We were finishing plates of oven-baked French toast when someone cautioned, "You need to be careful when you eat French toast."
"Why's that?" someone else asked.
"Because it's so comforting it makes you want to go back to bed," the person said with a laugh.
We stayed awake long enough to talk about the dish, which is "in season" now that a chill is in the air. French toast dates to ancient Rome and has been on the menus of many cultures, under various names.
The French call it "pain purdu" -- lost (or wasted) bread. "Lost" in the sense that stale bread is usually thrown out. However, someone figured out it can be resuscitated by dipping it in an egg-milk batter and frying it. It also happens that day-old or two-day-old bread is still preferred for French toast because it stands up to the wet batter, called "custard," whereas fresh bread can get over-saturated and dissolve.
The French toast template is simple in concept: Soak bread in a custard of egg and milk, then saute it. However, its real motto is: "Anything goes." Yes, you can cook French toast on the stove top, but also in the oven as a casserole, in a toaster (yep!), in a toaster oven, in a microwave oven, and even in the backyard over hardwood coals in a kettle cooker (messy, but the smoky flavor is interesting).
This is a savory take on the classic French toast with a golden, cheesy crust, on the table in 5 minutes. And far fewer calories than the usual French toast, drowning in maple syrup or melting butter. The recipe is from Nagi of Recipe Tin Eats (recipetineats.com). She offers these tips: "I made this recipe with plain white sandwich bread, but you can make it with any bread you want -- French stick, sourdough or brioche would especially be great.
"Use slightly stale bread if you can, that way the bread does not absorb too much of the egg mixture (which can make it soggy on the inside)."
Parmesan French Toast
1 tablespoon butter
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk or half-and-half
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, optional
Pinch of salt
Pepper
4 slices slightly stale bread
Place butter in large pan over high heat.
Lightly whisk eggs, milk, parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper.
Dredge bread into egg mixture, shake off excess, then place into pan. If your pan is large enough, cook all 4 pieces at the same time.
Scrape any remaining cheese at the bottom on the egg mixture bowl onto the bread in the pan (why waste it?).
Cook each side until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
Makes 2 servings.
Food on 10/19/2016