Grand Marnier French toast; 17th Street Productions
I can't believe I'm up! I woke up at 8 am. D is still sleeping. We're trying to get on a "normal" sleep schedule, but so far I'm the only one who got there.
Anyway, I made the Grand Marnier French toast, and put the rest of the batter in the fridge for when he wakes up. I must say, I paid extra for some organic eggs (no cages, vegetarian feed, the box boasted), and they looked much better when I was beating them. Healthier and more sturdy, somehow.
I expected the French toast to be really rich. It's not. It's good in a more subtle way, so that you finish up 2 slices and think, "Hmm, I'll have another." Fortunately I used challah bread and the pieces from the ends were quite small, so I could have 3 slices without feeling pig-like.
Here's the recipe (from Vegetarian Classics by Jeanne Lemlin):
4 large eggs
2/3 c low-fat milk (I used soy)
1/4 c Grand Marnier or Triple Sec (or other orange liqueur)
1/4 c sugar
Oil for frying (preferably canola)
8 slices good-quality white bread (I used challah from D'Aiuto's)
Maple syrup
1. In a medium-size bowl, thoroughly beat the eggs until perfectly blended. Beat in the milk, Grand Marnier and sugar. Pour into a shallow dish such as a glass pie plate.
2. Pour a thin film of oil into a frying pan and heat over medium heat until a drop of water dances when dropped on it.
3. Place the slices of bread one by one in the egg mixture and let sit a few seconds. Carefully turn each one over and moisten the other side. Place a slice of soaked bread in the frying pan and repeat with another slice. Cook on both sides until golden brown and cooked through. Regulate the heat so the bread doesn't brown too fast. Serve with a bit of maple syrup.
Tip (from the cookbook author): Using 2 large skillets makes the process move quickly. Experiment with different breads such as challah or French bread. If using supermarket bread, select a good-quality white bread such as Pepperidge Farm Hearty White.
Tip (from me): You may want to skip the "drop of water dancing" step. My drop of water didn't dance, it took a tizzy.
Also: I feel robbed! I've been devouring the Gossip Girl series this week, from the library. I noticed the copyright page said "By 17th Street Productions" rather than "By Cecily von Ziegesar," who's listed as the author on the cover. An Internet search revealed that 17th Street Productions, recently bought by Alloy Company, has a stable of "writers for hire" who churn out books based on pre-arranged plots. The writers are paid but don't get authorial credit.
I flipped through some of my other teen books. Sadly, even The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is part of the machine, though it's copyrighted by Alloy Company and Ann Brashares (the author on the cover). Same deal with The Au Pairs (I got that from the library in the past, so I checked the copyright page on Amazon). I wonder why Cecily von Ziegesar didn't even get co-credit? Did she not do anything? And if that's the case, why is she listed as the author on the cover?
Oh well.
Anyway, I made the Grand Marnier French toast, and put the rest of the batter in the fridge for when he wakes up. I must say, I paid extra for some organic eggs (no cages, vegetarian feed, the box boasted), and they looked much better when I was beating them. Healthier and more sturdy, somehow.
I expected the French toast to be really rich. It's not. It's good in a more subtle way, so that you finish up 2 slices and think, "Hmm, I'll have another." Fortunately I used challah bread and the pieces from the ends were quite small, so I could have 3 slices without feeling pig-like.
Here's the recipe (from Vegetarian Classics by Jeanne Lemlin):
4 large eggs
2/3 c low-fat milk (I used soy)
1/4 c Grand Marnier or Triple Sec (or other orange liqueur)
1/4 c sugar
Oil for frying (preferably canola)
8 slices good-quality white bread (I used challah from D'Aiuto's)
Maple syrup
1. In a medium-size bowl, thoroughly beat the eggs until perfectly blended. Beat in the milk, Grand Marnier and sugar. Pour into a shallow dish such as a glass pie plate.
2. Pour a thin film of oil into a frying pan and heat over medium heat until a drop of water dances when dropped on it.
3. Place the slices of bread one by one in the egg mixture and let sit a few seconds. Carefully turn each one over and moisten the other side. Place a slice of soaked bread in the frying pan and repeat with another slice. Cook on both sides until golden brown and cooked through. Regulate the heat so the bread doesn't brown too fast. Serve with a bit of maple syrup.
Tip (from the cookbook author): Using 2 large skillets makes the process move quickly. Experiment with different breads such as challah or French bread. If using supermarket bread, select a good-quality white bread such as Pepperidge Farm Hearty White.
Tip (from me): You may want to skip the "drop of water dancing" step. My drop of water didn't dance, it took a tizzy.
Also: I feel robbed! I've been devouring the Gossip Girl series this week, from the library. I noticed the copyright page said "By 17th Street Productions" rather than "By Cecily von Ziegesar," who's listed as the author on the cover. An Internet search revealed that 17th Street Productions, recently bought by Alloy Company, has a stable of "writers for hire" who churn out books based on pre-arranged plots. The writers are paid but don't get authorial credit.
I flipped through some of my other teen books. Sadly, even The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is part of the machine, though it's copyrighted by Alloy Company and Ann Brashares (the author on the cover). Same deal with The Au Pairs (I got that from the library in the past, so I checked the copyright page on Amazon). I wonder why Cecily von Ziegesar didn't even get co-credit? Did she not do anything? And if that's the case, why is she listed as the author on the cover?
Oh well.
Comments
Carolyn - I'll come over to your blog and post it in a comment. My condolences on the in-law visit, by the way. I hope you get some free time soon!