Breakfast Tableau with Your Pal, the Nameless One

Monday 9/16 Eats: French Toast (don't let looks deceive you)

I've had a craving for French Toast for a few months. Yesterday I found a recipe that looked promising, so this morning I schlepped it to the local foods libraries (Kroger) to buy the ingredients I didn't already have. I also bought the stuff to try Jim Lahey's famous No Knead bread recipe, so that'll be a post in the near future:)

Back to the French Toast. I'll link the original recipe in the post for anyone who might happen upon this post. This recipe calls for oven dried bread. I'm only cooking for myself, so I took two slices of brioche and put them on a baking sheet in the oven for about 30 minutes at 200°F, turning them over halfway through. I removed the dried bread from the oven and set it aside to dry in the open air for another 45 minutes while I cleaned my fridge and made inventories for my fridge and cabinets (it helps with the object permanence issues from ADHD).

I was skeptical about drying the bread this much, but the results were incredible. The bread took the milk and egg mixture beautifully. The final result had a nice, caramel crispness on the surface and a soft, sweet, delicious center that held its shape and was not soggy.

The dark coating on the slice in the photo isn't char, my friends, it's caramel. This recipe calls for more sugar than you might expect. I believe he recommended 2tbsp sugar per Cup of milk or cream. He also recommends a sprinkle of additional sugar while cooking. This is what created the caramelized crust you see in the photo. I was worried that my French Toast would be too sweet, but it was just right with the pat of salted butter and sugar free syrup I used (gotta cut back somewhere lol). Cookie Monster would like us to know that this French Toast is a sometimes food. I swear to golb my first thought upon taking a bite was "damn... restaurant quality...DAMN".

For one serving I used:

Two eggs

2/3c of Half and Half

1/8 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/8 tsp coarse kosher salt

2tbsp sugar

A very generous pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg

I really enjoyed making this recipe and I've added it to my list of simple meals to perfect for company.

I'm docking a couple of points for my own inexperience but this really is excellent. 8/10

Breakfast 9/11

Sometimes, pudding for breakfast is self care. I made this pudding last night to use as emotional support for the Presidential Debate. ESP (Emotional Support Pud) consists of two (2) boxes of chocolate instant pudding, four (4) cups of extra creamy oat milk, and as many crushed and whole Double Stuff Oreos as your conscience will allow. Mine allows for nearly half a family size container. I set it in the freezer for 30 minutes, then moved it to the fridge for two or three hours to allow the Oreos to soften. This is really rich, so I'm going to try freezing some of the leftovers.

As an emotional analgesic, I give this pudding a 3/10. It was tasty but very rich, so it's not something I could eat half of in a single sitting, and that's usually what I want from comfort food.

As a breakfast food, I enjoyed it for its novelty but I would not suggest running a marathon on it! 4/10

I would definitely eat it again as a dessert though! I wonder how I might cut some of the sweetness with something deeper/darker like coffee-ish maybe?

Tuesday Breakfast 9/10

Breakfast burritos with refried black beans, eggs, pico de Gallo, guacamole, field greens and sausage. This was my first ever attempt to fold them properly and seal them with the hot pan. It's not perfect, but I'm satisfied:)

I ate two of them and I'm going to see how the third fares in the freezer. Homemade frozen breakfast burritos sound like a nice prep for quick breakfasts if they don't break down during reheating.

[Wrapped in parchment and sealed in freezer bag. Will update after attempting to reheat]

Next time I think I'll try using chorizo instead of American style breakfast sausage.

Tea is Orange Turmeric Ginger again.

Monday Breakfast 9/9/24

Greek omelette with sauteed spinach and garlic, Roma tomatoes, and generous amounts of feta. Black pepper and smoked paprika sprinkled on top. Served with a slice of potato bread toast with a drizzle of olive oil.

I must say, I'm shocked by how cooperative the eggs were during the folding and flipping process. This is my first omelette in years and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. The eggs are fluffy, the flavors don't overwhelm each other, and it folded really well! The sprinkle of smoked paprika added a little extra flavor and color to it, and the feta is so salty that I skipped using table salt altogether.

Next time I'll add red onion or shallots and I might try a different tomato.

Toast is toast. I like toast.

Tea is Orange Turmeric Ginger and yes, I am drinking a bucket of it.

Today's rating: 7/10

This morning's vape is Blue Mintz Live Resin by Cresco. Purchased with prescription for a medical condition at a legal dispensary. Don't vape underage. Your brains aren't done cooking yet.

Energetic, creative and focused. Happy and content. It creeps a bit. May get cracking on some art projects:)

Sunday brunch and Vape:

-Pan seared pork chop, marinated overnight

-two eggs, over easy

-roasted Brussels Sprouts

-buckets of peppermint tea

Pork chop was a bit dry. I'll have to be more vigilant about using the meat thermometer in the future. Over easy eggs were good. The yolks paired well with the brussels sprouts. Next time I'll skip the pork chop and stick to eggs and sprouts.

Much to be improved, but not bad for an absolute beginner.

2/10. Did not finish the meal.

Vape: Sour Bubble Live Resin by Timeless. Purchased by prescription for a medical condition at a legal dispensary. Don't vape underage. Your brains aren't done cooking yet.

Very chill body high. Great for pain. Deeply relaxing. Almost sedative. No anxiety.