According to Food & Wine, today is (ok, at this juncture, technically, it should be ‘yesterday was’) #NationalFrenchToastDay; who knew — I swear, there’s a day for everything. I never enjoyed waffles growing up, they reminded me of eating soggy sponges. And, the way they were prepared in the Stifter household, they kind of were. It wasn’t until later in life that my mother became creative with her French Toast. Can’t really blame her, she did have 5 kids to raise and worked full time — if I were her, I don’t think I’d have put too much creativity into my french toast.
Fast forward some 20 odd years (gee, just 20 you wonder, how can she be so pithy at such a young age?!?) and I’ve grown to love French Toast. It started after I met my husband who himself makes a mighty fine Toast of French. In our younger days, we would frequent a local diner called Rosee’s. Rosee’s was located in a former gas station and had kitschy items on the menu like gas pedal meatballs and windshield wiper hot dogs. Paola, the owner/chef, made fantastic French Toast — her secret ingredients a dash of cinnamon and a bit of nutmeg — that was absolutely divine.
While Food & Wine’s Instagram account specifically calls out the day, I wasn’t able to grab the link to its ‘8 creative takes on French Toast’ post. Their Pinterest site doesn’t specifically pay homage to the day, but a simple search for French Toast served up a bevy of recipes. My favorite, and one that is great for a brunch, can be found in the trusty Gourmet Cookbook (same one that my biscotti is from): a french toast creme brulee. #SoGood.
It’s now after midnight and I’ve missed French Toast Day 😦 (I should really post during the day time, perhaps that would help expand my roster of Western followers). I’m making cookies and have a good cadence going on so that I’m able to whack out a graph in between baking cycles. Tomorrow, we’re off to Nyack, NY which is a fabulous town along the Hudson, it’s actually nestled right next to the Tappan Zee Bridge. We’ll walk the downtown area and attend its annual tree lighting ceremony. Really, what’s a Christmas without going to some sort of tree lighting — whether a big city like DC or NYC or a small town, like Mystic, CT, where Santa arrives on a boat, #fun, or Harvard, MA, a quintessential New England town.
Ah, only a few more trays of cookies to go — for tonight that is, tomorrow is biscotti day. I’m wishing all of you a wonderful weekend, safe travels and, of course, bon appetite!
I love the winter. From its first days being the darkest with the winter solstice, yet brightest with the Christmas holidays, to the freezing storms of February that leave the trees a glistening wonderland, I really enjoy all things winter, especially here in the Northeast. I tend not to get the doldrums as I like outdoor activities as much as I find comfort in lounging on the couch with a cup of something hot — hot cocoa, hot toddy, not mulled cider — and alcoholic to warm my soul. And, as a New Englander traveling, more specifically driving, in the winter isn’t an issue.
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