Toast. A slice of bread, warmed and crisped by the orange light
of a small countertop appliance. So simple, yet toast holds as many
possibilities as it does crumbs. Toast with jelly, for instance, or
toast with homemade cinnamon-sugar butter. Or how about melted
butter, peanut butter, cream cheese, eggs
… the list goes on.
Toast. A slice of bread, warmed and crisped by the orange light of a small countertop appliance. So simple, yet toast holds as many possibilities as it does crumbs. Toast with jelly, for instance, or toast with homemade cinnamon-sugar butter. Or how about melted butter, peanut butter, cream cheese, eggs … the list goes on.
Not to mention that toasting bread can be a lucrative endeavor. Recall the slice of toast that fetched $28,000 in November on the auction Web site eBay because it was said to bear the face of the Virgin Mary. That piece of toast was one half of a grilled cheese sandwich – yet another possibility for this humble culinary joy.
Throughout the world, toast has adopted several variations. In England, for instance, the tradition of afternoon tea often is accompanied with dry or buttered toast or dabs of jam.
And in France, well, everyone knows what a delicious and satisfying breakfast French toast makes on a lazy Saturday or Sunday.
Another popular form of toast is Melba toast, which, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is named after Helen Porter Mitchell, a family opera singer of the late 19th and early 20th century.
Mitchell, whose stage name was Dame Nellie Melba, fell ill in 1897, and her diet consisted mostly of very thinly sliced, toasted pieces of bread. A variation of Melba toast is a refreshing summertime dessert known as peach Melba, made with raspberries, sliced peaches and vanilla ice cream (see recipe below).
According to Mary Bellis, author of “The History of Your Toaster,” toasting bread began as a way to prolong the life of a loaf of bread. The word itself comes from the Latin word tostum, which means to scorch or burn.
The first electric toaster was invented in 1893 in Great Britain by Crompton and Co. and was re-invented in the United States in 1909.
The toaster only toasted one side of bread at a time, however, and it required that someone stand by the toaster and turn it off manually when the toast appeared done.
Minnesota-native Charles Strite invented the modern pop-up toaster with a variable timer around 1920.
Five years later, the Toastmaster Co. began to market the first household toaster that could brown bread on both sides simultaneously. From 1922 to 1930, toaster sales tripled, in part due to the introduction of sliced bread by Wonder.
Today, toasters reside in more than 85 percent of American homes and come in a variety of styles with a few different options, such as the ability to toast bagels differently than traditional slices of bread.
In Charlottesville, Va., toast-lovers can visit the Toaster Museum Foundation, which has a goal of entertaining and educating visitors about the historical and cultural significance of toast. Several Web sites – such as www.toastercentral.com – deal antique toasters dating back to the mid-20th century.
If you can smell toast right now just reading this article, pop some bread in the beloved small chrome machine and get toasty. Here are some recipes, courtesy of the Food Network, to get you started.
Peach Melba
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
3 peaches, halved and pitted
1/2 pint vanilla ice cream
4 slices white bread, toasted and crusts removed
Raspberry Sauce:
1 pound raspberries
1 cup sugar
2 Tbs. lemon juice
Garnish:
2 cups heavy cream, whipped
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
In a medium saucepan, prepare syrup. Bring the sugar, water, lemon juice and zest to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Poach peaches until tender. Let them cool in the syrup. To prepare raspberry sauce, in a blender, combine the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice. Process to a puree. Remove fruit from syrup. To serve: In a small bowl, place a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the toast, place the fruit on top and cover with raspberry sauce. Garnish with whipped cream and toasted almonds.
French Toast
1 cup half-and-half
3 large eggs
2 Tbs. honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds
1/4 tsp. salt
8 (1/2-inch) slices day-old or stale country loaf, brioche or challah bread
4 tablespoons butter
In medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, honey and salt. You may do this the night before. When ready to cook, pour custard mixture into a pie pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dip bread into mixture, allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, and then remove to a cooling rack that is sitting in a sheet pan, and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes. Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick sauté pan. Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 8 slices. Serve immediately with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.
Cinnamon-sugar Butter
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
11/4 tsp. cinnamon
Combine butter with sugar and cinnamon. Keep tightly covered in the refrigerator up to three weeks. Makes about 5 tablespoons.
