menu. But it’s also very easy to make this brunch idea at home. First, mix 135g of plain flour, a teaspoon of baking powder, a pinch of salt, and two tablespoons of caster sugar. In a separate bowl, combine 130ml of organic milk, a lightly beaten egg, and two tablespoons of olive oil. Carefully add the milk, eggs, and oil to the dry mixture and beat until light and fluffy. Now, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat with a little butter. Now pour in the pancake mixture until it reaches the sides of the pan. When the top begins to bubble, turn it over and cook until golden brown. Add double cream and fresh fruit.
4: Croissants & Coffee
It is very common for French people to have a croissant for breakfast and a strong black coffee. Most professionals in Paris will visit a ‘la Boulangerie’ before heading to work to grab a freshly made croissant and coffee. A cornetto, the Italian version of the classic French croissant, is another popular brunch idea and tends to be softer and usually contains a sweet filling. To enjoy this romantic brunch idea with a loved one, you’ll be pleased to know that you can now buy Italian croissants online. Choose from vanilla, cherry, apricotor chocolate-filled croissants.
Buon Appetito
Posted on July 5, 2021
Every Dessert Has a Season. Tiramisu Didn't Get the Memo
Every dessert has its season. This is not an opinion, it's just true, and somewhere inside you, you already know it. Chocolate lava cake is in December. The kind of thing you order when it's cold outside and you've stopped pretending to care about anything. Panna cotta is July, white, minimal, barely there, like it's also too hot to try. Crumble is October without question. Apple, pear, whatever's in the bowl, it belongs to grey skies and Sunday afternoons and the specific melancholy of a season ending. These desserts have their moment. They know it. They stay in their lane. Tiramisu does not stay in its lane Tiramisu shows up in January when you need something that feels like a decision. It shows up in April because the weather is nice and why not. It's on the menu in August at that outdoor restaurant and you order it even though it's 38 degrees because of course you do. It appears at Christmas, at birthdays, on a Wednesday with no occasion whatsoever. It does not check the calendar. It does not ask if this is a good time. And the thing is, it's never wrong. That's what separates it. Seasonal desserts are right once a year, maybe twice. Tiramisu is right in the way that a good espresso is right, in the way that sitting down after a long day is right. Not because of the weather. Because of what it does. It lifts. That's the whole job, and the job doesn't have an off-season. There's a reason Italian nonnas aren't making tiramisu only in autumn. There's a reason it's on every menu, in every month, in every city that has ever decided to take dessert seriously. It's not nostalgia. It's not a habit. The combination, espresso, mascarpone, cocoa, patience, works on a human being regardless of what the temperature is outside. Some things are just built differently The ones that prove it every time, in every season, start with the right ingredients. Mascarpone that tastes like it came from somewhere specific. Savoiardi that haven't forgotten what they're for. Cocoa that finishes clean. Not seasonal. Not occasional. Just right.
Casinetto Named Best Gourmet Food Supplier by CPI Media Group
We're proud to announce that Casinetto has been recognised as Best Gourmet Food Supplier by CPI Media Group, a distinction that reflects years of dedication to elevating the regional culinary landscape. What This Recognition Means This award acknowledges more than our product portfolio—it recognises our role as a trusted partner to the UAE and KSA's most discerning culinary professionals. From Michelin-starred kitchens to boutique delis, our clients rely on us to source ingredients that meet the exacting standards their reputations demand. The selection process evaluated suppliers across multiple criteria: product authenticity, supply chain reliability, portfolio diversity, and commitment to quality assurance. CPI Media Group's rigorous assessment underscores what sets Casinetto apart in an increasingly competitive market. The Casinetto Standard Excellence in gourmet food supply isn't just about logistics—it's about curation. Every product we represent, from French artisanal cheeses to Italian charcuterie, Spanish olive oils to premium pantry essentials, undergoes careful evaluation for provenance, quality, and market fit. Our team works directly with producers across Europe and beyond, ensuring traceability, authenticity, and consistent availability. This direct-source approach means our partners get more than products—they get the story, the expertise, and the assurance that comes with genuine partnerships. Looking Ahead As the regional F&B sector continues to evolve, so does our commitment to bringing the world's finest gourmet products to the Gulf. This recognition from CPI Media Group validates our approach and motivates us to raise the bar even higher. To our restaurant partners, retail clients, and culinary professionals who trust us with their most important ingredient decisions: thank you. Your standards drive our excellence. The best tables in the region deserve the best ingredients. That's the promise we renew with this recognition.
Italian Cuisine at the Heart of UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage
UNESCO has given special cultural heritage status to Italian cooking, viewing it as so much more than simply a set of recipes. This award honours Italian cuisine as a living tradition, as something to be practised, shared and handed down from one generation to the next. National favourites like pizza were already on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, but this respect extends beyond that. It honors italian traditional cooking in its entirety, and the way it is taught, preserved and practised all over Italy, both at home, where the teachings have been passed down from generation to generation in families, and through other venues such as home kitchens, food schools for young children and adults as well. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has championed the recognition of Italian cuisine since her election, captured its essence perfectly when she said that Italian cuisine is not just food or a set of recipes, but a culture, tradition, labour, and collective wealth. What Does This Mean? For millions of food lovers worldwide, this recognition is a reminder that the cuisine of Italy is worth slowing down to savour. It celebrates cooking that honours time, technique and ingredients selected with care. From crunchy Sicilian cannoli to Calabrian ’nduja, Italian food continues to excel by being characterful, deep and rooted in place. The announcement was made during a UNESCO assembly meeting in Delhi, where the cultural agency described Italian cuisine as a powerful way of connecting with family and community, whether at home, in schools, or through festivals, ceremonies, and social gatherings. Luigi Scordamaglia, CEO of Filiera Italia, has referred to the distinction as a joint success for the entire Made in Italy supply chain, underlining the team effort behind Italian food, from producers and handicrafts people to those who renew this tradition every day. He additionally stressed the Mediterranean diet, adding that when we refer to it, we are really talking about Italian cuisine itself, which is based on balance in unity, variety and respect for produce. At Casinetto, this recognition comes all too naturally. It embodies the same virtues we admire in any product we decide to carry: authenticity, tradition and food that tells a story worth preserving. We collaborate with producers who cherish tradition, value quality ingredients and believe in the integrity of their craft rather than cutting corners. The things we have on our shelves are not the result of trend-chasing, but rather an appreciation for the stories and know-how behind them, values that, by celebrating certain practices around the world, UNESCO has decided to endorse.