Even the grandest chefs in the world would find it hard to turn down a warm, crisp slice of buttered toast. But how do you get it just right, and what to put on top?
"It is impossible not to love someone who makes toast for you," wrote Nigel Slater in his bittersweet memoir of the Sixties called, of course, Toast. "Once the warm, salty butter has hit your tongue, you are smitten. Putty in their hands."
Interesting, we should thank chemist Albert Leroy Marsh who invented Nichrome, the heating element that enabled the creation of the electric toaster, back in 1905.
Since then, toast has gone many places - here are just a couple:
THE BREAD MATTRESS
You will have your favourite bread to toast,but generally speaking breads with some texture and a good crust make the best toast.
Think rye, brioche, sourdough, ciabatta, country or farmhouse loaf, even government white bread, sliced thickly.
Sometimes older bread makes better toast, with a better texture and crunch. You can also freeze your loaf and then cut into really thin slices to make funky croutons or, toasted, to dip into soup or a dip.
Some breads also go better with certain toppings than others.(see recipe suggestions below)
CLASSIC TOAST TOPPINGS
Home-made baked beans with eggs- or use from a tin, heat and top with a poached egg and chopped parsley
Creamed mushrooms on ciabatta - fry mushrooms in a little butter with garlic, add pepper, thyme and a couple of splashes of cream and scoop onto toast
Simply topped with slices of cold cheese, the way they like it in Holland
Welsh rarebit is one of the all-time favourite toast toppings - cheese, beer mustard, what's not to love.
Patés are making a comeback; are easy to make at home or can be store-bought.
Try smoked mackeral pate with chives and cream cheese, or seared chicken liver pate with a drizzle of pomegranate and crushed pistachio nuts
Hummus, made primarily from chickpeas, is not only loved in the Middle East. You can add tons of extra stuff to hummus to turn it from ordinary to extraordinary, like edamane beans, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes or roasted beets and avo.
A good bread and crisp rashers of the best bacon makes a meal of a sandwich. Serve the new-style BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) sandwich, with a freshly made, hand-cut salsa and you’re onto something special.
And don't forget Ayrshire butter with peanut butter or Marmite, sardines smashed with finely chopped onion, chopped hard-boiled egg with parsley and mayo, leftover roast chicken with gherkins and caramelised figs with brie cheese.
RECIPES TO TRY