strawberry rhubarb french toast

used to make this at the restaurant

and i've been meaning to make it ever since, as i crave it.

since it has taken me a couple weeks of remember an ingredient here,

an ingredient there, i finally got around to it. deelish.

pretty decadent and rather time consuming when you

dont have people helping you, but worth it for a special occasion,

like monday and your husband being home for dinner. this is the bread we always used,

which can be found at AJ's or at the actual

Simply Bread store here in Phx,

but any good hearty mutigrain bread will do.

and here is a visual of the praline before being broken up.

strawberry rhubarb french toast

1 loaf multigrain bread, sliced

custard

1 c. milk

1/2 c. heavy cream

2 eggs

1 T. sugar

1/2 t. vanilla extract

*combine all ingredients. whisk well. set aside in fridge for dunking bread in later.

praline

1/2 c. pistachios, shelled

1 c. sugar

1/3 c. water

*combine water and sugar in small sauce pan. boil until carmely in color.

*pour hot sugar onto a sheetpan lined with silpat (or sprayed with something such as pam) and

sprinkled with pistachios

*let cool until hard while you prepare other elements, tend to your kids, or sip on your wine.

*once cool, break up into food processor. beware of sharp bits. process to little tiny

bits...crunchies...whatever you may call them.

*keep in container for sprinkling later. also great in salads or on ice cream.

creme anglaise

2 c. milk

4 oz. sugar

6 egg yolks

1/2 vanilla bean

*combine milk and half of sugar in sauce pan. scrape vanilla bean seeds into milk and add the

pod as well. bring to boil.

*combine remaining sugar with yolks in bowl. whisk rapidly until pale yellow in color.

*temper yolk mixture with milk.

*add all back to saucepan, whisking constantly until thick on the back of a spoon. try not to make

scrambled eggs by letting it get too hot, day dreaming, etc.

*strain into bowl over ice bath. let cool. dip a strawberry in it and taste it cause you know you

want to.

compote

1 1/2 c. chopped rhubarb

1 1/2 c. diced strawberries

1/3 c. sugar

1/4 c. water

*combine all in large sauce pan. stir well. bring to boil. let simmer on med heat until rhubarb

is tender and fully cooked. stir occasionally.

*remove from heat and place in desired container. if you have leftovers later, this is great served

on top of panna cotta with cookies, or on multigrain bread spread with mascarpone.

NOW....

*get the griddle hot. soak your toast well in the custard, and slap em on the sizzlin griddle

spread with butter.

*laddle creme anglaise onto plate and add dollop of compote to middle.

*when toasts are good and toasty, place atop the compote and add another heaping dollop of it

on top.

*sprinkle with praline.

EAT.