Banana Bread and other things

Well, this weekend threatens to be a cook-a-thon. I’m out of bread, so needs must bake, plus need to assemble some salads and maybe actually cook some meat for sandwiches. The first order of business, however, is to use up some bananas that are black, black, black. Throw them out? Never. They are just right for banana bread. The weather is perfect for comfort food like banana bread, too, cloudy, cool, with showers, most un-June-like.The recipe is from Noreen Gilletz “The Food Processor Bible”, and I’m telling you, the woman should pay me royalties as much as I plug her. As always, you can email me at magicallydelicious121 at gmail dot com for the recipe so we don’t violate copyright. Or you can buy it and other cookbooks on Noreen’s website. She’s an Orthodox Jew who keeps kosher, and the book has a whole section of Passover recipes, and recipes that are pareve.

This banana bread is really different from any other I’ve made. First, you use really black bananas. There’s no baking powder in the batter, only baking soda. And it’s baked at a low temperature for a long time. The low temperature and long time also give you the opportunity to raise some yeast bread on top of the stove without singeing the little yeasties.

The low temperature and large amount of baking soda make this bread dark and rich. And sticky. The recipe calls for greasing the pan, putting in some parchment paper, and greasing it. I have only one word for you. Silicone. I refuse to stand around buttering and greasing when we have the technology. I just dumped the batter into the pan without so much as even a whiff of Pam, and as you can see, it popped right out. And boy is it delicious!! If he’s lucky, I might save some for The Boyo.

And while I was cruising the net while the bread was baking, I came across a blog I love. The woman cooks, the woman writes, the woman photographs. I’m green with envy, not only at her talent, but that apparently she has more than 3 sq. ft of counterspace in her apartment, and a fire escape where she can grow peppers, tomatoes and herbs. Well, so could I if somebody would invest in a couple of Aerogardens for me. I have no outside space in my apartment, and the light I do get sucks. Well, I need to go shopping, drop off my books at the library, cook some more. Stay tuned.