Daddy's French Toast

Every second Sunday of the month, my father makes French toast for breakfast. I don't remember when this tradition started, but it has been around since I was very young. In a bowl bigger than my face, he mixes eggs, milk, and lots of sugar with a whisk. When I was in kindergarten, my father put me in charge of mixing while he cut a thick loaf of bread into four pieces. I would stir with all my might, watching the sugar dissolve into the mixture. Secretly licking the contents of the bowl when neither my father nor my mother, who sat watching from the dining table, was looking became my little thrill.

Now that I'm in high school, I no longer cook with my father in the mornings. Still, every second Sunday of the month, I start my day with the delicious smell of French toast sizzling in a pan, swimming in a sea of butter. As I walk downstairs to the dining room, I hear my father's voice from the kitchen.

"Good morning, Satsuki. How many pieces today? Five again?"

"Good morning, Dad. I want six today. Do we have enough bread?"

"Oh, yes, we do. You're growing up and eating more!"

"I had an early dinner last night, so I'm starving!"

My mom is already sitting at the dining table, giggling as she listens to our exchange.

"Good morning, Satsuki. Did you sleep well?"

"Good morning, Mom."

Mom had already toasted her bread and spread it generously with jam, enjoying the crispy corners. Come to think of it, on the second Sunday of every month, my father and I eat French toast, but my mother usually doesn't join us. Why is that? I wondered and decided to ask.

"Mom, don't you like French toast?"

"Well, I don't love it, but I don't dislike it enough not to eat it."

"Then why don't you always eat it with us?"

"Why do you ask like that? You've forgotten, haven't you?"

"Forgotten what?"

"Oh, you really don't remember."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're 16 now, so it must have been about 13 years ago... Your dad was very busy with work back then...."

Then Mom told me the story of how this French toast tradition began. She said that when I was three years old and finally able to eat by myself, my dad was so busy with work that he rarely came home on weekends. Even if he did come home, it was late at night, so he only saw me when I was asleep. After several months of this, I forgot I even had a father. Six months later, when he finally got a break and came home for lunch, my three-year-old self said to him, "Mister, who are you?"

"I can still remember the look of shock on your dad's face. He cried so hard after you went to bed," Mom laughed.

"I don't remember that at all. What does that have to do with French toast?"

Mom continued, "Your dad was so heartbroken that you forgot him. He apologized over and over and stayed with you all day the next day."

"Hmm?"

"So, for breakfast, he made you a fancy French toast that he had just learned to make, and you loved it. You told him, 'Dad, please make it again.'"

"Did I really say that?"

"Yes, you did. And then you said, 'All the French toast Daddy made is only for me,' which made him so happy. He's been making it for you every second Sunday of the month ever since."

"Wow, I don't remember any of that...."

Hmmm... that's how this French toast tradition started. I didn't remember any of it. But Dad has been keeping his promise to me all these years. I felt a warm, ticklish feeling and headed to the kitchen. Maybe cooking with Dad again wouldn't be so bad.

"Dad, is there anything I can do?"

After making French toast for 13 years, Dad has become quite the expert. Now he even caramelizes the sugar on the bread and serves it with berry sauce, like a three-star restaurant chef. He handed me a bowl with eggs, milk, and sugar, smiled, and said, "Well, Satsuki, you can be in charge of mixing!"

"Leave it to me!" I took the bowl from him and started stirring next to him, just like when I was little.

Daddy's French Toast

Recipe (for 2 persons)

Ingredients:

slices of bread

600 ml of milk

3 eggs

150 g of sugar

30 g of butter

Powdered sugar (or maple syrup) to taste

Directions:

Step 1Cut the bread into four pieces.

Step 2In a bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and sugar. Stir well.

Step 3Place the bread pieces from Step 1 into the egg mixture and let them soak for about 10 minutes.

Step 4Heat a frying pan and melt half of the butter (15g). Sear the bread from Step 3 on both sides.

Step 5Once the bread is browned on both sides, transfer it to a plate.

Step 6Pour the remaining egg mixture from the bowl into the pan and stir with a wooden spoon until the eggs are cooked and have a jelly-like consistency.

Step 7Once the egg mixture is cooked, place it on the plate with the bread.

Step 8Melt the remaining butter (15g) from Step 4 in a frying pan.

Step 9Pour the melted butter over the bread and sprinkle with powdered sugar or maple syrup, if desired.

Step 10Enjoy your meal!

This story and the recipes for the dishes therein have already been published on Medium, note, and other sites. I have modified the wording and language of this story to comply with the terms and conditions of each site on which I have published it.