Cheese on Toast - A Breton Recipe A quick and easy way of using up a loaf of stale bread !! Ingredients 3 large eggs 1 cup half and half milk and water 8 slices of an uncut loaf -- cut diagonally to about 1.5 centimetres thick 125 grams Emmental cheese -- shredded 100 grams of diced fresh green chillies ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro (Coriander) 2 tablespoons Salsa (buy in large tub from supermarket) Preparation In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk/water together. Dip 4 slices of bread into egg mixture -- coating both sides of each slice. Arrange slices evenly on a lightly greased baking sheet. Top bread evenly with cheese, and then add green chillies and cilantro (coriander). Dip remaining slices in egg mixture, coating both sides. Top cheese-covered bread with plain slices to form 4 sandwiches. Bake in 400-degree oven until they reach a golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. With side spatula, turn over and continue baking until they are puffed and evenly browned, about 10 minutes longer. Cut each sandwich in half crosswise. Serve with salsa.   Croque Madame • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour • 2 cups whole milk • ¼ teaspoon sea-salt • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper • ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg • 90 grams coarsely grated Gruyère, Emmental or Beaufort cheese • 8 slices Brioche • 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard • 200 grams thinly sliced Palma ham • 4 large eggs • 25 grams Parmesan Cheese Preparation Make sauce: Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a 2 – 3 litre heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Whisk in salt, pepper, nutmeg, and a quarter of the cheese until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and cover surface directly with a sheet of wax paper. Make sandwiches: Spread 1½ tablespoons sauce evenly over each of 4 slices of Brioche, then sprinkle evenly and equally with remaining cheese. Spread mustard evenly on remaining 4 Brioche slices and top with ham, dividing it evenly, then invert onto cheese-topped bread to form sandwiches.  Lightly oil a 300 by 200 mm-inch shallow baking pan. Preheat the oven to 170C/Gas 3. Crack one egg into a large bowl and beat lightly with the Parmesan and some seasoning. Heat 1-2 tablespoons oil in a medium ovenproof sauté pan over a moderate heat and add a knob of butter.  Dip the sandwich into the beaten egg mix on both sides, giving the brioche enough time to absorb some of the mix. Once the butter starts to foam, swirl it about to coat the pan evenly, then lower in the sandwich. Toast the bread for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden. Transfer to the oven to warm through until the cheese starts to melt.  Meanwhile, grease another sauté pan with oil and place over the heat. Place an 8cm egg ring or cutter onto the pan. Slip a knob of butter into the ring and, once it starts to foam, crack in the second egg. Season with salt and pepper and cook over a medium heat until the egg white turns opaque. Transfer the sandwich to a plate. Remove the ring from the fried egg and carefully lift it on top of the sandwich using a fish slice. Serve while hot.

Croque Monsieur The Croque Monsieur, or “Crispy Mister,” first appeared on Parisian café menus in 1910. The original Croque Monsieur was simply a hot ham and Gruyere cheese sandwich, fried in butter. Some believe it was accidentally created when workers left their lunch boxes by a hot radiator and came back later to discover the cheese in their sandwiches had melted. Though an entirely plausible story, but an unacknowledged cook somewhere had the culinary ingenuity to take that bland hot sandwich and sauté it in butter until it turned crisp and golden brown. That move is what truly deserved the fame and honour for this scrumptiously addictive sandwich. Now it is my turn to give this traditional recipe a further twist, mind you it does go especially well with a steaming bowl of roasted cauliflower soup. Preparation Cooking Time: 10 minutes Ingredients: • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise • ¾ teaspoon dried sage • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper • 8 slices sandwich bread • 100 grams Parma ham, thinly sliced • 8 thin slices sweet apple tart • 8 slices Cantal cheese (enough to fill 4 sandwiches) • 4 tablespoons butter, softened Preparation: Preheat the hob to the lowest heat setting. Combine the mayonnaise with the sage and pepper. Evenly divide and spread the herbed mayonnaise on 4 slices of bread. Place a few slices of ham, followed by 2 slices of apple and 2 slices Cantal on the mayonnaise-side of the bread. Cover the cheese with the remaining slices of bread and spread the butter on the outside surfaces of the sandwiches. Place the sandwiches on an ungreased baking sheet and broil for about 5 minutes, turn them over, and continue cooking until they are crispy and golden brown, about 5 additional minutes. This recipe makes 4 sandwiches. Pâtes de cheveux d'ange avec du fromage de chèvre, tomates séchées au soleil One of my readers in Great Britain gave me a list of four items, Goat's Cheese, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Garlic and challenged me to produce a recipe especially for her, so I raided my fridge and store cupboard and this was the result. A very simple, easy to prepare, Mediterranean dish that has it's roots on the sun-drenched island of Corsica.. I do hope Rowen enjoys the result!! Serves 6 250 grams Sun-dried Tomatoes packed in Olive Oil, chopped 1 small Onion chopped 250 grams Shrimps, peeled, deveined, tail off 1 cup chopped Baby Button Mushrooms 4 cloves Garlic, minced ¼ cup Tomato Paste ⅔ Cup Dry White Wine, anything cheap will do, in fact the cheaper the better 200 grams Angel Hair Pasta, (very thin dry spaghetti) Sea- salt and black pepper, to taste 50 grams soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled, especially Valençay as it has a mottled blue mould that makes for extra flavour. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leafed Parsley Preparation Put large pot of salted water on to boil for pasta. Drain sun-dried tomatoes, reserving oil. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil from sun-dried tomatoes. Add onion, shrimp and mushrooms. Sauté until shrimp is pink, stirring often. Stir in garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add wine and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Stir occasionally. Drain, reserving ½ cup liquid. Add pasta to tomato mixture. Toss to coat. Add some liquid from pasta if too dry. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with goat cheese and parsley.