Winter Breakfast Sandwich With Maple Syrup, Toasted Walnuts and Cream Cheese

The warm, crunchy, golden brown staple on breakfast tables in more than 90% of American homes is one of life's simplest pleasures. This humble breakfast hero is also an iconic symbol of all that's right and good in American life.

Toast is the great leveler, a symbol of democracy: Crunchy toast is enjoyed in humble homes and at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

America's love of toast has given birth to toaster collections, a national toaster museum, children's book, songs about toast and cookbooks full of toast recipes.

One hundred years since the introduction of the first electric toaster, Americans are faithful to their long-lived love affair with toast. In fact, a recent survey commissioned by the Grain Foods Foundation and conducted by Harris Interactive indicates that more than 93% of respondents say they enjoy toast any time of day.

How passionate are Americans about toast?

Nearly 10% of adults surveyed confessed they'd rather enjoy their morning toast than, um, a passionate interlude with their significant other. More than half of the survey respondents would choose toast over candy, and nearly 40% over chocolate. That's some serious craving for toast.

Hum a few bars in the key of "T"

"Americans are passionate about toast!" exults comedian Heywood Banks. Banks is singing all the way to the bank, having hit solid gold with his song about toast that he's parlayed into an animated cartoon (at comedyhome.com). Banks has created a children's book, t-shirts and music CDs based on the lyrics to his song "Yeah, Toast!" Toast lovers like Banks are delightfully quirky - he plays a toaster as a percussion instrument.
Love, craving and science in the kitchen

"There's nothing more satisfying than a piece of perfectly toasted bread," says Ted Allen, cookbook author and food and wine consultant for television's popular "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." "One of the most comforting, simple moments you can have is to make yourself a slice of toast. The scent of bread caramelizing in the toaster is wonderful."

The process that caramelizes toast - cooking the sugars in the bread and turning them golden brown - is the Maillard reaction, which gives toast its flavor and its crunch.

So push that lever down, get out your favorite toppings and tap your toe to the toast dance while waiting (im)patiently for the tantalizing aroma of caramelizing bread. If that's not true love ...
For more intriguing, fun and delicious information on grain-based foods like bread and toast, visit http://www.grainpower.org/.

Write down this recipe for ... toast
Chef and toast enthusiast Jesse Ziff Cool has written a tome to toast. "Toast: 60 Ways to Butter Your Bread & Then Some" includes toothsome toast recipes, from sweet to savory, for every meal occasion.

"Toast is still the greatest thing since sliced bread - and getting better all the time. Toast is the perfect beginning for an appetizer, sandwich, entrée, snack - even dessert," says Cool, chef, restaurant owner and cookbook author.

But Cool was not the first to document toast recipes. The White House cookbook of 1887 contained five entire pages and 21 recipes devoted to toast.
Mighty toast and nutritionGuilty pleasure? Hardly.

"Toast is one of those perfect foods that will never go out of style. Warm, crunchy and golden brown, toast is delicious, affordable, easy to make and a low-fat, low-calorie source of grains," says Judi Adams, MS, RD, president of the Grain Foods Foundation. "With the variety of vitamins and nutrients packed into a slice of bread, it is one of the more nourishing choices for breakfast, or any time of day."