French toast is a ready remedy for stale bread. After all, french toast (a misnomer apparently) is simply stale bread battered with eggs then fried.

French toast is not actually French in origin. The earliest known recipe is from a 4th century Roman cookbook which describes soaking bread in milk and then frying it followed by "dousing" it in honey before serving.

Many countries around the world have their own versions of this dish. In Britain the dish is called "eggy bread" or "Gypsy toast." In Spain it is called torrijas (toast). In Hong Kong it is referred to as "Western toast," in Germany Arme Ritter (poor knights), in the Netherlands Wentelteefjes (toast), in Hungary Bundáskenyér (coated bread), and in the Congo it is called perdu (lost bread).

In fact the most popular recipe may be German (German toast) in origin, but renamed to "French Toast" during World War One.

This particular recipe is distinctive in it's preparation. The idea is to ensure that the outside is crisp and the inside as much like custard as possible.

My wife loves the stuff and I try to make it with stale "Texas Toast" instead of the standard "twenty slice per loaf" thickness so popular in most breads.

You will need the following at a minimum for this dish;

• Oven set to 375º F
• Medium mixing bowl
  
• Pie pan or shallow dish for bread to soak in egg custard
• Cooling rack with wax paper underneath
• Griddle or saute pan

• 1 Cup Half-n-Half (you can substitute milk)
• 3 Large eggs
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 slices Texas Toast allowed to sit out overnight
• 4 Tablespoons of butter
  

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk or mix together the half-n-half (or milk), eggs, honey, and salt. You may do this the night before and refrigerate in a sealed container.
2. When ready to cook pour the custard mixture into a pie pan and set aside.
3. Preheat your oven to 375º F
4. Put one or two slices of bread in the mixture. Soak for 30 seconds (or more if necessary) on each side. You want to insure the custard soaks to the center.
5. Remove to a cooling rack with wax paper of plastic wrap under it as the bread will drip. Allow to sit for at least two minutes. This allows the custard to soak to the center.
6. Over medium heat melt one Tablespoon of butter in a 10" saute pan or griddle.
7. Place two (or more as room allows) slices of the bread onto the pan and cook until golden brown (about two to three minutes per side).
8. Remove from pan and place in the preheated oven for at least five minutes; ten for thicker slices. This insures complete cooking to the center.
9. Repeat with all six slices (or eight for thinner bread) until cooked.
   

Insure that your bread bakes for at least five minutes (if thin slices) and or ten minutes for thick slices.

You can use French baguette, sourdough, or any bread you like for flavor variations. Try placing ham and cheese between two slices of French Toast. Adding honey to the batter will give you a nice flavor variation; so will adding 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla.

This dish can be served with (toppings) jam, butter, peanut butter, honey, Marmite, vegemite, maple syrup, fruit syrup, molasses, apple sauce, beans, beef, lard, whipped cream, fruit, tomato ketchup, chocolate, sugar, yogurt, powdered sugar, marmalade, bacon, duck fat (in Northern Ireland), treacle, cheese (often with ham), gravy or various nuts such as pecans. (paragraph source Wikipedia)

This dish has versions in;

Belgium: (verloren brood), Brazil: (rabanada), Bulgaria: (părzheni filii), Bosia (prženice), Canada (pain doré), Denmark and Norway: (arme riddere), England: (eggy bread), Estonia: (pillud), Finland: (köyhät ritarit), Greece: (αβγόφετα), Israel: (פרנץ׳ טוסט), Macedonia: (Пржено лепче), Malaysia: (Roti telur), Mexico: (pan francés, torreja), The Netherlands: (wentelteefje), Norway: (Arme riddere), Pakistan: (meetha thoasth), Philippines: (cheesy french toast), Romania: (frigănele), Russia: (гренки - grěnki), Serbia: (prženice), Scotland: (Gangsta Bread), Southern India: (Bombay toast), Spain: (torrija), Slovakia: (chlieb vo vajíčku), Sweden: (fattiga riddare), Switzerland: (Fotzelschnitten), and Turkey: (yumurtalı ekmek).

Crêpes are thought to have originated in Brittany (Northern France) though today they are considered a national dish of France. The word Crêpes originates from the Latin crispa meaning "curled." As they are cooked the word makes perfect sense.

Crêpes can be cooked and served the same way pancakes are served, stacked (Mille crêpe) to form a cake, or used as a wrapper for other food items. A popular variation on the standard crêpe is to serve them with grated orange peel and flaming Grand Mariner; A.K.A. Crêpes Suzette.

There are both sweet and savory crêpes. Sweet crêpes are made with wheat flour while savory crêpes are typically made with buckwheat.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup nonfat milk
• 1/3 Cup water
• 4 Large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon canola oil

Directions

1. Preheat a fry or crêpe pan over medium heat. The pan is ready when water sprinkled on it "dances" as it evaporates.
   
2. In a large bowl whisk together the milk, egg whites, water, and vanilla.
3. Add the flour and sugar and mix until well blended.
4. Take the pan from the heat and using a serving spoon (1/4 Cup) pour the batter into the center of the pan. Rapidly rotate the pan around until the batter reaches the edges. Pour off any excess batter.
5. Return the pan to the heat. The batter should start to curl away from the pan in fifteen (15) to thirty (30) seconds. When the entire circumference of the crêpe has curled away from the pan flip it to the uncooked side....about thirty (30) seconds.
   
6. Cook until the flip side reaches a golden brown; maybe an additional thirty (30) seconds
   
7. Keep the cooked crêpe in an oven set to "warm" until all the crêpes are cooked.
   

A galette is a crêpe typically made with buckwheat instead of wheat flour. Galettes are usually served with savory fillings and are not nearly as sweet as crêpes.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cups buckwheat flour
• 1 Cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
  
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 Cups milk
  
• 2 Large eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat a fry or crêpe pan over medium heat. The pan is ready when water sprinkled on it "dances" as it evaporates.
   
2. In a large bowl whisk together the milk, eggs, and butter.
3. Add the flour mixture (buckwheat and all-purpose) until well blended.
4. Take the pan from the heat and using a serving spoon (1/4 Cup) pour the batter into the center of the pan. Rapidly rotate the pan around until the batter reaches the edges. Pour off any excess batter.
5. Return the pan to the heat. The batter should start to curl away from the pan in fifteen (15) to thirty (30) seconds. When the entire circumference of the crêpe has curled away from the pan flip it to the uncooked side.
6. Cook until the flip side reaches a golden brown. About fifteen (15) to thirty (30) seconds.
   
7. Keep the cooked galette in an oven set to "warm" until all the crêpes are cooked.

Galettes can be served with meat and cheese fillings, bacon and eggs, or anything your heart desires.

As you can see from the ingredients and instructions galettes are a much hardier version of the crêpe.

The sweet crêpe recipe works out to about ninety-five (95) calories per crêpe with less than one gram of fat.

As with any bread item crêpes, galettes, and french toast can be frozen for up to two (2) weeks. The batter for crêpes and galettes can be refrigerated for up to three (3) days. The custard for French Toast for twenty-four (24) hours.