French toast

Amazing what you can do with a couple eggs and slices of day old bread or "pain perdu" (stale bread). The combo is usually known as French toast. Exactly why it's French toast we are not too sure. But in several different countries, there's a way of  using "stale bread" by soaking in milk and/or egg and frying. This may be prepared as a sweet - topped with syrup or honey or jam - or savoury breakfast dish. There are as many variations as there are types of bread which may be sliced!

Use the basic recipe and you can whip up your own fancy "French toast!"

Beat two eggs in a wide bowl with a splash of milk and dash of salt. If you intend it to be complemented with honey or jam or even powdered sugar, beat in a teaspoon or less of sugar. If you want something savoury, add finely chopped garlic, or chives and pimento, leaving out the sugar. Soak two slices of day old bread in the egg until the batter is soaked into the bread. Fry in a hot buttered skillet until golden on both sides, and the egg is cooked through.

Today's version uses a bit of fresh ham, finely chopped.

Use egg beaten with finely chopped garlic and bits of ham.

Fry gently on each side in butter.

This French toast uses a creole white bread. Melt butter in your skillet and fry gently until golden on each side.