You woke at the crack of dawn to race cars on the Indy 500 headboard. Make the best of your early start by cooking up Gayle Pirie’s and John Clark’s custardy French toast, a fave on the Foreign Cinema weekend menu.
Stuffed French Toast
Serves four
Ingredients
1 day-old baguette
6 tbsp. of your favorite jam
4 eggs
2 tbsp. sugar
1 egg yolk
¾ tsp. salt
2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. orange flower water (optional)
Butter
1. Slice the baguette on a gentle bias, about 1-inch thick. Make twelve slices.
2. With a paring knife, create a pocket in the center of the slice, about an inch into the center. Carefully place ½ tbsp. of jam into each slice of bread.
3. Beat eggs, yolk, milk, vanilla, orange flower water, sugar, and salt. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish.
4. Submerge slices and prick the surfaces with a fork for better absorption.
5. Let bread sit in egg mixture for at least 15 minutes. (This soaking time ensures a custard-like interior and crisp exterior when the bread is cooked.)
6. Melt 2 tsp. of butter in an iron skillet or on a seasoned griddle over medium heat.
7. Place the battered slices into the foaming butter and turn the heat to low. Cook each piece 3-4 minutes on each side until the bread is golden brown. Add more butter to the pan if needed.
8. Depending on the season, garnish with sauteed apples, figs, or pears; fresh berries; or everyday items like sliced bananas, toasted almonds, powdered sugar.
Too sleepy to cook? Foreign Cinema’s weekend brunch tempts with a $10 three-course kids’ menu, crayons, coloring books, and open-air tables. Foreign Cinema, 2534 Mission Street, between 21st and 22nd Streets (415-648-7600 or foreigncinema.com).
LISTEN
Ivy & Bean Day
What: Local author Annie Barrows reads from her new Ivy & Bean book, Doomed to Dance.
Why: Face the peril of plié.
When: Sun., 11 a.m.
Where: Bookshop West Portal, 80 W. Portal Ave., b/t Ulloa & Vicente Sts. (415-564-8080).
SNAP
Whippersnappers Studio
What: A just-opened full-service family portrait studio offering informal sittings with pro shooters and same-day take home CD.
Why: Lights, camera, satisfaction.
When: You feel a flash of inspiration.
Where: 1800 Filbert St., b/t Octavia & Laguna Sts. (415-921-7627).
DECORATE
Gingerbread Wishes
What: Kiddies can order a $10 gingerbread cookie plus a tableside decorating kit (with icing and sprinkles) to benefit the Greater Bay Area Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Why: It’s fun raising.
When: Thru Nov. 30.
Where: One Market Restaurant, 1 Market St., at Steuart St. (415-777-5577) and all Bay Area Lark Creek group restaurants.
Photo: avlxyz / Flickr