Though the meal first appeared in America at Begue’s, a restaurant in New Orleans, in the late 1890s, according to Ternikar the meal is truly a global event served in Germany, Turkey, India, and China, and often has an 'anything goes' approach to menus for an event that’s more about kinship and conversation than a rigid meal. Ternikar . . . include[s] a handful of recipes. . . .She prefers to focus on the social aspect of the meal as opposed to defining the classic brunch. It’s an admirable approach. . . .The result is a book best consumed à la carte.