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On Toast: Tartines, Crostini, and Open-Faced Sandwiches
Be tempted by 100 tasty toasted treats. Keep it simple with a low cost, low effort, and a comforting snack. Toast has long been a go-to item that dons menus from seedy diners to even the fanciest bistro. In On Toast , lush photographs accompany 100 ideas for toast. From the simplest snack to the most complex and satisfying meal. On Toast even includes straight forward instructions for how best to toast your bread. Use in a sandwich, as a vehicle for condiments, as a side to dip into other meals, breakfast, lunch or dinner... the possibilities are endless! Let Kristan Raines tempt you with tasty toasted treats.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 5, 2023
This was a great cook book for a terrible cook (like me) to read. The recipes are simple and straight forward and the pictures are beautiful. Kristan often starts with a 'taste profile' that she has worked hard to recreate...a particular dish from her past that she wishes to capture. Using toasted breads as a foundation she is able to built on that profile with 'lego-like' simplicity...which is greatly appreciated by bad cooks like me. Truth time: I once ruined a cup of instant Ramen! My girlfriend at the time looked at me - with abject horror - "How did you do this? Your not supposed to be able to do something like this...tell me what you did!"
January 6, 2021
-there are nice pictures for most of the recipes. has pictures for about 90% of the recipies, which is pretty darn good. I still want 100%, but that's just me bitching.
-recipes that grabbed my attention:
-salami and havarti
-pears with honey butter and walnuts
-raw beets with goat cheese
-pear compote with creme fraiche
-baked brie apple slices with walnuts and honey
-whipped canellini spread with parmesan
-roasted cauliflower and tzatziki
-pineapple cottage cheese and coconut
-honeyed tahini and blackberries
-maple roasted plums with marscapone
-pineapple, mint, marscapone and macadamia nuts
-sunflower btter and pear slices
-green apple slices with goat cheese and honey
-roasted pear with thyme and maple syrup
-beet goat cheese salad with balsamic vinegar
-recipes that grabbed my attention:
-salami and havarti
-pears with honey butter and walnuts
-raw beets with goat cheese
-pear compote with creme fraiche
-baked brie apple slices with walnuts and honey
-whipped canellini spread with parmesan
-roasted cauliflower and tzatziki
-pineapple cottage cheese and coconut
-honeyed tahini and blackberries
-maple roasted plums with marscapone
-pineapple, mint, marscapone and macadamia nuts
-sunflower btter and pear slices
-green apple slices with goat cheese and honey
-roasted pear with thyme and maple syrup
-beet goat cheese salad with balsamic vinegar
August 1, 2017
Beautiful photography and I love that everything was divided by season. Some of the recipes took the concept of toast a bit liberally. ;) But the recipes were easy to follow and looked delicious!
May 20, 2016
I love this book as I've always been a fan of crostinis and open face sandwiches. I love the idea of composing the perfect bite for someone, and everything is so beautiful.
May 19, 2016
There are several remarkable things about Kristan Raines’s new book On Toast. The first is the Foreword. From references to social theorist Theodor Adorno’s “Culture Industry,” to a discussion of the psychological effects of near-death experiences, and on to the unique assertion that toast desires to tell us facts about the relationship of near-death experiences to divorce, it is quite a ride. My suspicion is that the Foreword was penned at a time of unique tensions in the life of its author. I highly recommend spending some time with it. It is a delightful acrobatics whose last paragraph begins: “Drowning was the best thing that ever happened to me. I highly recommend it”(9). And this, according to its author, is because toast, like drowning, makes you want to help people, or, at the very least, wishes for you to experience something that then makes you want to help people. Extraordinary.
Next, the introduction by the author is more cohesive if less entertaining. In a series of moves that logically proceed from the author’s motivations for writing the book to her hopes for the reception of the final composition, it is a lucid and thoughtful gateway into the necessarily humdrum world of “recipe language” that cookbooks often necessitate. She says that she wants to inspire us, and she just might. After all, she has just published a book about something as simple as things one can put on a slice of toasted bread, so surely there's something out there for all of us.
Finally, what is most remarkable about this book is a startling balance that obtains a particular level of fecundity. Because it is probably true that a lot of the recipes contained in this book are by no means re-inventing the wheel (“Caramelized Onions and Swiss Cheese”, “Strawberry Cream Cheese Toast”, and “Raspberries and Chocolate”, for example); and it is probably also true that other recipes like “Grilled Zucchini and Halloumi”, “Whipped Cannellini Spread and Fresh Spinach”, and “Honey Roasted Parsnips” get the creative food juices flowing even if they don’t quite reach any stratospheric levels of newness; it seems that one way to understand this book is the nearly platitudinous nod to common sense mentioned earlier that "anything can be put on toast." HOWEVER, and it's a big however, it is also absolutely true to say that most people don’t think about it that way, and this is where it starts to get interesting, because there is a shocking way in which this book is taking a tiny hammer to our preconceived notions at large: if we have never thought about the way toast interacts with the world or the way toast encounters things, then what other things, what other encounters have we not considered? In short, it CAN be used to instigate an investigation into the nature of the self just as the Foreword suggests. Astounding. What is the balance between totally unsurprising and shocking? Let’s call it that fecundity I mentioned earlier. Perhaps this is why it’s organized by season: let each call forth their own fruit.
It can make ideas grow. It can inspire creativity. It can push you outside of your food comfort zones. It can sit decoratively on a coffee table. How it will interact with you, I cannot say. I can say, however, that I derived some thoughtful pleasure from my own encounter with it, and hopefully you will, too.
I received a copy of this book from Quarto Publishing for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Next, the introduction by the author is more cohesive if less entertaining. In a series of moves that logically proceed from the author’s motivations for writing the book to her hopes for the reception of the final composition, it is a lucid and thoughtful gateway into the necessarily humdrum world of “recipe language” that cookbooks often necessitate. She says that she wants to inspire us, and she just might. After all, she has just published a book about something as simple as things one can put on a slice of toasted bread, so surely there's something out there for all of us.
Finally, what is most remarkable about this book is a startling balance that obtains a particular level of fecundity. Because it is probably true that a lot of the recipes contained in this book are by no means re-inventing the wheel (“Caramelized Onions and Swiss Cheese”, “Strawberry Cream Cheese Toast”, and “Raspberries and Chocolate”, for example); and it is probably also true that other recipes like “Grilled Zucchini and Halloumi”, “Whipped Cannellini Spread and Fresh Spinach”, and “Honey Roasted Parsnips” get the creative food juices flowing even if they don’t quite reach any stratospheric levels of newness; it seems that one way to understand this book is the nearly platitudinous nod to common sense mentioned earlier that "anything can be put on toast." HOWEVER, and it's a big however, it is also absolutely true to say that most people don’t think about it that way, and this is where it starts to get interesting, because there is a shocking way in which this book is taking a tiny hammer to our preconceived notions at large: if we have never thought about the way toast interacts with the world or the way toast encounters things, then what other things, what other encounters have we not considered? In short, it CAN be used to instigate an investigation into the nature of the self just as the Foreword suggests. Astounding. What is the balance between totally unsurprising and shocking? Let’s call it that fecundity I mentioned earlier. Perhaps this is why it’s organized by season: let each call forth their own fruit.
It can make ideas grow. It can inspire creativity. It can push you outside of your food comfort zones. It can sit decoratively on a coffee table. How it will interact with you, I cannot say. I can say, however, that I derived some thoughtful pleasure from my own encounter with it, and hopefully you will, too.
I received a copy of this book from Quarto Publishing for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 28, 2016
I am a bread addict. I love bread in about any shape or form, so what better than a cookbook devoted to great new ways to top good bread?! “On Toast” is brimming with delectable ideas for tartines, crostini and open-faced sandwiches.
The book opens with an introduction, Types of Bread, Pantry and Toasting Techniques before moving into the recipes which are divided into season beginning with Winter.
Now I had never heard of cookie butter until I read this cookbook. It includes a recipe for Apples and Cookie Butter. It sounds delightful, but I definitely don’t need new ways to add calories to my diet!
Fresh Ricotta and Olive Oil is so good. The recipe calls for spelt sourdough bread, but don’t let that limit you! Spicy Chorizo and Scrambled Egg on sourdough or wheat bread makes a nice change for breakfast. Roasted Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese—oh my!! That is a lovely morsel just bursting with flavor!
It’s not all savory, though. There are many treats for the sweet tooth, such as Strawberry and Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (utter bliss!) or Whipped Lemon Curd and Summer Berries or Raspberries and Chocolate.
This is a beautiful cookbook filled with delightful recipes and gorgeous photos. Brighten up your day with something “On Toast”!
I received a copy of this book from Quarry Books for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The book opens with an introduction, Types of Bread, Pantry and Toasting Techniques before moving into the recipes which are divided into season beginning with Winter.
Now I had never heard of cookie butter until I read this cookbook. It includes a recipe for Apples and Cookie Butter. It sounds delightful, but I definitely don’t need new ways to add calories to my diet!
Fresh Ricotta and Olive Oil is so good. The recipe calls for spelt sourdough bread, but don’t let that limit you! Spicy Chorizo and Scrambled Egg on sourdough or wheat bread makes a nice change for breakfast. Roasted Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese—oh my!! That is a lovely morsel just bursting with flavor!
It’s not all savory, though. There are many treats for the sweet tooth, such as Strawberry and Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (utter bliss!) or Whipped Lemon Curd and Summer Berries or Raspberries and Chocolate.
This is a beautiful cookbook filled with delightful recipes and gorgeous photos. Brighten up your day with something “On Toast”!
I received a copy of this book from Quarry Books for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 5, 2017
"Toast is here for a reason. It has an ulterior motive."
- Giullietta Carrelli, owner of San Francisco's Trouble Coffee Company
Phenomenal photography that caught this vegan's eye. So yes, too many meat/dairy recipes... but all easily convertible with smoked tofu and cashew cheese. Simple and inspiring.
- Giullietta Carrelli, owner of San Francisco's Trouble Coffee Company
Phenomenal photography that caught this vegan's eye. So yes, too many meat/dairy recipes... but all easily convertible with smoked tofu and cashew cheese. Simple and inspiring.
September 5, 2021
This cookbook is smartly divided by season. This allows for seasonal ingredients to high-lighted in an attractive way. Different types of toasts are used as the vehicle for a variety of recipes that can serve as a snack, a meal, a dessert, and most certainly a comfort. I liked how some recipes reminded you that you could pair the ingredients with different varieties of toast. There are definitely some recipes that I would like to try right away. Although there are a few recipes with slightly "fancier" ingredients, I felt that most ingredients could be sourced at the local grocer and you wouldn't need to go on an excursion to a gourmet specialty store just to make your toast. I propose a Toast to the On
Toast cookbook!
Toast cookbook!
February 8, 2020
Nice idea, well structured text, yet crap recipes : too much carbohydrates, too much sugar, too much salt. But you can feel trendy without spending much.
May 3, 2016
This is a fun little cookbook with ideas on making interesting open-faced sandwiches. It is filled with pretty sandwich pictures of the author's creation.
August 22, 2016
Lots of promising and usually easy to make recipes for a busy family.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews