Challenge - Day 1: "Breakfast"

I'm starting a early on the February writing challenge described in my last post. Today's topic is "Breakfast."

I love breakfast food even though I don't always eat it at breakfast time. A weekday breakfast for me is typically Sugar Free Instant Breakfast mix (chocolate) with an extra scoop of protein powder or  Fage 0% Greek Yogurt split cup with cherries. But on weekends and sometimes even for dinner, I cook wonderful breakfast food. 

Eggs are my staple and I cook them many ways, but none pleases me better than a perfectly scrambled egg. I am very precise about the cooking method, not too soft, not too hard. Just call me the Goldilocks of scrambled eggs. A perfect weekend breakfast is eggs, bacon or sausage patties, fresh berries and oven-style (not toaster) whole wheat toast. I learned to love oven-style toast from my Grandmother. She didn't have an electric toaster for many years so she made white bread toast in the oven. Each slice had four dots of butter because the butter was in the refrigerator and too cold to spread. The oven would toast the bread all around the butter to a nice brown, but, if cooked just right, those little dots had a hint of crustiness but remained golden yellow and soft underneath. Our weekend breakfasts are wonderful but here's my guilty breakfast passion, one that I only let myself have once or twice a year - French Toast. I love, love, love French toast. 

The starting bread is important, preferably Challah or brioche, 1/2 inch slices that have been left on the counter overnight to get a little stale. Dip them in a mixture of eggs, half-and-half and warm honey and then fry in a little butter. This frying part is critical; it can't get too brown around the edges before the middle of the slice is done. "Done" means browned patches mixed with lighter spots that are crusty but still golden yellow, kind of like my Grandma's oven toast. The edges are uniformly brown with a few little strands of lacy egg mixture hanging off here and there. Cook both sides of the bread and then put the slice in a hot oven for about five minutes. This really sets the outer crispiness and leaves the inside soft and custard-like. Top with a little maple syrup but no powdered sugar. OK, a little cinnamon if you must. I serve it with bacon to get that heavenly salty/sweet combination going and also to insert some protein into this carb-laden feast.  I think if I were going to be executed, this would be my last meal.



 

Now I'm hungry. By the way, here's a link to the French Toast recipe I use, courtesy of Alton Brown. Let's hope Day 2's topic doesn't concern food or I may gain more than writing experience this month. Thanks for stopping by today; I'll talk to you tomorrow.