Food Men Love. Margie Lapanja

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      Treat That Poor Knight Like a King

      Before French toast elevated its social status and fund its way onto upscale breakfast tables, it kept shady company on the edge of antiquity's kitchen. In the dank, dark days of England's Middle Ages, when poor knights and foot soldiers were out defending their king's lands and castle, they subsisted on stale slices of bread dipped in wine and soured milk and fried over a fire. The dish was aptly nicknamed “Poor Knights of Windsor.”

      Over in France, this same fare was (and still is) the classic pain perdu, or “lost bread,” made exclusively with leftover bread from the baker's day off—bread that would normally be “lost” to the birds and dogs. Add a few eggs, sweet spices, rich milk…voilà! Men came to love it.

      Whenever I want a man to feel regal, I cook up this remarkable, revamped version of Portuguese Toast with peachy Love Sauce from my book Goddess in the Kitchen and allow him the fantasy of being king of the world.

       King Toast with Queen Peach Sause

      4 large firm peaches or 8 apricots, peeled, pitted, sliced

      ¾ to 1 cup pure maple syrup

      1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, divided

      1 round loaf King's Hawaiian Bread™

      4 eggs

      1 cup half-and-half or milk

      ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

      ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

      Butter for frying

      Place the fruit in a medium-sized saucepan, add maple syrup, and sprinkle ½ teaspoon nutmeg over everything. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Once the syrup begins to boil, turn off the heat, but leave the saucepan on the burner to keep the nectar warm.

      In the meanwhile, slice the loaf of bread in half, then cut 1-inch thick slices of bread of varied sizes from those halves (a loaf of King's provides 12 hefty slices). In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half or milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and remaining nutmeg.

      Melt a dollop of butter in a skillet or on a griddle over medium-high heat. Dip both sides of the bread quickly in the egg mixture and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown; flip and fry the other side.

      While the toast is frying, transfer the Queen Peach Sauce into a decorative bowl or gravy boat with a ladle. Serve toast on warmed plates. Makes 4 servings.

       THE INSIDE LINE

      Feel free to substitute thawed frozen fruit or unsweetened canned fruit (drained) in place of the fresh; you will need about 2 cups of sliced peaches or apricots. Also, if there is no King's Hawaiian Bread on your local store shelves, substitute sweet French or Portuguese bread.

      You Can't Waffle on Character

      If I were entertaining anyone of stature—a great chef, celebrity, luminary, politician, friend, or the Wizard of Oz himself—I would invite him to breakfast and enchant him with a huge plate of waffles with warm maple syrup, fresh fruit, cinnamon, sour cream, and sweet butter.

      I say you can tell a man's character by his reaction to this crisp, forthright hot cake. I've discovered a “waffle man” is generally unpretentious, wholesome, hearty, fun-loving, and honest.

      Alton Brown, the celebrity chef on the Food Network's television show Good Eats, says one of his favorite things to cook is “waffles—anytime, day or night.” A waffle man. When Thomas Jefferson visited Holland, he brought back a “woffle” iron so he could enjoy them at Monticello. A waffle man. President Gerald Ford, bless his heart—a waffle man.

      So all of you waffle men out there, heat your irons, and cook up a great waffle.

       You can tell a lot about a fellow's characterby his way of eating jellybeans.

      —Ronald Reagan

       Norwegian Belgian Waffles

      2 cups milk

      2 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned or quick)

      2 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

      2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey

      2 tablespoons applesauce

      2 tablespoons soft butter

      ½ cup whole wheat flour

      ½ cup unbleached white flour

      1 tablespoon baking powder

      ½ teaspoon salt

      Grease and preheat a Belgian waffle iron (a regular waffle iron also works perfectly). Either scald the milk in a saucepan over low heat and mix in the oats, or combine the oats and milk in a large bowl and microwave on HIGH for 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in the egg yolks, brown sugar or honey, applesauce, and butter.

      Beat the egg whites until a soft peak forms; set aside. In a small bowl (or right СКАЧАТЬ