Challah Hangover
I don’t know much, but I do know my alcohol.
Before the word “DRUNK!” runs into your head let me explain...
When I first came to NYC I realized that the best place to make a buck was a bar. Drunk people had to be better tippers than the sober coffee drinking teenagers at my last job. So though I had never actually been in a bar (details, details) and barely knew that vodka and gin were two different things (it all tastes the same, right?!) I somehow convinced a man named Tom that he just HAD to hire me.
I was SO convincing that I was not only hired but given the serious responsibility of...Keeper of the Coats!!
The only thing I could say was that I would be “the BEST coat check girl EVER.”
Yep, really living the NYC dream!
I got lucky and with the sudden disappearance of some staff I quickly climbed the corporate ladder and gained the title bartender and by the age of 21 I became the general manager of the Bulls Head Tavern.
A short 5 years later of running the bar and an even shorter 10 years later in the service industry as a whole and let's wrap up this story with saying that that was the end of my bartending career.
The most important thing I took away from my time in the bars was a large handful of fantastic friends (I had a tendency to hire people I thought were awesome and then as their boss, make them be my friends, haha ;)
After a recent night out with an old employee/friend we got into a discussion about hangovers.
It’s been a while since I’ve had a real hangover. These days you're much more likely to find a robust and tangy red wine in my hands than my old standby, a Ketel on the rocks.
But I do have more than a couple stories to tell on the subject ;)
One of my favorite memories is of my friend Kelly Jo and myself sitting around Yaffe Café at 6am in a booth with Elvis pictures all around and a spread in front of us easily large enough to feed the two of us AND the 10 customers that were still at the bar for last call.
Whether it’s the end of the night or the next morning, hangover food to me has to be breakfast food. And while thinking about all the things we used to devour at 6am I came up with this over the top French toast….
Challah Bread French Toast
1 Loaf Challah Bread, 8-10 1½ inch slices
8 eggs
1tsp cinnamon
1tsp vanilla extract
1+1/2Tbs Honey
1tsp Salt
1+1/2cup milk
Combine eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, honey, salt and milk in a dish and whisk until well combined. Soak slices in mixture for at least 3minutes a side, or as long as possible. Cook in a pan with a little butter or vegetable oil until brown on both sides and firm to the touch, about 6 minutes total.
NOTES:
- I have used 1 percent milk and it has turned out fine
- It’s key to have the slices thoroughly soak up the mixture, press down on the bread when it’s soaking to help it along
Challah Hangover Sandwich
8 slices Challah Bread French Toast
8 slices bacon
1 cup chocolate chips
2 Bananas, 1/2inch slices
4-8 Eggs
Cook bacon in a pan or in the oven on a wire rack for 15-20minutes at 400 degrees. Let slightly cool and put chocolate chips in a small dish and microwave for 45-60seconds, stirring every 15 seconds until melted. Drizzle chocolate over bacon. Put chocolate covered bacon and bananas on a slice of the French toast, top with another slice, top that with 1-2 eggs however you like them and cover in syrup. ENJOY!
Time to start drinking...
