Pumpkin, Ginger French Toast

Some recipes are born of inspiration. Others are born of necessity. Necessities like, "Oh boy, I have to make brunch for my sisters in 10 minutes. Shoot. What do I have?" Turns out a leftover loaf of french bread, a can of pumpkin puree in the pantry, and some real life maple syrup can make a convincing brunch entree. I thought the pumpkin and ginger had a nice presence without being overpowering. As my sister put it, "You know, I don't really like French toast. Who really likes soggy bread? Well let me tell you, this soggy bread I like!"

Pumpkin, Ginger French Toast

• 2 loaves day-old french bread
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch salt
• Maple syrup, for serving
  

Cut the loaves of bread on the diagonal into approximately 1.5-inch slices (about 15-20 slices, total).

Whisk together the remaining ingredients, except for the syrup, until smooth and homogeneous. Heat a large, flat-bottomed skillet or griddle on the stove over medium-high heat. Use some butter or non-stick spray to grease the pan.

Quickly dip both sides of the bread into the egg and pumpkin mixture until both sides are coated, but not soggy (you only want the mixture on the exterior). Place on the heated griddle, and cook until golden, about 3-4 minutes a side. Serve quickly, while still warm, with the maple syrup.

Eggs Benedict

I remember one time we went to a fancy restaurant for breakfast as a family when I was quite young, and there was eggs benedict on the menu. I was confused. It wasn't Christmas morning, we weren't still in our pajamas at 11:30, and we weren't already half-full from eating cherry chocolates. This wasn't the appropriate time! Didn't they know that eggs benedict were reserved for only one hallowed day a year? Nothing is sacred anymore.

To say that eggs benedict on Christmas morning is traditional in my family is an understatement: it's institutional. It's in our veins. We've experiemented on it a few times, often with questionable results. This is pretty straightforward, but it's good, and it conjures happy emotions and memories of childlike wonder (well, maybe it won't for you, but it sure does for me).



Eggs Benedict

Ingredients

• High-quality English muffins, split apart
  
• Large eggs (as many eggs as muffin halves)
• Chicken broth, enough to fill a wide, shallow pan for poaching
  
• Thickly sliced Canadian bacon (1-2 slices for each muffin half)
• Hollaindaise sauce (click here for a recipe)
• salt and pepper, to taste
  

The trick with eggs benedict is that everything needs to be ready at the same time. It's good to have a different person manning each component so they can all be perfectly timed (or at least that's how we do it in my family).

for the eggs
Bring the chicken broth to a broil in the poaching pan. Reduce heat to let it simmer. Crack the eggs, and gently slip them just under the broth's surface. Poach until the yolk is the desired doneness (usually just a few minutes--watch them closely).


for the English muffins
Place the muffin halves on a cookie sheet and broil them in the oven or broiler until the tops are just golden and slighly crispy, just a few minutes, also. You only want the very top layer to be crispy: the rest should still be soft.



for the Canadian bacon
Heat a skillet or large, flat plan to medium high heat and sear the edges of the ham. It's usually already cooked, so you don't have to worry about cooking it thoroughly--just heat it and give it some texture.

for the Hollaindiase sauce
Whether you're making it from scratch or a mix, do prepare it to be the last thing completed--right at the moment when you assemble and serve.

Assemble them by placing the bacon atop the muffin, then the poached egg, then the hollaindaise sauce. Enjoy, then wait until Christmas next year to enjoy again.