SC - sherry

[Mordonna22@aol.com]

Here's some more history to add to Christianna's French Toast
Extravaganza.  It's not referenced, and probably post-period, but I
thought of you when I read it - especially the last bit.

From: Rare Bits, Unusual Origins of Popular Recipes
      Patricia Bunning Stevens, Ohio University Press, 1998

French Toast is definitely French in origin, and that may be the only
simple statement a culinary historian can make about this very simple
dish, which consists of bread dipped in egg and sautéed in butter. 
Here in the U.S. it has also been, at one time or another, known as
Spanish Toast, German Toast, or Nun’s Toast   The Creole cooks of
Louisiana, who have made a specialty of it, call it pain perdu (lost
bread), presumably because it is made of day-old French bread that
might otherwise be wasted.

	In France today the usual name is also pain perdu, but in the past it
has also been known as pain crotte (mud-spattered bread), pain a la
Romaine (Roman bread), and croutes dorees (gilded crusts).  Probably
older yet is the name ameritte, of uncertain origin, which gave rise to
even more curious names in other languages.  The Germans, hearing
ameritte, turned it into arme Ritter, as did the Danes (arme riddere),
both of which mean Poor Knights.
	
	The English usually use the name French Toast for slices of bread
fried in butter (which tastes much better than it sounds), while the
egg mixture, evidently learned from the Germans, became Poor Knights of
Windsor.  The last, which seems inexplicable to Americans, was actually
almost inevitable, for there really are Poor Knights of Windsor in
England.  A military order of that name was created by Edward III in
1348 to care for aged and penniless knights.  The order, later
dignified as Military Knights, still exists.  Its member are former
army officers who receive pensions and live in rent-free apartments in
Windsor Castle.

	Incidentally, the Germans sometimes make this dish with wine-instead
of milk, in which case they call it Drunken Maidens.

Tara
Who's heard Christie perform Three Drunken Maidens - tho usually not in
the kitchen.  Much better than Bagpipes for Breakfast. :)

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