By Susan MYKRANTZ

French toast can be a simple dish of sliced bread soaked in beaten eggs and typically milk, then pan-fried. Or it can be a fancy treat for a special meal.

Depending on the country where French toast is finding its way to the table, French toast is known in several different ways, such as “eggy bread,” “Bombay toast,”, “gypsy toast” and “poor knights.”

French toast can be served as a sweet dish or a savory dish. If it is served as a sweet dish, the most common ingredients include milk, sugar, vanilla or cinnamon, before it is fried and topped with sugar (often powdered sugar), butter, fruit or syrup. If it is served as a savory dish, it is generally fried with a pinch of salt or pepper and served with ketchup or mayonnaise.

Slices of bread are soaked or dipped in a mixture of beaten eggs, often whisked with milk or cream. Alternatively, the bread may be soaked in wine, rosewater or orange juice, either before or after cooking. Day-old bread is often used, both for its thrift and because it will soak up more egg mixture without falling apart. The bread is then fried in butter or olive oil until browned and cooked through.

The first reference to French toast was probably in early first-century recipes where the directions suggest that cooks break fine white bread, crust removed, into rather large pieces which soak in milk and beaten eggs, fry in oil, cover with honey and serve. The name French bread refers to the use of stale bread for the recipe. French toast is a favorite Christmas dessert in Brazil and Portugal, and many of their recipes use Port wine as a liquid. Spanish cooks use a similar recipe for Lent and Holy Week. Cooks soak stale bread in milk or wine with honey and spices. It is dipped in beaten egg and fried with olive oil. This cooking technique breaks down the fibers of the bread and results in a pastry with a crispy outside and smooth inside. A final touch is sprinkling the finished product with cinnamon.

In Hong Kong, French toast is prepared by combining multiple slices of bread with peanut butter or fruit jam filling, then dipping in beaten egg. It is deep-fried in hot oil and served with butter and topped with honey or syrup. Other popular fillings include meat floss, kaya jam or beef satay.

In the United States, French toast was a favorite on railroad dining cars during the heyday of cross-country rail travel. Many of the railroad lines shared their recipes with their passengers, bringing French toast to the home cooks. Even now, French toast is a popular part of New Orleans Louisiana Creole cuisine and is served as a breakfast dish. The New Orleans chefs use New Orleans-style French bread; the batter is an egg-based custard that may include spirits. Diners top their French Toast with cane syrup, strongly flavored honey or fruit syrups with a dusting of powdered sugar.

No matter how you make your French toast and how you like your toppings, it is an easy, tasty meal and can make a special treat for a special meal. Until next time, simply cook.

French Toast

Blend in a pie pan

1 egg

¼ cup milk

Dash of salt

3 slices of stale bread

In a medium skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter on medium heat. Dip bread in the egg mixture and put it in the skillet. When brown, turn and brown on the second side. Serve immediately.

Baked French Toast

In a 9x13 well-buttered pan mix together:

2/3 cup brown sugar

½ cup butter

Melt over low heat and spread across the pan. 

1 package Texas Toast

Layer the Texas Toast across the bottom of the pan.

Mix together:

4 eggs well beaten

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups milk

Pour the egg and milk mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake uncovered in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.

Deluxe Baked French Toast

6 eggs

1 1/3 cups orange juice

2/3 cup milk

½ cup sugar

2 teaspoon nutmeg

1teaspoon vanilla

6 to 8 slices of French bread or Texas Toast

2/3 cup melted butter

2/ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Mix eggs, juice, milk, sugar, nutmeg and vanilla in a medium bowl. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan and layer bread across the pan. Pour the milk/egg mixture over the bread. Cover. Refrigerate overnight, turning once. In the morning preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour melted butter over a jellyroll pan and arrange soaked bread slices in a single layer on the butter. Sprinkle with nuts if desired. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Do not overbake. Serve with warm maple syrup.