French Toast. JB325 / Canva Pro
The 28th of November is French Toast Day.
In the northern hemisphere, at least, the end of November is a good time of year for a nice, warm, comfort food breakfast, and French toast, being eggy bread that is moist yet crispy at the same time, fits the bill perfectly.
Do you like regular French toast, or, do you like it flavoured? Restaurants offer many unusual flavour choices now such as cinnamon swirl, peanut butter, etc. Some cooks even press the slices in crunchy breakfast cereal before frying it up.
French toast is very easy to make. It is one of the first “gourmet” things a budding chef can be taught. It’s also easy to make batches up ahead and freeze them for quick use on busy mornings.
But if neither time nor inclination permit, you can buy it frozen now to heat up in your microwave or toaster.
Some people like their French toast very plain with perhaps just a bit of butter; others say it’s all about the toppings.
What do you like on your French toast? Corn syrup, table syrup, maple syrup, fruit syrup, whipped cream, jam, fruit compote, ketchup, caramel sauce, chocolate syrup?
Have you ever tried stuffed French toast, with cheese in the middle of it, like a grilled cheese sandwich dipped in egg batter and fried? The Italian version of this, ‘mozzarella en carrozza’ (“mozzarella in a carriage”), is made with mozzarella, as the name gives away. Some people like to slide a schmear of Marmite or Vegemite in the middle along with the cheese.
What else do you like with your French toast? Sausage, bacon, orange juice, coffee, tea?
#FrenchToastDay #NationalFrenchToastDay
See also: French Toast, Poor Knights of Windsor, Milk Toast, Bread Pudding, Orange Juice Day, Better Breakfast Day, Grits for Breakfast Day
Activities for today
- Try making French toast with banana bread, challah bread, panettone or raisin bread;
- have French toast for dessert at supper, with a warm custard sauce, or whipped cream, and maybe with some dried fruit, nuts or chocolate chips;
- try a Crème Brûlée version of French Toast with orange zest and Grand Marnier, Triple Sec or Cointreau for an orange flavouring accent;
- treat yourself to a French toast breakfast or lunch at your favourite breakfast restaurant;
- make a batch of French toast and freeze it (see below);
- try making French toast with whole grain bread to make it just a lil bit healthier;
- try cutting your French toast at home into sticks for dunking into syrup or sauces;
- if you work in a cafeteria or in food service, put French toast on the menu today, maybe even all-day French toast!
Recipes
Freezer French Toast
7 eggs
2 ½ cups (600 ml) milk
1 loaf of bread
margarine or butter
Clean worksurface; wash hands.
Mix eggs and milk. Dip bread into egg mixture.
Brown in butter or margarine until golden, turn, brown other side.
Spread cooked French toast on cookie sheets in a single layer. Freeze. Transfer to plastic bags. To reheat, place frozen slice in toaster oven or in
microwave and heat.
Nutrition varies by bread used.
Source: Brennand, Charlotte. Efficient Cooking for One. Utah State University Extension Service. FN 501. July 1995. Page 5.
History
The first print media mention of a “French Toast Day” in November that CooksInfo is aware of dates from 2005 in Texas:
“Today is… National French Toast Day.” — Jobs column. El Paso, Texas: El Paso Times. Monday, 28 November 2005. Page E1, col. 7.
The same mention appeared on the same day in at least 14 other newspapers across the United States, possibly papers in the same syndicated newspaper network.
Sources
Barus, Rebecca. Best Brunch Spots to Celebrate National French Toast Day. Philadephia, PA: Philadelphia Style Magazine. 27 November 2018. Accessed October 2021 at https://phillystylemag.com/Best-Brunch-Spots-To-Celebrate-National-French-Toast-Day
Burkey, Jack. 28th November — French Toast Day. Medium Magazine. 28 November 2018. Accessed October 2012 at https://medium.com/@CalendarClubUK/28th-november-french-toast-day-d9784afdc765
LaBerge, Dean. National French Toast Day. Toronto, Canada: The Toronto Star. 24 November 2020. Accessed October 2020 at https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/11/24/national-french-toast-day.html
Larsen, Alexis. It’s National French Toast Day. Dayton, Ohio: Dayton Daily News. 26 November 2012. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/national-french-toast-day/bdnN26ipFRs2xEybo4iJBL/
Michal, Jahna. Celebrate National French Toast Day with this Healthy Plant-based Recipe. Atlantic City, New Jersey: WPUR Radio. 28 November 2018. Accessed October 2021 at https://catcountry1073.com/celebrate-national-french-toast-day-with-this-healthy-plant-based-recipe/
Walansky, Aly. 5 fantastic French toast recipes to celebrate National French Toast Day. Today Show, NBC. 28 November 2017. Accessed October 2021 at https://www.today.com/food/best-french-toast-recipes-national-french-toast-day-t119340
Williams, Dave. National French Toast Day. Norfolk, NE: Norfolk Daily News. 28 November 2018. Accessed October 2021 at http://norfolkdailynews.com/lite_rock/programs/dave_williams/national-french-toast-day/article_4c4fbf86-f318-11e8-8809-97bf5453066c.html