Firstly I would like to wish all the mom’s out there a wonderful day of peace and relaxation doing whatever it is that makes you happy. I personally hope to get in 9 holes of golf this afternoon. This is my first mother’s day with nothing really planned. My normal mother’s day consists of me making my mother and mother-in-law either brunch or dinner and sometimes both. Neither is in the state this year so I get the day off, for that matter my own kids are both out of state well actually they are both out of the country. My son went to visit his sister in Japan; he does arrive home late tonight so off to Boston we will go, my husband and I will go out to dinner somewhere en-route.
Looking for something a little special for breakfast? Pain Perdu can be as easy or as sexy as you want to make it. Just the name sounds sexy; you got to just love romantic languages they can make an ordinary meal sound phenomenal. Case in point Pain Perdu translates to “lost bread” or as we know it French toast nuff said.
My inspiration for how I made this dish was from my favorite local restaurant, they serve something similar for one of their desserts and it is amazing. It also helps that there were a couple of bananas’ on the counter that needed another purpose and we had some leftover French bread from the previous night’s dinner. This shows exactly how frugal I can be. Quick story – my girlfriend was over one night and mentioned something about caramelized bananas so I whipped it up for her YUM!
Sorry a little longer than a quick story – The best French toast I ever had and forever changed the way we make it from that day forward. For my 25th birthday my husband surprised me with a weeklong trip to the US Virgin Island of St Thomas. We went into Charlotte Amalie for breakfast at the Greenhouse Café and I ordered French toast. It looked pretty, but the taste was just amazing. It was sliced elongated; it was buttery cooked to perfection and sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar. I asked the waitress if the chef would share how it was made. Even back then I was a foodie and didn’t know it. His secret was the wash; it was only egg and rum. Who knew!
Caramelized Bananas
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 bananas
In a small sauté pan melt butter medium low heat, add sugar and sliced bananas. Cook until sugar has caramelized; watch carefully it could turn from yummy to yucky pretty quickly.
Pain Perdu (aka lost bread)
3 Eggs
Splash of rum
Splash of Milk (yes I can’t not put some in)
Few sprinkles of cinnamon
Splash of Vanilla
Loaf of leftover French bread
Sprinkle of confectioners sugar
Slice bread, in a shallow dish add eggs, rum and cinnamon beat till combined. Add sliced bread to egg mixture soak a minute or two, flip to soak other side. Pre-heat griddle add soaked bread once up to temperature. Cook till brown on both sides. While toast is cooking; make the caramelized bananas.