We threw a brunch last Sunday to get past the winter doldrums. I used it as an opportunity to try to put together a good fresh-backed bread basket.

• banana quickbread
• pear-pistachio quickbread
• pumpernickel
• cranberry-hazelnut muffins
• mini brioches (12 plain, 6 stuffed with bittersweet chocolate)
• pecan pie
• crack pie (baked the previous night)

The ambitious morning also featured a quiche implosion, wherein my lovely-looking quiche crust slumped irretrievably while it was being blind-baked in my springform pan. I hated to waste the ingredients for the quiche filling, and there was no time for a new crust, so this turned into a tasty bread pudding with caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, and lots of gruyere.

For those who wanted something besides carbs, I made:

• deviled eggs (either leave out the shallots or chop them extra-fine if you’re going to pipe them!)
• smoked turkey (served unglazed because I ran out of time, but tasty anyway)
• chopped chicken liver
• pastrami

The pastrami is a hit: once again, we went through more than 4lb of brisket in a couple of hours.