Winter Storms and French Toast

Go to or Marc's as a snowstorm approaches, and you see a lot of stocking up.

And it seems there are always these four things in the carts: eggs, milk, bread and toilet paper.

As my friend Cindy, a Pennsylvania native now living in Norway with her husband and two sons, says, "I guess the only things people do during a snowstorm are one, make French toast and, two, poop."

Thanks to her, I now associate winter storms with French toast. And we're not alone. A Boston-based website created a French Toast Alert system to let people know if they needed to run to the store in advance of a Snowmygawd event.

With another winter storm set to slam Avon on Friday, it's the perfect time to talk French toast.

I used to think of French toast as a brunch indulgence, something you had when you were going out to brunch. It seemed too much work for one person. Then, I met John, and enjoyed making nice things for him. Which is probably one of the reasons he married me.

I wanted to make him a special weekend breakfast, and French toast fit the bill. For a French toast recipe, I went to one of my old reliables, Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa. I've had good luck with her recipes, and she came through again with her recipe for pain perdu from her book "Barefoot in Paris."

There's a key factor to French toast that is often overlooked: the bread. Some breads are just not good French toast breads. Like rye, or ciabatta. My favorites are challah or brioche. But a good, firm sandwich-style white bread will do fine. Cut the slices generously, at least a half-inch thick. I usually do one-inch slices.

The bread is supposed to be really, really dried out.  After all, the recipe was created to make use of stale or almost-stale bread. Taking soft, fresh bread and trying to make French toast with it just makes a sodden mess. Dry, almost hard, bread soaks up the custardy mixture like a sponge but still keeps some bread-y texture to go with that creaminess.

You can get that dryness two ways. I usually slice the bread the day before and leave it on some stackable cooling racks I have for baking cookies. The air gets on all sides of the bread and it usually dries out fine overnight. You can also dry out the bread in the oven. Just don't set the oven higher than 300 degrees, and pay close attention. You want the bread dry, not toasted. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes or so before making the French toast.

Over time, I've adjusted the Barefoot Contessa recipe to fit my tastes and what's in my pantry. I use Cointreau instead of Grand Marnier because that's what we have on hand. One time, I was out of vanilla extract and instead used a splash of John's favorite Barbancourt rum. If you don't feel comfortable cooking with alcohol, or don't want to buy a bottle of Cointreau or Grand Marnier just to make French toast, fresh-squeezed orange juice works fine instead. I also have whole nutmeg in my spice drawer, and I grate a generous pinch into the custard mixture. The slightly peppery bite of the nutmeg cuts the sweetness of the orange, cinnamon and honey.

French toast makes a great backdrop for fruit. In June, when the local farm stands are selling strawberries, I love to slice up a mess of them and put them on French toast. Growing up in New England, my French toast default setting is maple syrup, not confectioner's sugar.

So, if you've found yourself doing the pre-storm stock-up, why not whip up some French toast for a family treat?

About Avon Eats

This is a column about Avon folks and food. What are we buying, cooking, eating?

While I enjoy writing about my own cooking adventures, I really want to write about you.

There are so many subjects to explore. Are you transitioning from cooking for a family to cooking for two as your kids have grown up and moved out? Are you trying to incorporate healthier foods into your life? Have you tried to reproduce your grandmother's beloved recipes? Are you trying to get your kids involved in food and cooking? Do you garden or preserve produce? Have you become a cooking fanatic and have a half-dozen cooking shows on your DVR? Are you broadening your food horizons? Send me an e-mail and let me know your story, or if you know someone who would be fun to talk with.

Bon appetit!