Etymologically Wondering

Good question Kevin. Same as with French Fries, Belgina Waffles (what makes them Belgian...?) Spanish Rice (which is not really from Spain......) etc.

Is a Greek Salad really Greek or is it Greek because it calls for Feta and Kalamatas????

;-)))

Here's your answer:

First made at a roadside tavern not far from the city of Albany in 1724, there are few dishes more truly American than the breakfast favorite known as "French toast". So American is the dish that very few can understand why it is not called "American toast", "Albany Toast" or even "New York State toast".

The confusion comes about because the owner of the tavern at which the dish was invented had a very poor knowledge of grammar. When Joseph French decided to name the dish after himself he should have written his invention as "French's toast" (that is to say, the toast of French). Because he did not know how to use the possessive apostrophe, however, the dish appeared on his menu simply as "French toast". In short, the dish has nothing whatever to do with French culinary history but in the two hundred and seventy years that have intervened, no one has taken the time to correct the grammatical error.

Kevin, when I was growing up we called it Burnt Toast because that's the way my mother (who never learned to cook) made it.

Mona,
I love that story! Can you point me to link?

Scott,
That's a good story too, for different reasons.

Donna,
Poor baby. If you ever come visiting, I'll make you some un-Burnt Toast -- on freshly baked bread.

Kevin, the heck with why it's called what it's called. Your picture just made me want to have some of them toast. : )

kevin:
there's an article on the food network's site (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/ck_culinary_qa/article/0,1971,FOOD_9796_1707823,00.html) that makes mention of it, but i got the full text from http://www.stratsplace.com/rogov/french_toast.html. sorry, i should have included it in my first comment.

for what its worth, i've lived in upstate new york all my life and been a fan of food history so had heard the joe french/albany story before...

Mona,
Thanks. I keep a file of food origins.

Well, that's amazing. Who would've thought it was American? I could've sworn it was from some thrifty Frenchwoman stretching a meal from the stale bread, and too many eggs in the larder......

Kevin, when all that silliness was going on at the Congressional cafeteria, I wonder if they renamed "French
Toast" "Freedom Toast".

Probably. BTW, I understand they're "French" frys again.

I heard that too. I'm glad Congress sobered up.