The Best Banana Bread

Music: Sufjan Stevens, Illinoise. At first a bit fruity, simple, and more "Pop" than you're looking for. But once you get a taste, it's deep, soulful, flavorful, and intense. The perfect call when you need a little something to help you get through the day.


The perfect ripeness for perfect banana bread. So, I've made a lot of different recipes of banana bread. Once, I even added coca-cola thinking soda meant coke. I was 19, don't judge. But BJ and I love banana bread. Really love it. BJ will toast it and schmear with butter, meanwhile, I have gobbled my pieces and am picking the crumbs from the plate.

Anyways, back to the recipe...I've tried a lot. Most call for two bananas and if they are old school recipes, vegetable oil...eeewwww. I got the Cook's Illustrated bible (The New Best Recipe, 2004 edition) a few years back and it is by far the best banana bread. Why??


Simple. Three bananas and yogurt! It is really moist, but still has a ton of flavor. I keep the bananas pretty chunky and add a good amount of yogurt (more than it calls for) and yummmmmmm. The only other banana bread to compare was a whole wheat honey banana loaf I made once. I guess since I mentioned it, I now have to make it!

With fall upon us, banana bread is a go to baking recipe for us all, so enjoy my fave. And look forward to some more comforting fall foods ahead :) Oh yea, sorry for the lack of pics of the finished product...did I mention that we LOVE banana bread?!?!

Banana Bread
Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour (unbleached, all purpose), plus more for dusting the pan
• 1 1/4 cups walnuts, chopped (I use pecans because their my fave)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 very ripe, darkly speckled bananas, roughly mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt (if more happens to fall in, it's okay :)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 6 TB butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tspn. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x5x3 bread pan and dust with flour, tapping out any excess.
2. Spread nuts on baking sheet and toast until fragrant about 5 to 10 minutes. Cool.
3. Whisk together dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and nuts; set aside.
   
4. Mix the wet ingredients: mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla.
5. Lightly fold banana mixture into dry ingredients, until batter is just combined and looks chunky. Scrape into prepared bread pan.
6. Bake about 55 minutes; until loaf is golden brown and toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
   
7. Can be wrapped in plastic and stored for 3 days.
   

Squash Blossom Risotto

Music: Aram Khachaturian, "Spartacus" - a little classical for this classy meal
Menu: Kale "chips" as an appetizer and then this yummy risotto!


For those of you who have never seen a zucchini plant, it produces these beautiful orange flowers. I first learned that you could eat them from a woman that I play volleyball with. She is originally from Mexico and told me about flower quesadillas, which are the most amazing things you will ever eat. I mentioned that I was growing a zucchini plant and she got really intense and said, YOU MUST EAT THE FLOWER.

Then I came across the entry from the NYT blog, Bitten - perfecto! Most classic recipes call for stuffing and frying the flower, which is all good and fine, but just for a flower?? I wanted something simple and basic so that I could taste the flower and savor eating the most beautiful part of my massive plant.


So make your basic, favorite risotto base and add the flower, chopped at the end as your stir in some parm.


Just keep stirring, just keep stirring, stirring, stirring...

And what a perfect snack as the risotto cooks - kale chips! They are wonderful little things. Crunchy and full of flavor. I recommend making some for the week. I always get cravings for crunchy, salty snacks. If I haven't packed nuts to munch on, it usually means a potato chip run after lunch :/ But with these on hand, I'm getting my fix, plus some nutrients with it!

Squash Blossom Risotto
Adapted from Bitten, NYT food blog

Ingredients:

• 3 TB butter, divided
  
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• S & P
  
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups of Arborio rice
• 6 - 8 cups chicken stock, simmering
• 3 - 4 fresh squash blossoms
• 2 handfuls parmigiano-reggiano cheese
  

Directions:

1. Heat large skillet to medium-high heat and melt 2 TB butter.
   
2. Add green onions and saute until lightly browned. Add garlic and saute until fragrant (30 seconds - 1 minute).
   
3. Add Arborio rice and cook and stir until grains become translucent, about 2 minutes. Season with S & P.
   
4. Increase heat to high and carefully add wine. Reduce back to medium-high after a minute or so. Let wine cook down, until the liquid almost evaporates. Begin adding chicken stock in 1/2 - 1 cup increments, stirring every couple of minutes, and let each batch cook down until you need to add more.
   
5. When stock is about halfway gone, add flowers. Continue with liquid.
6. When stock is gone or rice is cooked (no bite to grain) to a creamy consistency, add cheese and remaining TB of butter, stirring to incorporate.
   
7. Serve immediately!
   

Kale "Chips"
Adapted from various sources, just google it...

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch kale
• EVOO
• Kosher salt
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250.
2. Wash and dry leaves. Cut the tough stem out of the middle of each leaf and tear into chip and bite-sized pieces.
   
3. Toss kale with EVOO and kosher salt.
4. Transfer to baking sheets in one single layer and flatten.
5. Bake for 25 - 35 mintues, depending on flatness of leaf. Keep an eye on them!! If they burn they can taste a little chalky, but if they don't cook enough they are a little chewy!
6. Munch.