“Dinner’s Ready…”
“But that is not dinner, that’s Breakfast…”
“ok, well were having ‘Breakfast Dinner’”
Why do certain foods have to be for certain times of the day? And why is ok to cross-over traditional “dinner” items – steak & eggs – into breakfast; but not cross over breakfast items into dinner?
I am here to say “BUNK!” (well there is a few other choice words I would use, but this is a Playskool approved site). Food is food; be it consumed for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is all nourishment and should all taste good. Dessert is good for you too; but with all food is should be consumed in moderation. Listen to the body. If the body is carving a bowl or cereal, toast or eggs, chances are the body needs something (carbs, protein, calcium) that would be found in one of those items.
Some may say, serving a bowl of cereal for dinner is lazy. But if a bowl of cereal is good enough at the beginning of the day why could it not be good enough at the end of the day? And the same should be said of all “breakfast” items. In fact, in todays society there is often less time to create a more in-depth, complex breakfast items in the morning. Not to mention when your a person cooking for many sometimes you need a little help from something quick and easy.
In my house, pancakes and waffles are the king of specialty breakfast items; be it they are topped with a pecan syrup, caramelized bananas or a brown sugar apple and raisin mix. But oh so many times it is French Toast that is cried for. Now in truth, the French do eat a version called Pan Perdu. In Europe, it is typically served as a dessert with a fruit or ice cream topping. As Americans, it was our pure obsession to eat sweet things for breakfast which transformed the French Toast into what it is today.
Even though French toast is “sweet,” it does not mean it could not be served for dinner or modified to add a bit more nutrition to the dish; using a high quality syrup, a whole grain artisan bread, fruit topping are just a few example. Remember, ingredients are only a part of the equation when eating healthy; portion size being the other half. The point is to make good food to put into your body (healthy and tasty). Note – good food doesn’t always have to be fancy food. Some of the best food you will eat will be “humble” food; and there is nothing more humble than bread!
The other day, I made a beautiful French Toast for my family and yes it was for dinner. I made my own bread, but you don’t have too. I make my own for a couple of reasons; my kids love homemade bread, it is an extra practice in honing my skills and I have secret love affair with baking. Now, I could bore you with a 3 day recipe for a good Sourdough; then again, you could simply venture to a high end or specialty store where they will carry a fresh sourdough boule. Especially in today’s culinary world, a great deal of stores carry quality bread; in efforts to get their slice of the “pie.” I also topped my French toast off with Banana Syrup. Mind you, my French Toast was also served with wine…but we will get to that.
Banana French Toast
6 slices of sourdough
5 each eggs
1 cup milk
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 each banana
1 cup maple syrup
1. slice bananas about 1/4″ thick. Quickly sauté them in a skillet with a small amount of butter. cook for about 2 mins, then add syrup. bring boil to a boil and turn off heat.
2. whisk together eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla. pour into a pan big enough to hold a slice of bread (9×9 is recommended).
3. heat a non-stick griddle (if the griddle is not non-stick, spray with pan coating) on medium heat till hot. dip bread into egg mix and let soak for about 1 min on each side.
4. remove bread from egg mix, allowing the excess to drain off prior to placing it in the skillet.
5. cook for about 2 mins on each side.
6. place on a plate (2 pieces per person) a top with Banana syrup and ENJOY!
Now back to the wine! As I have always said, “There is a wine for every time and every occasion.” Breakfast-Dinner is no different. Is not Breakfast-Dinner food? If you eat it, does it not nourish you, does it not taste good, does it not still require the same love and attention as any other meal?!
When you break it down, food is food. All food has flavor no matter what meal period you are serving it for. And it is the flavors of food (not the “meal period”) that you are pairing with wine. For this one, I choose California Girl from South Coast Winery. California Girl, or Cali Girl as it more affectionately called, is a table white wine. Even though it is classified as a “table” wine, it is far from drab. Cali Girl is a blend of 6 different grapes, primarily of Sauvignon Blanc. The blend of these grapes gives the wine a subtle sweetness as well as nice fruit aroma. It is this delicate balance that also gives the wine a good opening and a nice finish; it also gives it the ability to be paired with a variety of different items–including Breakfast-Dinner. In fact, when pairing Cali Girl with French Toast; the toast itself will help to bring out a nice grassy note and the Banana syrup with help to emphasize a sweet fruit flavor. It is a really nice pairing, but is it the only choice…..
dinnerbyjr 