Hawaii families coming together this weekend for Mother’s Day brunch are continuing a tradition that dates back to the 19th century.

Sunday brunch originated in England, where British author Guy Ber­in­ger wrote in 1895 that the meal was supposed to be a "cheerful, sociable and inciting" event where friends could gather to be "in a good temper" and be "satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings."

(It also helped that Ber­in­ger condoned swapping out coffee and tea for harder stuff like beer and whisky, the long-forgotten predecessor to the mimosa and Bloody Mary brunch cocktail menu items of today.)

If taking Mom out for a meal this weekend isn’t in the cards, don’t be afraid to attempt your own brunch menu at home. According to a number of local chefs, there is plenty of leeway when melding the two meals.

"Brunch can be easy, but it also can be a lot of work," said Chai Chao­wa­sa­ree of Chai’s Island Bistro at Aloha Tower Marketplace. "Sometimes you have to have many components — the egg, the meat, the hash browns, the fruit."

But for a simple breakfast in bed, he suggested freshly cut fruit added to a cup of yogurt and accompanied by a mimosa made with fresh-squeezed orange juice.

Even in preparing something more elaborate, however, there are ways to streamline the proc­ess.

"To me a prime rib is the easiest way, and then you can cook for the whole house," Chao­wa­sa­ree said. "Or you can serve it with pancakes and hash browns, and if you want to get fancy, make some hollandaise sauce.

"You just let your imagination run wild. And it depends how much dishes you want to wash afterwards!"

Darren Demaya, executive chef of Kai Market at the Sheraton Waikiki, suggests maximizing time with family by turning to tried-and-true slow cooking methods like a Crock-Pot.

"They make cooking incredibly simple," Demaya said. "You can place the meal in the pot, turn it on, and the finished product is only a few hours away. This way, families can spend time together, rather than slaving away in the kitchen for three or four hours!"

Moana Surfrider executive sous-chef Richard Lancaster adds that plating is also an important component to consider when planning how extensive — or simple — you want to get with brunch at home.

"One trick to making a brunch menu fancy without too much work is serving it on a decorated plate or using garnish to dress up the presentation," he said. "But spending quality time and cooking these dishes with your family is what makes a brunch good. Cooking brings families together and allows everyone to be creative."

Chaowasaree and Demaya share recipes for a couple of savory items to jazz up the brunch table.

"When you think of shrimp scampi, you think of dinner, not lunch," said Demaya of his offering of Kahuku Shrimp Scampi with Fresh Herbs.

"I want to provide … the luxury of tasting an upscale savory dish mixed with simpler breakfast items like eggs and bacon. Dinner items shouldn’t just be served for dinner."

Chaowasaree shares a recipe for prime rib.

KAHUKU SHRIMP SCAMPI WITH FRESH HERBS

Darren Demaya, Kai Market

Flour, for dusting
Vegetable oil
3 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup capers
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste

Dust shrimp with flour and sauté in oil until slightly brown. Remove from pan; add garlic and shallot and deglaze with white wine; reduce by half. Whisk in cream and butter. Add capers, parsley, thyme and lemon juice.

Add shrimp to sauce and toss. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional information (not including salt to taste): 600 calories, 50 g fat, 29 g saturated fat, 400 mg cholesterol, 850 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, no sugar, 30 g protein

PRIME RIB

Chai Chaowasaree, Chai’s Island Bistro

10-pound prime rib roast
10 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon seasoning salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Hanalei pink salt or other sea salt
3/4 pound button mushrooms
1 large onion, cut in half
1 carrot, cut into 4 pieces
5 stems fresh thyme (for garnish)
2 stems fresh rosemary (for garnish)

Place roast in roasting pan, fat side up.

In small bowl, mix garlic, olive oil, seasoning salt, pepper and thyme. Spread mixture over top of roast. Let sit at room temperature about an hour.

Preheat oven to highest broil setting. Sprinkle meat with sea salt and arrange onion and carrot along sides.

Broil 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Add mushrooms to pan and roast 60 to 80 minutes. Internal temperature should be 145 degrees for medium rare.

Allow roast to rest 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Garnish with thyme and rosemary. Serves 12 to 15.

Approximate nutritional information (based on 12 servings and not including salt to taste): 1000 calories, 87 g fat, 35 g saturated fat, 200 mg cholesterol, greater than 1000 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 49 g protein

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Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.