BREAKFAST, 2ND EDITION
PART OF VALENTINE’S DAY MENU
I went to a restaurant that serves ‘breakfast at any time’. So I ordered French toast during the Renaissance. ~Steven Wright (1955 – )
COOK FOR THE ONE YOU LOVE ON FEBRUARY 14TH
Here’s an alternate for Valentine’s Day. But, Joy – you may be saying – it’s not yet February! Valentine’s Day is weeks away. Okay then, get started now! A month will creep up on you like a tax deadline, and you don’t want to leave such a day to chance. Last week, I described a dinner that you can prepare for a sweetheart worthy of those three heartfelt words. Feeding such a person deserves nothing less than some advance planning. With twenty-one days to go, there’s plenty of time to practice some things beforehand, and to consider some alternates.   Make the poached salmon for dinner rather than roast chicken (or even the tossed salad and delivery pizza) if that suits you and your honey. It’s your kitchen and, as long as you’re cooking, I’m not dictating. I also spoke about the value of helping to clean up afterward if you’re not the one who’s been whipping it up in the kitchen. If doing the dishes turns her on, imagine what cooking a romantic meal yourself will do.
BRUNCH!
Here’s an alternative to dinner altogether if you want to take on significantly less. Sunday brunch certainly qualifies as high romance. And there is a bonus this year: the day after Valentine’s Day is President’s Day! So if you’re one of the lucky ones who doesn’t have to get to work on Monday morning, you can sleep in and have a leisurely brunch for two.
We’ll take on French toast because, well, doesn’t everyone like French toast? It is much quicker and easier than pancakes or waffles, and requires no special equipment or ingredients. You can whisk the eggs and cream together a little or a lot. Start with a good quality, whole grain bread.  Sprouted wheat is very good as French toast, or Italian bread. Challah also Frenches nicely; I’ve even used challah rolls split in half with a bread knife. If you get your bread from a bakery, have them slice it extra thick, about 3/4 of an inch.
You may want to have two skillets of French toast going so it will all be done at once and can be served hot. Alternatively, you can keep finished slices in a warm oven (200 ºF).
French toast, while delicious, isn’t the slightest bit temperamental. As long as you don’t have the heat too high or neglect it while cooking, you will have great success.  French toast is relatively quiet while cooking, so don’t fret if it doesn’t sizzle. It won’t mind if you peek at the side that’s cooking to gauge when it’s ready for turning.
FINISH
Sprinkle the finished stack with a bit of powdered sugar for a cheerful presentation (put a little in a salt shaker, flour sifter or small sieve for even spreading). If maple syrup or preserves are taken from the fridge, take them out in advance to bring to room-temperature. I like syrup heated up a little. This is where the egg poacher comes in handy. One or two egg half-cupfuls are just the right amount. If heating in the microwave, put a mugful of water in at the same time to slow down the cooking. Heat in 5-second intervals, watching all the while; it can reach the boiling point very quickly and will boil over and make a colossal mess.  If you want to serve the syrup at the table, pour into jiggers (one at each place setting) warmed with hot water. If you run hot tap water on the plates and dry just before serving, it will help to keep any meal hotter longer, especially in winter.
BACON TIPS
Bacon gets along well with French toast, as long as the bacon isn’t English. Get some good-quality sugar-cured thick cut rind-less bacon from a butcher; the packaged stuff from the grocery store is not only paper thin and fatty, but it’s pumped full of water. Bacon that steams in the skillet rather than fries, or sticks to the pan, is a sign of a high water content; don’t expect much taste from it, or size retention after it’s cooked. Turn bacon frequently during its frying, until the desired crispness is reached. Cooked bacon should no longer be white. Two strips of good-quality bacon are far superior than four or six of the cheap stuff. Drain on paper towels when done.
Make sure you have a skillet or griddle large enough for the bacon strips to spread out. If you absolutely cannot beg, borrow or steal a pan large enough (thrift shops are a good source for inexpensive cookware, as long as you don’t pick up any that is war-torn and Teflon-coated) cut them in half crosswise.  Add bacon to the pan while it is heating up, and cook on medium heat. The trick is to get the pan hot enough to fry it but not so high that it spits at you for the duration.
Start Frenchin!
