Pain Perdu (French Toast) with Sautéed Cherries

[ts]
This post is a big THANK YOU to Bellini Valli of More than Burnt Toast: Thank you!

We entered a giveaway not too long ago celebrating her two years of blogging. Wow, two years! That's a long time, in blogging-years. =) If you aren't already a reader of her blog, do go and check it out.

Among the numerous entries, we were quite surprised and overjoyed to hear that we won!

Since Bellini Valli is a fellow Canadian, the giveaway prize was a choice among a selection of Canadian cookbooks. We chose Laura Calder's French Taste: Elegant Everyday Eating.

It is only fitting that we make something from the cookbook. Bellini Valli, this pain perdu is for you. =)

http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com/2009/02/two-years-of-bloggingand-giveaway.html
http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com/2009/02/tried-tested-and-true-turkey-pinwheels.html



[ts]
Recently, we've received a ton of cherries! One might say that we were a bit overrun with cherries. Looking at the cover of French Taste: Elegant Everyday Eating and seeing Laura Calder there with a bowl of cherries, we hoped that we would find a recipe using them.

We also had some French bread that has been slowly deteriorating in quality, sitting on the counter for a few days. It was certainly très perdu!

Our luck must still be with us, as we found this recipe for Pain Perdu with Sautéed Cherries.



[ts]
There's the French toast, there's the sautéed cherries. Put them together and you have a great dessert! (Or breakfast, or snack... Or lunch or dinner, for that matter.) ;)

I was too lazy to do the extra step of brûléeing each French toast, but obviously that would be delicious. We didn't have ice cream to serve with it, so we topped ours with some ricotta.


This serving is for Bellini Valli of More Than Burnt Toast. =)

Our Laura Calder & Laura Calder-inspired posts
Piedmont Marinated Eggs
Stuffed Savoy Cabbage with Pork
Pain Perdu (French Toast) with Sautéed Cherries
Hazelnut Roll

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Recipe
Pain Perdu with Sautéed Cherries
from Laura Calder's French Taste: Elegant Everyday Eating
Makes 4 servings

For the cherries
2 tablespoons butter
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar, more to taste
2 pounds cherries

For the pain perdu
1 cup milk, more if needed
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 thick slices day-old baguette
1 egg
2 tablespoons sugar, more for caramelizing
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

For the cherries, melt the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the cherries, turn the heat to high, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. Scatter over the sugar, and continue cooking until the cherries break down somewhat, about 2 minutes more. Set aside.

For the pain perdu, stir together the milk and vanilla in a shallow dish, and soak the bread slices in it for about 5 minutes, turning once so they absorb the milk evenly. Beat the egg with the sugar, and pour onto a plate. Heat the butter in a frying pan over medium heat until sizzling. Take the bread from the milk, holding it above the bowl to drain slightly. Dip into the egg mixture to coat both sides, then drop into the sizzling butter, and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side.

At the last minute, sprinkle the tops with a little extra sugar, and "broil" with a kitchen blowtorch (or place them on a baking sheet under the broiler until the sugar melts, bubbles, and turns golden).

Divide the bread among serving plates. Serve hot with a scoop of ice cream and a spoonful of sautéed cherries.

Grilled Eggplant with Sweet Miso

[js]
Back in the days when our stovetop grill was still clean, we decided to grill some eggplants indoors.

The eggplants were cut in half lengthwise, brushed them with oil, then proceeded to grill each side.

Which reminds me, any tips on how to clean grills? Like, super-duper clean? Washing grates, stovetop grills also gets only 80% of the stuff that clings. Any ideas how to grill and grill implements to at least 90% of their original condition?

It's quite disheartening to see the grill look not-so-new.

Much as we love the taste of simply grilled eggplants, we thought we could add a Japanese twist to it by serving it with a miso dressing on top.



[ts]
We mixed together some red miso, a touch of sugar, some mirin and rice vinegar. This was heated for alittle bit. After the eggplant slices were done, we spread the miso mixture on top and sprinkled some sesame seeds to finish.

[js]
This was wonderful! The creamy sweetness of the eggplants really went to town with the miso dressing. The only drawback to this that I can think of is that we actually have to make the dressing instead of it magically appearing. ;)

This miso paste was also great on grilled portobello mushrooms and grilled zucchini.



Some more Japanese miso & eggplant action:
[No Recipes] Nasu Denagaku (Grilled Eggplant with Sweet Miso Sauce)
Apple Pie, Patis, & Pâté Grilled Eggplants, Japanese-style (Yakinasu)

[eatingclub] Japanese
Dashi, Three Types
Potatoes Simmered in Miso (Jaga-imo Miso-ni)
Simmered Saba Mackerel with Daikon Radish (Saba Oroshi-ni)
Miso Soup
Steelhead Trout and Enoki Mushrooms with Wasabi Cream Sauce
Grilled Brats à la Japadog
Warm Wakame Cucumber Salad
Grilled Eggplant with Sweet Miso

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Recipe
Grilled/Broiled Eggplant with Sweet Miso
from Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World
Makes 4 servings

4 small or 2 large thin, long eggplants
peanut oil (or neutral oil)
1/4 cup dark ("red") miso
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
lightly toasted sesame seeds

Remove caps from eggplants and cut in half lengthwise. Brush eggplant slices well with oil. Grill/broil until browned on both sides, brushing with more oil if the eggplant looks dry.

When the eggplant is almost done, combine, miso, sygar, mirin and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Cook for about 1 minute in a small saucepan, stirring.

Spread miso mixture thinly over each eggplant half. Top with sesame seeds. Serve hot or room temperature.

White / Green Chicken Chili (redux)

[js]
We've decided to take advantage of better light in the summer and make white green chili again for photographs.

Looks better now, I guess?

I used chicken breasts this time around, but you know, I think I'll give ground turkey another chance and do a white-green chili with turkey the next time.



The original post with more-or-less step-by-step photographs:
http://www.eatingclubvancouver.com/2009/02/white-chili-green-chili.html

Recipe

White / Green Chicken Chili
Makes 6 servings

2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 chicken legs

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Anaheim peppers, diced
1 serrano chili pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano (Mediterranean or Mexican is fine)

2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4 whole cloves

2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups chicken stock

2 tbsp cilantro, minced

flour tortillas (or corn tortillas)
various accompaniments (see below)

1. Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a skillet. Brown chicken legs.
2. Take out and set aside chicken legs. Drain excess oil.
3. Add onions.
4. When onions are translucent, add ground cumin and oregano and cook with onions until lightly brown.
5. Add garlic. When fragrant, add the Anaheim peppers, serrano and jalapeño peppers.
6. Add the cannellini beans.
7. Add chicken stock.
8. Put back the chicken legs and add the thyme, bay leaf and cloves.
9. Simmer until chicken legs are tender, about 35-45 minutes.
10. If desired, debone chicken legs and put back the shredded chicken meat into the pan.
11. Stir in the chopped cilantro.
12. Serve with flour tortillas warmed up.
13. Other garnishes to include: queso fresco, sliced radishes, more jalapeños, sliced avocados, lime wedges. (Or, of course, our Lemon Feta Dip.)
14. Enjoy.