Fresh Approach Cooking

Labels: blueberries, Breakfast, LittleBlueDynamos, Vegetarian

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Wow, I love scones.

So...Scottish.

And delicious.

And with the addition of cranberries...so very North American too!

I wonder if that makes these "fusion.'

Any-which-way, they are creamy (which seems like a particularly strange way to describe a baked good - and yet, its just so darned accurate!) and flaky and sweet and tangy and full-o-happiness.

Try some today, and taste the joy!

1 3/4 cup flour (plus extra for shaping)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup sugar (plus extra for sanding)
pinch of salt
zest of one small orange
1/4 cup (that's half of one short stick) butter, cut up
1 cup heavy cream
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sweet cranberry jelly/sauce/relish/jam*

In your food processor, pulse to combine the flour, baking soda, sugar, salt and orange zest. Add the butter and pulse to combine that too.

Add the cream and eggs and pulse (meaning, short bursts, so you don't create heat) until it all comes together. It should be quite wet. Let rest.

Spray a baking sheet with baking spray. (I really love that stuff. If you don't use it, just use butter or a Silpat)

Drop the batter out from the bowl of the food processor onto a slightly floured surface. Using flour coated hands, pat the batter into a 1/2 inch high circle. Poke some holes into it and fill the holes with cranberry sauce. Try to work it so the cranberries get buried. Cut into wedges and carefully transfer to the baking sheet. They spread and rise, so do not crowd.

Sprinkle with additional sugar (this is sanding) and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool a few minutes then transfer to a rack to cool, or devour.

*This recipe would also be great with currants, lingonberries or cloudberries, if you live somewhere those are accessible.

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The cranberry was first called the "crane berry" by Dutch and German settlers because cranberry blossoms resemble the head and bill of a crane.

Sanding. A term applied to the process of sprinkling or spreading crystalline sugar onto the surface of such bakery products as cookies, pastries, etc - Baking Business.com

Scones originated in Scotland between 1505-1515 and are said to have taken its name from the Stone of Destiny (or Scone), the place where Scottish kings were once crowned. - Epicurious

A unique and charming man, Mr. Norman Mercer passed away last week. He was 91 years old. His kindness, humor and appreciation for life's beauty contributed greatly to my childhood; and my family and I will miss him dearly.

Labels: Breakfast

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You can pretty much rest assured that when there is a picture of eggs on this site, a night of heavy drinking precluded the post. And this, my peaches, is no exception.

But to begin, I will list a few of the pearls of wisdom The Ombudsman and I have learned while I was away from my computer...

1. Picnics at midnight are a lovely thing

2. Beechwood Restaurant went from mediocre experience to Very-Much-Off-The-List. (Boo on them. Just boo.)

3. Tarragon and eggs are a match made in heaven. Especially after an afternoon of drinking my new bev of choice, a Dark and Stormy (more on that later this week)

4. Philly Cheese Steak is fantastic, paired with a pitcher of locally brewed Angel City beer on a warm Thursday afternoon. (It also makes a visit to the museum that much more fun, lemme tell ya...)

5. Deep fried spinach is an oily, dangerous, delicious mess and should not be considered a side dish. Okay, it should. Wait, no it shouldn't.

So back to the eggs...

I was hung over. I needed protein. What more can I say? These fit the bill. Oh heavens did they ever.

You know, poaching eggs kinda fascinates me. There is a real art to it, and I could be wrong here, but I suspect most people think of it as something a bit la-dee-da for everyday...but if you ask me, its well worth it. And you certainly don't need hollandaise sauce to make this taste superb.

What it is is perfection. Paired with sweet-licorice tarragon and a heaping helping of butter, well, what could go wrong! And after a night of drinkies, this is an ideal way to rebalance, refresh and recharge!

So try this my dears, and enjoy.


4 slices of toast
4 eggs
1/8 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 cup softened butter
2 tablespoons tarragon
Black pepper and salt to serve

Mince the tarragon and mix together with the butter.

Bring a large pot of water to a low, gentle simmer. Add the vinegar. Gently crack an egg over the water and using a slotted spoon, give it a turn. Lower the heat if it is roiling around at all. Remove when just opaque, about 3 minutes. Remove and put on a plate with a paper towel to drain. Repeat with remaining eggs.

Serve with buttered toast and salt and pepper to taste.

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In the United States, we eat nearly 10 billion eggs a year; or 26 million every day

Poaching: cooking in simmering liquid

Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Scallions, and Summer Squash will last for 4-7 days in plastic bags in the crisper. Apricots, Peaches, Pears, Nectarines, Mangoes, Kiwis, Plums and Melons should be ripened before refrigeration, and stored in plastic bags when ripe. Melons should be used as soon as possible after ripening.

Labels: Breakfast, Vegetarian

Tonight is the first night of the Jewish holiday Hannuka.

In commemortion, candles will be lit, presents exchanged and fried foods consumed. Its good, calorie-dense fun all around. (The fried food consumption is part of the holiday tradition. How much do you love that! Come to think of it, I'm so happy there are no "low-cal" hoildays. Aren't you?)

So my dears, if you celebrate, a hearty happy hannuka to you and yours.

Revelry can be exciting.

But what about the next day? (Because a big night of family fun leaves a kid famished, right?)

Fear not, I have the solution.

Decadant, egg-rich challah, drenched in thick, vanilla scented cream and topped with sweet fruit. A dream. (And because this hoilday is on a Friday night, there should be Challah abound...right? Right. Since, you know, members of the tribe have challah EVERY Friday night. Well, the observant I should say.)

But let's say you arent a member of the tribe what then? That's okay! No matter what philosophy you ascribe to, you will be a convert to this dish. Its a non-denominational treat

Try it and enjoy.

8 thick slices, Challah or brioche
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large nectarines, pitted and sliced (frozen work)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sour cream
2 tablespoons honey
Raspberries for garnish (hey, they are available here!)

In a large, chilled, metal bowl, whip the cream until it holds soft peaks. Add the honey and sour cream and whip again until it combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Toss the nectarines with the sugar. Melt the butter in a large pan, then saute the fruit until just soft. Remove from the pan, and wipe it out to use for the toast.

In a large, deep dish, whisk the eggs until frothy. Add the milk and vanilla. Let rest for a minute while you slice the bread again into 1 inch by 1 inch by 3 inch sticks.

Add the bread to the milk and let sit for a few moments while you heat the butter in a large pan over medium heat.

Remove the bread from the milk and let drain slightly before cooking on all sides until browned (about 4 minutes)

Serve with the fruit and cream

Serves 6

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Challah, here, means egg bread. You can use Hawaiian or Portuguese bread too. Click here for lots more information on Challah.

In Spain, French toast is called "torrijas" and is typically made during Lent, out of thick slices of bread soaked in milk or wine, dipped in egg, fried and then drenched in spiced honey

It is not entirely clear why this dish is called French Toast. In Sweden it would be called fattiga riddare and in Germany armer Ritter. (Both translate to "Poor Knight.") But what about in France? Pain perdu, or "Lost Bread."

Labels: Breakfast

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Growing up in LA, going to the Good Earth restaurant, a vegetarian mecca, meant one thing...really amazing tea.

I know, that seems silly, but for some reason their private blend tea was just plain better than anywhere else. Almost like chai today, it was heavily spiced and sweet and the smell could send you into a daydream for sure. It transports. No sugar needed.

While the smattering of Westside outposts closed awhile ago, there are still some open, noteably one in just over the hill in North Hollywood (and a few in Minnesota)...only trouble is, I try not to ever go to the Valley.

So as luck would have it, they sell their tea in the market, and when I brew a cup, I inhale deeply filling my mind with the steaming, swirling perfume of a singularly happy childhood.

Since I’m not a regular tea drinker (as my still pearly whites can attest) I have found that using the tea in baking is a spectacular way to bring that otherworldly aroma home.

Not being the strongest baker, I usually stick to my tried and true favorites, but for some reason, yesterday, I could not for the life of me find my recipe for zucchini bread. So I went on line.

Oops.

See what happened? It was beyond inedible. Man oh man was that dreadful. Kind of like a (raw on the inside, burnt on the outside) squash flan, I was super bummed out, I mean, what a waste of perfectly good ingredients. (Should I include a link to the recipe that created that? Nah...why be cruel.)

Refusing to accept defeat, I made it again. Adjusting with my limited knowledge, I am proud to say, I managed a sinfully delicious toatally original, quick-bread.

It comes together in about 10 minutes (minus baking) and the smell from the oven as it bakes will have you floating on air.

Try, and enjoy!


1 ½ cups flour
1 teabag worth of Good Earth tea (or cinnamon)
½ teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup canola oil
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon molassas
3/4 pound zucchini, shredded
1/4 cup golden raisins

Preheat your oven to 325F

Spray a 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray (over the sink, you don’t want your floor getting slippery!)

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, tea, salt and baking soda

In another bowl, combine the oil, sugars, eggs and molasses. Stir to combine. Add the zucchini and raisins and stir.

Add the zucchini to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 1:15, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool a few minutes in the pan and then invert onto a rack to cool completely.

Will keep, wrapped in plastic, for about five days.

Makes one loaf

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The Good Earth® Restaurants & Bakeries originated in 1975 with a commitment to healthy, fresh, & delicious foods which are prepared "better for you".

Looking for something to do? November 18, 2006, from 6:30pm – 11:30pm at the Hollywood Palladium 6215 Sunset Blvd. at Argyle. The French American Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles invites you to take part in the time-honored tradition of welcoming the 2006 Beaujolais Nouveau to Southern California. Be part of the West Coast’s largest Beaujolais Wine Festival as corks go popping around the world in celebration of a remarkable harvest and one of the best vintages to come out in years. A worldwide selection of gourmet food and premium wines will be available to accompany the tasting of the new Beaujolais. Tickets are all-inclusive and can be reserved in advance by calling FACCLA at (323) 651-4741.

Labels: Bread, Breakfast

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Charlie is back in town. Creating havoc and confusion in his wake. In the best possible way of course.

It was a slightly chilly night when I got the text message his plane had landed and he needed a ride to the hotel. Of course, I had no warning he was hitting town. I scrambled to get glam and headed out the door. I’m a sucker for this man and his mayhem. He makes VIP seem pedestrian and makes me laugh so hard I can skip going to my abs class for a week.

For no apparent (to me) reason, he had reservations for a suite at a somewhat dodgy hotel out by the airport. He said it was "gonna be a riot." I said I didn’t doubt it, but murmered please check into the Peninsula or I was going to have to reconsider hanging out.

With a twinkle in his eye and a grin like a Cheshire cat, he stepped out to call a friend. 30 minutes later we were in a town car headed to Beverly Hills. My car was to stay out in dodgy-town..in case. In case of what I didn't want to know. (And for the record, my car is perfectly acceptable to any valet in town. It is shame free…now that it's been detailed…) I suspected this was part of a master plan. For what, I was yet to learn...

Now that’s what I call the start of a good time!

It was 2:30 in the afternoon afterall.

We hit the town running. Cocktails all around. We went back to the uber swank hotel. I took advantage of the palatial suite and drew myself a bubbly bath (that’s a bath with bubbles and a glass of champagne) while he went off to do whatever it is he does when I'm not looking.

Almost immediatly some of his more raucous cohorts appeared. They lured us out. We went to dinner at some sort of Hollywood nightmare so-VIP-it-doesn’t-exist private supper club (no photos allowed). The sparsly furnished room smelled like leather and woodsmoke. They served lamb so tender and flavorful I forgot to look up from my plate until it was gone.

We ended up a club that served smoked bar nuts in fishbowls. I'm officially over clubs. On to a party where the only food was a bag of oddly orange cheese puffs sitting forlornly in a bowl. We drank cranberry juice from a glass slipper (more on that some other time) and danced on a plexiglass covered infinity pool overlooking a twinkling canyon. We didn't fall in. Lucky thing, since that is the last thing I clearly remember. (And I clearly remember being perfectly okay right up until that point.)

In the morning, (or was it mid-afternoon) I awoke to a decidedly singed smell and it wasn't the room-service toast growing cold outside of my door. It was coming from him, crashed out on the divan in my room instead of his own. Nothing seemed amiss until I noticed the eyelashes on his right eye were decidedly gone and the perfectly cut blazer he had been wearing (but was now using as a blanket,) was missing a sleeve. He refuses to tell me what happened. For my own good he says.

I rolled my eyes.

I wondered about my car.

He drowsily made a call. This was all part of the plan.

Two hours later a lanky British C-list celebrity sporting an eye patch (I couldn’t make this up if I tried) and reeking of Axe, appeared at the door, tipped his hat and handed me the keys. He told me it needed to be detailed again and to tell Charlie "Thanks."

Head swimming, I stumbled back to bed.

This may not be love, (for the record, Charlie is just an old friend) but when we got to my house 48 hours later, he did make me eggs with caviar. Creamy, dreamy salty perfection.

He's cute AND he can cook...

I haven't got a clue when or where he got the ingredients (certainly not from my fridge) and when it comes to Charlie, it's better just to go with the flow. I just tucked in and sighed with contentment.


So my peaches, if you want to have a Charlie-style morning, all you have to do is make these and indulge. That's all there is to it.

1 pat unsalted butter
6 eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon creme fraiche (more for garnish)
pepper
2 heaping tablespoons caviar
minced dill or chives for garnish

In a large double boiler, melt the butter.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, creme fraiche and pepper (to taste).

Add to the butter and stir until creamy and cooked

Remove from the pan and divide between two plates.

Top with caviar and additional creme fraiche if wanted.

Serves two

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Caviar refers to the salted eggs (roe) of the fish species, sturgeon. Caviar comes from the Persian word Khaviar which means "bearing eggs". About.com

The legendary Peninsula Afternoon Tea is served daily to the accompaniment of a classical harpist in the beautiful Living Room. dining space.

For their 10th Anniversary WINE SPECTATOR is offering a month of FREE ACCESS TO THEIR ONLINE ARCHIVES.

Crème fraîche is made by inoculating unpaseurized heavy cream with cultures, letting the bacteria grow until the cream is both soured and thick and then pasteurizing it to stop the process. Thus, it cannot be made at home with pasteurized cream—the lack of bacteria in the cream will cause it to spoil instead of sour. - Wikipedia

Labels: Breakfast, Seafood

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No doubt about it, I am what is classically known as a dizzy dame. A spacer. Even flaky at times. Whatever phrase you want. It’s just a fact. Doesn’t bother me.

Wandering around the Hollywood Farmers Market last weekend, I was so overwhelmed with choices I ended up sort of standing in the middle of the street staring ditzily at the trippy kaleidoscopic wonders covering the tables. Sunshine and peppers in every hue, the scent of lavender and bountiful apples, it would stop anyone in their tracks. (Except apparently, all the people bustling around me...oops.)

After drinking it all in for a few moments, a man at one of the fruit selling booths across the way caught my eye. Probably because he was gesticulating wildly in my direction.

Momentarily brought out of the clouds, I floated over to see what he wanted. Hippy-dippy smile plastered across my face.

Apparently my aura had been shining in a bright and golden way (his words, not mine, but who am I to deny such a compliment) and I needed to take a large bag of his finest overripe and under-glamorous nectarines to cook with and maintain that special glow. (Seriously, that was what would you have done! He was adorable.) Free of charge. Now that’ll make a girl glow, eh?

While I’m not sure the nectarines were the key to retaining the special light of that morning, they certainly didn’t hurt either. Blemished and browned, they were redolent with that heady scent that drives me wild. It permeated the car as I drove home in the heat and filled my mind with wonder.

He had said to make jam. I did as I was told. Simple and unadorned. Sometimes that is just the way to go. And while I’m not sure if my aura is still golden, I know my thoughts are.

Try this with the last vestiges of stone fruits in your area and enjoy.

10 large nectarines
3 thick slices of lemon zest
¼ cup sugar (more or less as needed)
Tiny pinch of salt
Water

Remove the pits from the nectarines. Cut off any really brown spots and roughly chop them into chunks. Add to a large stock pot with the zest, sugar and salt. Add enough water to come half way up the fruit. The pot should not be too full. If it is, take some of the fruit out. Boiling sugar overflowing will make a horrible mess.

Boil over medium heat until thick. This may take an hour. Stir a few times during the process.

When it is done, fish out the lemon zest. Now you can strain it or not. I wanted it more rustic, more au natural, so I didn’t and it was fine. More than fine.

Makes about 4 cups

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A nectarine is a fuzzless variety of peach. California grows over 95% of the nectarines produced in the United States.

Jam is a type of fruit preserve made by boiling fruit with sugar to make an unfiltered jelly.

Jerome Monroe Smucker first pressed cider at a mill he opened in 1897. Later, he also prepared apple butter, which he sold from the back of a horse-drawn wagon. Today Smucker's – a family owned company - is the market leader of fruit spreads, ice cream toppings, health and natural foods beverages, and natural peanut butter in North America

Labels: Breakfast, Condiment

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It isn’t so very often that I post a recipe for a breakfast item, is it? I mean, sure, who doesn't like breakfast, but it’s not exactly when the most inspired cooking takes place. (Okay, that's not entirely true now is it)

And yet, here I am about to chatter about coddled eggs. My newest mostest favorest (revisted from childhood) thing ever.

I have always been outrageously fond of a nice, soft boiled egg. Its just such a blissful morning moment. Crack it open, dip in the toast and imbibe in natural perfection.

Or so I thought.

But somehow I had forgotten over the years about that oh-so-chic little porcelain cup called an egg coddler (available for very reasonable prices on line from Royal Worchester, or at your finer department stores) in which you can basically soft boil an egg…with the addition of butter, and any and all flavorings you choose, gently infused into the egg! It’s so good, you may weep with happiness.

See? Thrilling variation on a seemingly tired theme. Is that not the best?
So tell me, and don't be shy, how do you like your eggs? With chives and parsley? How about doctored up with something roguish like anchovy and capers? Too strong for first thing in the day? Well, what about a nip of congac and some shaved truffles? Delightful decadance!

With a coddler, all these can be yours. The variations are limited by, well, what's in your larder I suppose (I am SO excited I just got to use the word 'larder' by the way, you just have no idea. I mean, first 'coddled' and then that...coo)

The set of coddlers (how much do you love that term! I love it! Coddled eggs. Awwww…..) I have were purchased in 1951 by my dashing father.

Just imagine a sophisticated young American man in London, there for the first time alone, sauntering into a little shop and purchasing these delicate items.

They are just so beautiful and make such a great dish, it's really no wonder he could not resist. The man loves two things, (other than his family of course!) birds (ergo the pattern on the coddlers) and eggs for breakfast. That is why they were an ideal purchase all that time ago. And lest you think they were mearly decorative trinkets one he got home, think again. He used them for years and years, until I spirited them away. (With his permission.)

And that I have them now makes me glow with happiness. Every time I coddle an egg, I have him to thank. And now (assuming you have run out an purchased your own) you can make them too!

I am including the most basic recipe for you to try, but should you be feeling ambitious, try separating the whites and yolks, then whipping the whites with the additions (whatever you choose, but salt and pepper at the very least) then adding the unbroken yolk back in before you coddle. Should that be too involved, try this, and enjoy!


Required equipment: 2 double egg coddlers

4 eggs
1 pat butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 small anchovy, minced
1 teaspoon capers, minced

Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the coddlers. Bring the water to a boil.

Meanwhile, lightly butter the inside of each coddler, and fill with two eggs each. Top with anchovy and capers, salt and pepper. Screw on the top tightly.

Gently lower the coddlers into the boiling water and let boil for 6-8 minutes. Remove from the water, wipe off, remove the lid and serve with buttered toast.

Serves two.


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Happy Birthday Daddy!

An egg coddler is a porcelain cup with a lid. They have been manufactured by Royal Worcester in Worcester, UK since at least the 1890s, and were probably invented there.

People in the UK eat 10 billion eggs a year; that's 26 million every day, which placed end to end would reach from the earth to the moon.

White shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and ear lobes. Brown shelled eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and red ear lobes. - AEB.org

Labels: Breakfast

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When you think about the cuisine of Florida, what comes to mind? Early bird specials? Cuban food? Nuevo Latino?

For me, it’s a few things. Spiny rock lobsters, crabs, hush puppies (not exclusive to the area, I know, but still prevalent), giant smooth-skinned avocados, conch, hearts of palm and of course, the most enticing of all the local ingredients, key limes.

(Now in fairness, if you truly wanted to make any of the above "Floridian," they must be served as dinner, but at 4pm. You know how the Seniors like to dine early!)

There just is nothing more fantastically-abundantly local than key limes. (Okay, you can get sweet potatoes and okra too, but they just aren't nearly as glam, now are they.)

Delicious, sour, super-juicy key limes. And just the other day, they were selling 4 lbs for $2. (Not in LA, I'm still in Florida. You may have missed that.) That came to about 50 limes and/or 2.5 cups of juice.

Have you ever had a key lime? Smaller than common limes and much juicier, they are also packed full of pits. The skin is super thin and the color is more yellow than green, which is their distinct marking. They don’t travel well, which is why they are hard to find outside of tropical areas, but if you do come across some, you should pick out a few nice specimens and bring them on home. Even if you don't get enough to make a pie or this recipe, they are worth having on hand as a slight change of pace from common limes, (Which I shouldn't disparage, since I adore them too!) they are much more sour and have a slightly less acidic aftertaste.

Now I could have gone and made a traditional key lime pie with my heaven-scented bounty, but then, you can find a recipe for that pretty much anyplace.

No, I wanted to make something a little different. Something a little more fab, but still retaining a classic southern feel and that would really capture what makes key limes so special. I am also prone to choosing tart over cloying desserts any day, so this fit the bill...

So what did I make?

Key lime curd with coconut biscuits. Thats right baby. And don't you wish you had been here!

The biscuit recipe is a little different than anything I had done before, but still basic. And with the addition of coconut milk to give it a smoother crumb and additional sweetness to cut the bright-tart lime curd. Utterly sublime.

This entire dessert (or breakfast if you are so inclined) comes together pretty swiftly. The curd needs to cool and set for at least 20 minutes, and you want to time that so that it is set when the biscuits come out of the oven. Light as air they are also great alone, but for my money, I wouldn’t want to put this curd on anything less.

The combination is beyond words.

Try it, and enjoy. (And of course, you can make this with any citrus, don't limit yourself to key limes!)

1 1/2 cups lime juice
1/4 pound butter
6 egg yolks
pinch of salt
1 cup sugar (more to taste)

Combine all the ingredients in a double boiler, or in a large metal bowl set over a sauce pan with simmering water in it. (Just make sure the bowl isn't resting directly in the water, it needs to be above it) Taste and add more sugar if needed. Whisk constantly until it begins to thicken, about six to ten minutes. It will thicken more when it sets, right now you are looking for it to resemble thick custard.

When done, strain through a fine-mesh strainer and refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes. To prevent a skin from forming on the curd, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Will keep for two weeks.

For the biscuits:

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon shortening
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup coconut milk, plus additional for glazing
1/2 cup all purpose flour

Line your baking sheet with heavy foil. Set aside until ready to use.

Preheat your oven to 450F.

Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl and work with a fork to combine. There should be no large lumps of shortening.

Stir in the buttermilk and coconut milk. It should be just thicker than a batter.

Pour the AP flour onto a plate. Drop a mound of the wet dough onto the flour and using your hands, make sure it is coated with flour. Shape it into a circle, pat lightly and place on the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Brush the biscuits with coconut milk and bake for 12 minutes.

Remove from the oven, split and serve with the lemon curd.

Makes eight.

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The large, green, seedless lime found in your supermarket is the Persian Lime, a hybrid developed in the early 20th century.

The California orchards that produce nearly all domestic olives (a $59 million industry) were hammered by harsh weather this year, leaving growers with the smallest harvest in 25 years. - AP

Labels: Breakfast, Dessert, Vegetarian

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Many, many years ago in a not so far away land there were some maidens who wanted to earn some extra cash to fund their leisurely lifestyles. They were clever and crafty young things and oh yes, they had the drive to succeed. All that held them back from their riches was the perfect idea. They had the will, the skills, the determination and let's just say it, the deadication to really do something outstanding when they got down to it.



For a short while they dabbled in hand-made custom order apron-dresses, (Kinda like this. Actually, exactly like that. Hmm. I must have issues because I still think they look sort of cute. Yikes.) but that proved to be excessively time consuming. Next up, they thought they could break into the fimo dough bead market, but alas, that was well covered. Then one starry night as they lay in a field somewhere in the middle of nowhere Indiana, staring up at the stars with the strains of music lingering in their ears it came to them like a bolt from the blue. The way to their financial freedom was as simple as whipping up that tasty tropical treat, banana bread.

You see kids, in those days there was a fantastically popular band who roamed the globe with a merry band of followers, and if nothing else, that lot tended to be hungry. Very, very hungry. They pretty much seemed to subsist on a diet of burritos and grilled cheese, cookies and stir fry, popcorn balls and something a little more tricky called goo-balls. They ate tofu-jerky and quesadillas, and as our young heroines learned, they also craved banana bread, and could eat lots of it. So with that solid information, all our puerile misses had to do was hawk it at 1 slice for $3.00 or 2 for $5.00 from sweet little ribbon festooned wicker baskets in parking lots all over the nation and watch the money roll in.

Tweaking a recipe from the outstanding and infallible Joy of Cooking, they brought their banana bread forth, (six varieties in all) and it was good. Oh heavens was it good. So good in fact, they ended up making a tidy bundle of cash, and one of them (your narrator, I fear) ate so many gosh darned 'nanas she developed an allergy to them that persists to this day. Happily, that does not stop the former little chicky from baking her cosmically delicious bread from time to time, the scent of which brings her back to a long forgotten place, where "everybody's dancing in a ring around the sun."


Try this, and enjoy.

1 1/2 cups white flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons butter (or shortening)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3 large, completely ripe (brown) bananas, mashed
1/4 cup dates, diced

Preheat your oven to 350F

In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, wheat germ, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Cream throughly (when you think you are done, keep beating for another minute) then add the eggs and bananas. Beat together completely. Fold in the dates.

Pour your batter into a well buttered loaf pan. Bake 45 minutes to one hour, or until a knife inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Cool in the pan. Slice and serve.

Makes one loaf or about 10 slices

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A Short List of Bands/Singers with Food Names:
Meatloaf, Bread, Moby Grape, Jelly Roll Morton, Ice-T, Spice Girls, Cream, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Salt 'n' Pepa, String Cheese Incident, Smashing Pumpkins, Leftover Salmon, The Cranberries, Black Eyed Peas, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Phish, Skankin' Pickle, Vanilla Fudge, Hot Chocolate, Blue Oyster Cult, Cake, Korn, The Lemonheads, Flying Burrito Brothers, Electric Prunes and Ray Anton and the Peppermint Men

Remember the Chiquita Banana Song?

"I'm Chiquita banana and I've come to say - Bananas have to ripen in a certain way- When they are fleck'd with brown and have a golden hue - Bananas taste the best and are best for you - You can put them in a salad - You can put them in a pie-aye - Any way you want to eat them - It's impossible to beat them - But, bananas like the climate of the very, very tropical equator - So you should never put bananas in the refrigerator." Music © 1945 Shawnee Press Inc.

Labels: Bread, Breakfast, Dessert