Pain Perdu....

In English sounds like agony, here in France it is a fantastic breakfast made from the week's old bread (The Lost Bread). Nothing is wasted here.

I thought i would learn to cook French while here. 

Maybe build up a repertoire of recipes to dazzle you all back home. 

Somehow i am not sure its my thing. Cooking is not a love for me. 

Food & eating is. 

I am an artist who does not like to colour in the lines.

I cook the best meals with bits & pieces, leftovers, few ingredients, some imagination and flavour. 

Not everyones taste, but my family are stuck with it and 

don't really complain because I'm the main cook in this house.

Recipes where everything is measured exactly is like colouring in the lines. 
Not really my style.

But that is why this recipe spoke to me. I read it on Corey's blog Tongue in Cheek and I thought "thats my kind of cooking". I love her site and if you want to read her family loving this recipe then go to the link. 

Below is how Pain Perdue unfolded for me this morning......

Cut the baguette in oversized bites, put them in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl whip four eggs, with 1/2 cup cream, 1/2 cup milk, 2 tablespoons of vanilla,

1/2 of a cup of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (or nutmeg).

Pour the egg mixture over the bread and mix thoroughly. 

  Butter a baking dish with a heavy hand.

 Sprinkle half of a cup of brown sugar on the buttered pan, then add slices of one apple 
(any other fruit will do, or no fruit at all) over the brown sugar.

Pour the egg batttered bread mixture in the buttered-brown-sugared dish.

Now Mme Amaro says "Bake at 300 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes." This was too hot in our oven so as she is American i thought maybe that was meant to be Farenheit.  Doh.

So i put it at 180Celcius. probably needed 30-40mins. The egg mixture goes very custardy and mmmmmmmm.........

Serve warm with maple syrup.

 Then it came out of the oven and was approached by my family with initial apprehension.

After one spoonful they were hooked. 

All loved it. 

......But of course.....

She loved the cooked apples.

He loved the crunchy top. He actually loved it all. Twice.

 Gone in 10minutes. Nothing last long on the table. As some of you know!

Good to the last bite.

Thanks again, Ms Corey for your inspiration. 

Maybe I will find another easy to make recipe in the net and try it next weekend.

Off to the markets to sparkle & twirl*

See you tomorrow.....