Chef Miguel Espinoza (chef of Manhattan’s Café Frida and Café Ronda) cooks up a sweet Latin favorite topped with lots of fresh fruit.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 baguette (long French bread)
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup butter
4 mint leaves
2 bananas
4 strawberries
1/2 melon of choice
4 kiwis
1/2 lb. green grapes
Whipped cream (optional)

Preparation:
In a bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and eggs.
Whisk carefully, making sure that there are no lumps of cinnamon.
Add milk and whisk together.
Slice bread into approximately 2-inch-thick pieces, making sure you have at least 16 pieces.
Melt butter in a large pan.
Soak bread in egg-and-milk mixture and add to pan.
Turn bread after a few minutes, cooking thoroughly on both sides and being careful not to let them burn.

To serve:
On a round plate, arrange 4 slices of bread.
Top with some grapes, 4 banana slices, 4 melon cubes, 1 strawberry, and 1 sliced kiwi. Sprinkle pecans on top.
Drizzle with maple syrup.
Add whipped cream, if desired.
Decorate each plate with 1 mint leaf.