Brunch has a three drink minimum.

Lara likes brunch because it is the only meal where you can get away with having three beverages- coffee, O.J. (or mimosa if possible) and water. How to rock Saturday like a yuppie: When you are woken up by the family in the apartment above you singing "ten little indians" stumble into the kitchen and begin packing a shot into the espresso machine. Make lattes using organic milk and locally roasted coffee for yourself and housemate(s). After drinking your latte decide that you are going to make brunch- ascertain that you don't have all the ingredients. Walk to Andronico's (don't forget your re-usable bag) to purchase your favorite organic free range eggs and bacon, challah, raspberries and an apron with cupcakes on it (a different impulse buy is also acceptable). Walk home, put on your favorite indie rock or alt country record (as in vinyl) and make this delicious brunch:

Ingredients for French Toast (makes 9 pieces):

• 1 loaf challah
• 4 eggs
• 1 c milk
• 2 T vanilla
• 1 T sugar
• cinnamon

Other Ingredients:

• ½ pint raspberries
• bacon (cooked to preferred crispiness)
• real maple syrup (grade B, if you can find it- mine came from Berkeley Bowl)

Directions:

1. Cut nine ½ in. slices of challah
2. In a shallow bowl (or other container) whisk eggs until well beaten
3. Whisk in milk, vanilla and sugar
4. sprinkle a layer of cinnamon over the top of the egg mixture
5. place as many challah slices as you can fit in your frying pan into the egg mixture, soak for 20 sec on one side then 10 sec on the other
6. in a frying pan over medium heat with a tablespoon of butter fry soaked challah until golden brown, flip and fry the other side until also golden brown
7. repeat steps 5-6 until you have used all of your bread and/or egg batter
8. Plate 3 pieces of french toast with butter, a drizzle of warm maple syrup, a hand full of raspberries and 3 strips of bacon

Serve with:

Mimosa: pour one part orange juice and one part champagne (for non-alcoholic version use club soda or 7up) into a champagne flute.

   

Notes:

• Be careful when heating maple syrup. I recommend heating your maple syrup in a glass measuring cup for 30 sec intervals in the microwave. If you heat it in the bottle it tends to bubble up and make a burning hot mess. If you don't have a microwave and your maple syrup bottle is glass, place the bottle into a saucepan and fill the saucepan with water until about halfway up the bottle, place the saucepan with the water and maple syrup over low heat and let warm. DO NOT heat the water and then put the bottle in it- if it is cold or your bottle comes straight from the fridge the glass may shatter.
• You can use any type of bread for this recipe, but rich, eggy challah is my favorite.
• I find you get a more even cinnamon flavor if you don't try to mix it in and instead just let it float on top and place the bread on top of it

I like brunch because I like my coffee coffee flavored and my orange juice champagne flavored. Also, I could eat french toast all day.