i am a food blog

It’s February already, can you believe it? Soon, Spring will be right around the corner, but in the meantime, February means Valentine’s Day, which means an influx of heart-shaped sweets and pink. I happen to love hearts and pink things, so I’m not complaining. Valentine’s also happens to be the anniversary of my first post on I am a Food Blog.

It was a post on Afternoon Beer, a man-i-fied version of afternoon tea. It’s fun to look back at how I’ve progressed photography-wise. And if you want to see even more of my early, early work, check out Momofuku for 2 — sometimes I cringe when I look through it. Even so, I love having a record of what I’ve cooked. Anyway, back to Valentine’s. If you’re looking for something fun to make your honey, give this lemon meringue french toast a try.

Unless, of course, you have something against raw egg whites. In that case, you can skip out on the meringue, or use whipping cream instead. That being said, I really think meringue is what makes this recipe. It’s dreamy the way egg whites whip up with a bit of air and the way meringue melts on your tongue – kind of like whipped cream, but with more heft.

Can we talk about lemon curd for a second? Wouldn’t you say it’s the best spread out there? If I have lemons and time on hand, I’ll make lemon curd. Forget lemonade — lemon curd is where it’s at. Sometimes, for a treat, I even just eat it straight from the jar. I would probably do it more often, but knowing the amount of butter and eggs that go into a small jar is a little alarming. But who cares about calories — they don’t count when your food is made with love, right?

Lemon Meringue French Toast Recipe
serves 2

• 1 room temperature egg
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 thick slices of your favorite bread
• butter or oil for pan
• 1/2 cup lemon curd (I had some left over homemade in the fridge, feel free to use store bought if in a pinch)

Separate your egg: white in a super-clean bowl free from any grease or oil, and yolk in a shallow bowl. Using a mixer, beat the egg white starting on low speed until the eggs are slightly frothy. With the mixer on medium, start streaming in the sugar, in as thin of a stream as possible. Increase the mixer speed to high and whip until the eggs reach stiff peaks. When you lift your beaters out of the meringue, there should be a distinct “beak.” Set the meringue aside while you fry up your french toast.

Whisk the milk into the bowl with the egg yolk. Dip slices of bread into egg mix allowing the bread to soak up the eggy goodness. Melt a pat of butter or a touch of oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the soaked slices of bread and fry until golden brown on both sides, flipping once.

Top the slices of toast with the lemon curd and meringue. Enjoy warm!

Note: Some people are uncomfortable eating uncooked egg whites. If you have any doubts at all, please don’t eat this meringue!

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