pain grille Français

So, I've been neglecting my blog lately because of two things... one, I've been trying to procrastinate less at work, and two, I've been reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in my spare time, trying to finish it before the movie premiere this week (ahhhhh!). So this recipe is a bit of a lazy one, but I absolutely love it.

French toast is probably the thing I cook the most, since I make it about once a week. I usually make french toast for my boyfriend and me on either Saturday or Sunday morning. It is also one of the things that I have cooked the longest, since I've made it for myself and family since I was little (I think my mom must have taught it to me at some point, and its not any more dangerous than making grilled cheese). It's definitely my favorite breakfast food (other than the broad cereal category).

So, a funny story about french toast. When I was taking French I in high school, my teacher, Mr. Paruso, was quite entertaining. He once told us this story about how he visited France and ordered french toast. Evidently, at this time he was quite fluent in French. He was sitting in a cafe and asked the chef to make him "pain grille Français." The chef looked at him, handed him a piece of toast, and said in English, "I am French, and this is toast... French toast." My teacher learned later that french toast in French is actually "pain perdu," and I've never forgotten that. Also, check out the Eiffel Tower pic I took back in '07, a budding photographer!

Pain perdu literally means "lost bread," because you are supposed to make it out of bread that is stale or not really good for anything else. I really like this idea, because it sorta makes the recipe a bit less pretentious. It's something that I like to make in pajamas and half awake, and I don't like the idea of specifically going to the store to get bread for french toast. I just make it out of whatever bread I have lying around, whether it be white or wheat, old or still good, ends or not. (Just don't use sourdough... the savory bread and sweetness of the recipe don't work)

Time to cook: 10min

Serves: 1-3 people

Equipment:
A big frying pan
A hamburger flipper (I feel that spatula is too broad a word today)
A small bowl (like for cereal, needs to fit a slice of bread)
A fork

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup of milk (plus more for drinking... it's good for you)
1tsp of vanilla
bunch of cinnamon (1tbs max)
1-2tbs of butter (depending on how many batches)
slices of bread (however many you want to cook, between 3 and 8 work for this recipe)
maple syrup

Recipe:
1) In the bowl, crack the egg and beat until well mixed.
2) Add the milk and vanilla, mix well

3) Sprinkle cinnamon on top of the milk (two shakes)

4) Add 1tbs of butter to the pan and heat on medium low heat until the butter begins to melt. Move the butter around until the whole pan is coated with butter. It's pretty fun...
5) Dip a piece of bread into the milk, coating one side, and then the other. Place the cinnamon side down on the pan, and sprinkle the top with more cinnamon.
6) Whisk the milk and add more cinnamon to the top. Repeat dipping the bread until you fill your pan (but make sure you have enough space for flipping)
7) After 3 minutes, check the french toast. If it sticks, let it stay for another minute. Flip. This part is really up to you, I like mine a light golden brown, but more crispy is also very tasty (more crispy makes for quite a pretty picture too....)
8) Wait another 2 minutes and check the other side.
9) When crisped to perfection, serve pretty side up (it tastes better that way)
10) Heat some maple syrup and drizzle all over
11) Repeat steps 3-10 until you are out of the milk mixture, or everyone is stuffed
12) Enjoy with a nice glass of milk, now you're ready for the day! (It's also good for brinner...)