French Toast

So simple, so comforting, French Toast makes a frosty morning a better place to be. Not all French Toasts come together wham-bam. There are the more complex French Toasts, some soaked in sugared milk overnight then baked until they form a bread and caramel treat. A tasty dish, this, but today, praise of simply dipped and fried French Toast feels due.

As with many foods, French Toast has a sweet side and a savory side. As usual, I favor the savory, though most people seem to know this breakfast of comfort only in its sweet gown. Restaurants, for some reason, assume that the world loves French Toast bent beneath the weight of powdered sugar. I let the wait people know to hold this dusty insult to good bread but they often forget. It seems like they find the request so unbelievable they assume I made a mistake.

Cooking French Toast at home keeps the far reaching arm of powdered sugar at bay. The basic French Toast comes together quickly and with little effort. I use a casserole for the dip because it has a flat bottom. Bread soaks in a casserole dish with one side in full contact with dip. As with most things, I fry the French Toast in olive oil.

To make, take a good bread; one that is dense with good flavor works best. White, wheat, rye, whatever makes your day is good but avoid the whimpy packaged breads that ball together when you pinch them. Break two eggs into the casserole dish. Add a cup or so of milk. After a few batches, you’ll find your preferred ratio of milk to eggs. Put in the flavoring of your choice and whisk the egg and milk mixture until the eggs are well combined. To save on morning dish washing chores, I use a fork to whisk the eggs and milk. This same fork does double duty to moved the bread from the soak to the pan. When the eggs and milk are mixed, put some bread in a casserole dish. How much bread you cook at a time depends on how much room you have on your skillet. Cover the bottom of a skillet or fry pan with olive oil and heat it to just above medium. The oil should smoke slightly. While the pan is heating, turn the bread over so it soaks on both sides. When the pan is hot, move the bread into the pan. It should sizzle gently. Let the bread cook until it is done on one side, turn it, and let it cook well on the other. At medium heat, French Toast cooks up in a minute or so on each side.

You can flavor French Toast with any of your herbs and spices. One favorite is dill weed. Dill added to the egg and milk mixture gives the French Toast a wonderfully satisfying finish. Cinnamon, just cinnamon, no sugar, also gives French Toast a interesting, subtle flavor. Experiment, see what works for you. Many people simply cook French Toast with the egg and milk mixture alone. This is good but what if unsweetened chocolate and coriander make your morning? You’d never know.

To eat French Toast, again, you will find your own style. I butter it while hot. That’s it. A good bit of butter nothing more. A simple comfort food for crispy mornings.

copyright 2005 Chromia Poetics