Westerly Sun Column | Take Your Toast to the Next Level at the Library

I’m very fortunate to have a job that I enjoy, and to work with a great team of people who get along with and respect one another. Still, nobody is perfect, and there are times we don’t see eye-to-eye.

Loyal readers may remember the Great Brunch Debate of 2022, in which I, a lover of breakfast foods morning, noon, and night, learned that my beloved coworker was staunchly opposed to the amazing meal we refer to as Brunch. She still brings up the fact that I referred to her anti-brunch column as “the ravings of a lunatic” … and I still stand by that assertion. Still, we do ultimately get along, and have been able to put the past behind us. That is, until last week, when she informed me that she also does not like toast. Not toasted bread, or bagels, or muffins. Not topped with butter, or jelly, or avocado. Not even toasted marshmallows. Lunacy!

Toast is a beautiful thing. It can be a vehicle for your favorite toppings, whether it be Nutella, jammy eggs, or a simple spread of butter. It also enhances all of your favorite toppings, adding a subtle sweetness and complexity that bread on its own may lack. While a simple slice of toast on its own is great, there are actually numerous cookbooks dedicated to unique and delicious takes on this staple snack. “Posh Toast” by Emily Kydd and “Bliss on Toast” by The Great British Bake Off’s Prue Leith are two that come to mind, and each include over 70 pairings that will take your toast to a new level.

I will relent slightly and admit that bread CAN be delicious without being toasted, and that toasting is perhaps not an absolute necessity. If I were to bake a beautiful sourdough from Allyson Reedy’s “30 Breads to Bake before You Die,” for instance, half of that freshly baked loaf would be gone before the idea of toasting it even entered my mind. That’s not to say, though, that it wouldn’t be even better with a slight char and a small pool of melted butter brushed along the top. For other food items, I would still argue that toasting is a requirement. Take prepackaged grocery store bagels, for example. They may start out as a flavorless, limp, gummy waste of calories, but merely toasting one for a few minutes can transform it into a halfway enjoyable lunch. Oh, and by the way, it also lowers the glycemic index. It’s basically magic.

If you’ve made it this far, I’m sure your mouth is watering with all the talk about warm, crispy, caramelized goodness. Do yourself a favor, and head to the kitchen to fix yourself a little toasty treat. You can even make it part of a glorious brunch! And check out the books at the library for a bit of inspiration. You won’t regret it.