A SLICE OF LIFE; TOAST CAN MAKE DAILY LIVING RICHER.

Byline: Bob Condor Chicago Tribune 

The everyday slice of toast is not without its celebrity interludes. As Sir John Falstaff calls for more drinks at a high point of frivolity in Shakespeare's ``The Merry Wives of Windsor,'' he yells after the server, ``Don't forget the toast!'' Falstaff was asking for the cube of hot buttered toast traditionally tossed into warm drinks in the heyday of the Bard, leading to the use of the word ``toast'' as a way to celebrate life's most important moments.

A precise 100 years ago, legendary Parisian chef Auguste Escoffier of the Ritz Hotel created a thinly sliced piece of toast for a finicky but beloved Australian opera singer who refused to eat her pate on the usual thick slice of bread. The diva's name was Nellie Melba, and you know what food she inspired (more than 2 billion slices were sold worldwide in 1996).

But star power isn't what inspired the presence of toasters in 88 percent of U.S. households. Toasted bread pretty much sells itself. Like a good neighbor or cheerful co-worker, toast can make life richer without much fanfare.

For one thing, toast certainly brings out the best in most breads. Even the drab slice of a mass-produced white loaf improves in taste when heated to about 310 degrees Fahrenheit, producing a chemical change known as the Maillard reaction that caramelizes the sugars and starches while browning the bread. Other breads, especially whole grains and certain ryes, have textures and tastes seemingly ready-made for toast, picking up intense flavors after a descent into the toaster.

``We tried a lot of different breads before we decided on whole-grain, sourdough, cinnamon-raisin and rye for our toast choices,'' said Jeanne Antic, co-owner of Toast, a North Side Chicago restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch. ``With our name, people expect something special. We can't just serve plain old white bread.''

No, Antic said she and her husband did not name their establishment after the bread. The word just sounded good.

``But we do have about a dozen vintage toasters on display to go along with good toast,'' Antic said. ``We found some in thrift stores and antique shops, and friends donated others.''

Antic said the whole-grain is most popular among customers, though cinnamon-raisin has a steady following.

Something is clearly missing at breakfast without a side dish of toast, and it's not only about taste.

Marion Cunningham, author of ``The Breakfast Book,'' attests to the ``deep grainy'' flavors and textures of toast that she prefers to be ``evenly golden'' (which she said is better attained using your broiler instead of the toaster). Her endorsement covers taste, touch and sight to go along with what she calls the ``irresistible fragrance'' of toast.

Though good bread, especially denser varieties, makes good toast, its smell rates with the equally tantalizing morning aromas of brewing coffee and frying bacon - so wondrous that some aficionados claim the actual piece of toast can't possibly live up to its olfactory billing.

But perfection is possible, if the bread is toasted properly, said Men's Journal columnist Glen Waggoner, a native Texan who travels the country searching out new recipes for comfort food. ``The problem with toast in most American diners and restaurants is it is not toasted enough. Too many people can't distinguish the difference between warmed bread and proper toast. It should be crisp, not limp.''

Customers at Chicago's Lou Mitchell's have no complaints about the venerable restaurant's deep golden and appropriately crunchy Greek toast with sesame seeds dotting the crust. Timing appears to be part of the success.

``We use a rotating commercial toaster and don't make the toast until it is ordered,'' said Heleen Thanas, general manager. ``We want to serve fresh toast at perfect crispness. Making it ahead of time is a sure way to ruin the effect.''

Clearly attending to the priority of butter with toast in this low-cal crazed world are writers Jane and Michael Stern, America's foremost experts on diner foods. ``It is absolutely necessary to plan ahead when preparing buttered toast,'' they write in ``Square Meals.''

``So that it will be perfectly spreadable, butter must be out of the refrigerator at least one hour before the bread is toasted. For spur-of-the-moment toast, it will be best to use a sharp knife to `peel' thin leaves of butter off the top of a stick (or, better yet, a one-pound block), and place these leaves on the hot toast to melt.

``Trying to spread a cold pat of butter on warm toast is a nightmare. If the toast doesn't tear altogether, the press of the butter knife will bruise and batter the surface beyond the bounds of acceptable comfort food.''

Once safely past any butter imbroglios, there are many topping options beyond the traditional and tasty jellies, jams, preserves, peanut butter and, seemingly everyone's childhood favorite, a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar. The Sterns suggest a touch of orange rind and orange juice added to the butter, maybe a few raisins or shredded coconut. Cunningham recommends crumbled sausage with applesauce, apples and melted cheese, ham and nutmeg, bananas cooked in butter, warmed tomatoes and smoked salmon.

Waggoner says it is no mistake that toasted bread is very common in Italian country cooking. ``Spread some olive oil on peasant bread, then throw it on the grill during your next barbecue,'' he says. ``That's hard to beat.''

As for so-called Texas toast, Waggoner says it's nothing more than thick slices of bread to satisfy his home state's penchant for ``being known for big things.''

Then there's milk toast, what you might mistakenly consider the dullard of all recipes when in fact none other than the late, great food writer M.F.K. Fisher listed it under ``R'' for Romantic in her classic book, ``The Art of Eating.'' It is basically toasted bread in a bowl with milk, sweet butter, salt and pepper, but it was manna for Fisher.

``It is a warm, mild, soothing thing, full of innocent strength,'' she wrote. ``It is a small modern miracle of gastronomy.''

Here are three ways to eat toast.

FRENCH TOAST, THREE WAYS

French toast is enjoyed in many countries. It certainly is not the exclusive property of France, if American diners and trendy weekend brunch spots are any indication. In fact, the French call the dish by another name: pain perdu, or lost bread, because it was a way to prepare stale bread on the baker's day off. Many French toast devotees, including author Marion Cunningham of ``The Breakfast Book,'' insist that your recipe will taste better if the bread is a little old or at least sliced and dried out overnight. The denser the bread, the better. This basic recipe, developed in the Chicago Tribune test kitchen, lends itself to variation and experimentation.

6 large eggs

1 cup whipping cream 

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons EACH vanilla and ground cinnamon

4 tablespoons butter OR more

12 slices French, white OR your favorite bread

Syrup OR powdered sugar

Fresh fruit for garnish

In a bowl, whisk together eggs and cream. Add sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; whisk until well combined. Pour mixture into a pie plate or shallow bowl.

Dip each bread slice into egg mixture, turning once. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add enough bread slices to cover bottom of skillet without overlapping. Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn; cook until second side is golden.

Remove slices to a warm plate. Repeat with remaining bread slices, adding butter as needed.

Top French toast slices with favorite syrup. Garnish with fresh fruit. Makes 12 slices.

VARIATIONS:

RUM FRENCH TOAST: Replace vanilla with 1 to 2 teaspoons rum; decrease ground cinnamon to 1 teaspoon.

ORANGE FRENCH TOAST: Decrease vanilla and ground cinnamon to 1 teaspoon EACH. Add 2 teaspoons fresh orange juice and 1 teaspoon minced orange peel.

NUTRITION INFOR`MATION PER SLICE FOR BASIC RECIPE: 225 calories; 220 milligrams sodium; 15 grams fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 145 milligrams cholesterol; 6 grams protein.

BASIC BRUSCHETTA 

6 large cloves garlic

12 to 14 ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 3/4 pounds)

1 shallot, minced

1 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 thick slices round Italian bread OR other crusty bread, toasted

Mince 3 garlic cloves; cut remaining 3 cloves into slivers.

Combine tomatoes, minced garlic and shallot in a large bowl; stir to combine. Stir in basil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add 1/3 cup olive oil; stir until well combined.

Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook slivered garlic until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Discard garlic, but reserve oil.

Brush each bread slice with garlic oil. Spoon tomato mixture on top of bread. Makes 8 servings.

Adapted from ``The New Basics Cookbook'' by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SLICE: 260 calories; 225 milligrams sodium; 17 grams fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 4 grams protein.

SALMON MOUSSE TOAST CUP

These are easy - but your guests will think they took hours. White, egg or sourdough bread works well. This recipe was developed in the Chicago Tribune test kitchen.

12 slices bread, crust removed

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 pound skinless salmon fillet, cooked, then cooled

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 green onions, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill and additional sprigs for garnish

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon lemon peel

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Brush both sides of bread with butter. Place each slice into muffin cup with center of bread on bottom and 4 corners facing up creating points (bread may slightly overl`ap on itself).

Bake in preheated 375-degree oven until lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in tins; transfer to a cooling rack.

Place 1/2 of salmon into a bowl of food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add all remaining ingredients. Process until smooth. Spoon into a medium bowl. Flake reserved salmon; stir into mousse mixture.

Chill until ready to serve. Spoon salmon mixture into toast cups; top with additional dill sprigs, if desired. Makes 12 toast cups.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER TOAST CUP: 190 calories; 160 milligrams sodium; 11 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 45 milligrams cholesterol; 9 grams protein.

Warm feeling for toasters

The forerunner to the modern toaster was first used during the mid-1800s in England. It was a grill-like holder that allowed pieces of bread to be placed next to a fire for toasting. Another popular method was placing pieces of bread on special toasting sticks, which then were held over a fire.

Oxford University students employed a similar toasting technique well into this century - substituting portable space heaters in their dorm rooms.

But by 1909, the first electric toaster was developed in the United States. It toasted one side of the bread at a time and still required constant vigilance to avoid burning. You had to pull the plug when the toast was done.

In 1926, Chicagoan Max McGraw, a former partner of Thomas Edison, developed the first home pop-up toaster. The McGraw-Edison company called it the ``Toastmaster'' (still a brand today) and began a national advertising campaign that promised ``This amazing new invention makes perfect toast Every time! Without watching! Without turning! Without burning!''

Today, dozens of toaster models have all sorts of options: wide slots for bagels and other thick bread; elongated slots to accommodate slices from a round loaf; electronic controls for specific darkness; tempered plastic and ``cool steel'' casings that don't become hot to the touch; removable crumb tra`ys, and windows to check on your toast's progress.

Toasters start at about $20 and climb to more than $300 for such deluxe devices as the English-made Dualit Combi Toaster, a retro-chrome beauty sold in the Williams-Sonoma catalog for $329. It has a standard two wide slots, then a third opening with a basket that allows you to toast entire sandwiches in one slot while keeping the filling firmly in place.

Williams-Sonoma offers a considerably less expensive alternative for making perfect toast. It also sells a chrome-plated toast rack ($15) that spells out T-O-A-S-T and, more importantly, holds four slices upright on both sides to avoid the condensation that comes when stacking slices on a plate. Anyone who has disappointingly chewed soggy toast will appreciate the bargain.

Toast has its fans on the Internet. You can find dozens of sites dedicated to the comfort food.

Here are some of the highlights from the Toast Resources site, http://dsp.com.tritone/toastlinks.html

TravlToast is a portable toaster that can be plugged into a car's cigarette lighter to make a batch of toast while you are commuting to work.

Toasters are part of tour promotion materials for the popular rock group Pearl Jam.

There is even a series of toast haiku on the Internet, following the traditional Japanese form of poetry.

A few entries:

``With sun's early rise,

The toasting is the reason

Worth opening eyes''

- Rae Anne Lafrenz

``Angry toastless man

Malfunctioning appliance

Senseless killing spree''

- James Reynolds

``I am toast. My crunch

Makes your mouth smile. Woe is he

Who microwaves me''

CAPTION(S):

Photo, 2 Boxes

Photo: (Color) Toast brings out the best in most breads. Traditional toppings of jellies, jams, preserves, peanut butter, butter, cream cheese and a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar enhance the flavor of toasted breads.

Bob Fila/Chicago Tribune

Box: (1) Warm feeling for toasters

(2) Give us this day, our daily toaster