This week we’re talking about French toast. And if you’re wondering how a guy who claims to be all about Italian food ends up writing about French toast, let me blow your mind:
It’s Roman.
📜 A Brief, Delicious History
French toast dates back to the 4th or 5th century in Ancient Rome, where it was known as Aliter Dulcia, meaning “Another Sweet Dish.” The idea — soaking stale bread in a milk-and-egg mixture and frying it — is both practical and decadent, which is basically the Roman culinary way.
Like most Roman innovations, it didn’t stay confined to the Italian peninsula. During the Middle Ages:
- The English had a version called Poor Knights’ Bread.
- The French? Pain Perdu — or “Lost Bread.”
The actual term French toast didn’t appear until the 17th century in English cookbooks, and the origin of the name is a bit fuzzy. It could:
- Refer to using French bread,
- Be a clever marketing ploy (French food was trendy),
- Or be a play on the old Irish verb “to French,” meaning to slice.
Then there’s the (almost certainly fake) legend of Joseph French, an innkeeper from Albany who “invented” French Toast in 1724 but forgot the apostrophe in French’s Toast. Cute story — but English cookbooks beat him to the punch by about a hundred years.
One thing’s certain: soaking bread in egg and milk and frying it to golden, custardy perfection? That’s been making mornings better since the Roman Empire.
Weekend Adventures, Mocha Mistakes, and the Best French Toast Yet
My wife Maria and I are still adjusting to our new “empty nest” reality. Although to be fair, I saw Gabby three times last week… so the nest isn’t that empty.
But we’ve learned that weekends can still be fun. This Saturday’s adventure? A trip to Peddler’s Village, a colonial-style, jam-packed shopping spot filled with about 60 specialty shops, restaurants, and (we think?) a hotel.
But before we took on the cobblestones and candle shops, we needed fuel. And who’s more deserving of a decadent breakfast than Maria?
We have opposite weekend sleep schedules — I’m up early, she’s up late. That gives me plenty of quiet time to prep something special.
🍓 This Week’s French Toast Feast:
- Thick slices of custard-soaked challah
- A sweet-tart mixed berry compote
- Some very accidental mocha whipped cream
- Bacon and sausage, of course
Now about that whipped cream. It was supposed to be plain. I reached (without a step stool, because… stubborn) for the confectioner’s sugar on the top shelf of our spice cabinet. Instead, a container of chocolate powder fell. It went everywhere. Including directly into my mixing bowl.
The result? Mocha whipped cream. Totally unplanned, surprisingly amazing.
🍞 The Recipe: Roman French Toast with Mixed Berry Compote & Mocha Whipped Cream
🥖 French Toast
Ingredients:
- Challah or brioche bread, sliced 1″ to 1½” thick (day-old works best)
- 5 large eggs
- 1½ cups half & half
- Salt, to taste
- Sugar, to taste
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Butter, for cooking (or use a nonstick electric skillet for a lighter version)
Instructions:
- Whisk or blend eggs, half & half, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. Be sure to break down the egg whites well to avoid “gloopy” custard.
- Soak each bread slice in the custard.
- Fry in butter on a pan or electric griddle until golden brown on each side.
🍓 Mixed Berry Compote
Ingredients:
- 1 to 1½ cups mixed berries (fresh or defrosted frozen)
- ¼ cup sugar, maple syrup, or agave syrup
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon (don’t skip this — the pectin helps it thicken)
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients in a pot over medium heat and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30–35 minutes, or until the mixture reduces by about half.
- It will thicken as it cools!
🍫 Mocha Whipped Cream (Happy Accident!)
Ingredients:
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional (but encouraged!): 1½ tbsp cocoa powder
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl or stand mixer.
- Whip on high speed until soft peaks form.
❤️ Final Thoughts
It’s funny — I grew up with my dad sharing his love of his music: Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman. These days, I get to bond with my daughters over cooking and concerts (check last week’s Sea.Hear.Now blog if you missed it).
This breakfast wasn’t just fuel for a Saturday outing — it was a reminder that even as life changes, and kids move out, there are still moments to savor, stories to tell, and new recipes to mess up just right.
So next time you make French toast, raise your fork to Rome… and maybe to Joe French, just in case.
Adopted By Pasta 
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