By Ibne Tamim
Delicious French Toast!! (Images: Creative Commons)
What is National French Toast Day?
Worried about what to make for breakfast on November 28? No need to wonder because it’s National French Toast Day. You know — that thick, sweet, savory dish that’s become a staple of the American breakfast diet. The blending of eggs, milk, and cinnamon with bread dipped in, just makes our morning fantastic. There’s something about the savory-sweet smell of it, and the anticipation of having it painted with butter and drizzled with syrup, with a side of breakfast sausage and a tall glass of orange juice that’ll get us out of bed on even the worst of days. Just writing about this topic has me thinking about heading out for a late breakfast.
National French Toast Day (History): **
Here’s the first thing you need to know: The French do not call this French toast. It’s called “pain perdu,” or “lost bread,” meaning bread that has gone stale but that has been rehabilitated by being dunked in an egg batter and fried. So it’s not exactly French, and not exactly toast, but it’s delicious. The breakfast favorite “French Toast” goes by many names depending on where it’s being served up – eggy bread, German toast, poor knights’ pudding, Bombay toast – but it’s always made of the same key ingredients. Egg, milk – or cream – and bread. French toast, according to Frenchly, comes from a desire to not waste food. Most experts agree that French toast dates back to ancient Rome. A similar recipe can be found in the book of Apicius from the 5th century BC. The Romans dipped slices of bread in milk (and sometimes eggs) before frying them, and called it “Pan Dulcis.” Irish settlers traveling to the U.S. and Canada may have brought the term with them. The phrase “French toast” first appeared in The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink in 1871. However, similar recipes were also called “Egg toast,” “Spanish toast,” and even “German toast.” There’s another less exotic theory. French toast may have been called “French” because it enabled chefs to inflate the price. “Traditionally in the United States, we have an admiration for French cuisine, which we consider elaborate and gastronomic,” according to Kitchen Project.
And that’s probably why this dish was named that way. It’s just marketing. There’s no chance that ‘Lost Bread’ could have worked. And since the dish was successful and the recipe was easy, the name spread around the world satisfying people’s appetite.
How to make French toast: *
Ingredients:
- Bread
- Eggs
- Milk – you can use your favorite milk or milk alternative in this recipe if you want to make your French toast without milk.
- Salt – add a pinch of salt to balance the flavors and sweetness
- Sweetener – you definitely have options for the sweetener to use based on your personal preferences.
- Flavorings – I love to include vanilla extract and ground cinnamon for a classic French toast flavor. You can omit the cinnamon if you prefer or add more for a more pronounced cinnamon French Toast.
- Butter – melted on the griddle for cooking and then add a pat for serving, if desired.
- Maple syrup – real maple syrup is required in our family for the perfect French toast! You can also use a fruit syrup like my blackberry syrup if you prefer.
Directions:
- Whisk. To save on dishes and cleanup, I whisk together the eggs, milk of choice, sweetener, vanilla, and cinnamon right into a shallow dish that I’ll use to dip my bread in.
- Dip. Once I have it whisked together well, I place my bread slice in on one side and then quickly flip it over to the other side since some sandwich bread will absorb the liquid super quickly. You’ll want to be sure that you are dipping your bread and not leaving for any time so that the bread does not absorb too much liquid. Make sure to follow this so that your bread does not get too wet. This will prevent your French toast from becoming soggy.
- Cook. Once both sides of the bread are coated with the liquid, I place them into the skillet with melted butter set over medium heat. They only take a few minutes to cook, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
- Serve. Serve immediately with your syrup of choice.
Mark your calendar and Celebrate National French Toast Day by cooking up some French toast and enjoying it with your friends and family members. If you have any stale or old bread at home, then use it for making French toast because mostly the dish is made with a slice of bread which is a day older. Also, take pictures while enjoying French toast with your friends and family members and share it with others on social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and much more by using the hashtag #FrenchToastDay.
“I don’t mean to brag, I don’t mean to boast, but I’m intercontinental when I eat French toast.” — Mike D
Sources used
Recipe from: addapinch.com *
History from: daysoftheyear.com **