Banana Bread

Tonight I found myself with a bunch of rapidly blackening bananas like this. Instead of just put up with the fruit flies, I decided to make banana bread. After a quick trip to the local Tedeschi's for flour, sour cream, and baking powder, I was good to go.

The recipe I used was this:

BANANA BREAD

10 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon butter
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 9 1/4 by 5 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan with 1 teaspoon of the butter.

Puree the bananas, sour cream, eggs and vanilla in a food processor.

Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fixed with a whisk attachment. Add the remaining 10 tablespoons butter and mix on medium-low speed until blended, about 30 seconds. Add the banana mixture in 3 batches, scraping the sides of the bowl and mixing on medium speed between each addition. Fold in the nuts.

Pour into the loaf pan. Bake until lightly browned and bread bounces back to the touch, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire rack to cool completely.

Of course, I used Egg Beaters instead of eggs, 8 inch pans instead of 9 1/4, and I didn't have any walnuts, in classic semi-hobo fashion. Oh, and I had to do the mixing by hand, which was a joy. Pre-baking this is the mess I had on my hands:
Midway through baking and things are looking (and smelling) very tasty.

Finally I found it!

When I was studying abroad the summer between my Junior and Senior years in high school, I went on this weird art installation tour (for like... 9 hours on a bus) around the Ruhrgebiet. It was really fascinating and I finally just found something that has a little information about it (randomly, while poking around a German food blog...).

Anyway, for posterity: http://www.route-industriekultur.de/menue/menue.html

Boston Organics!

I got the first box today! Very exciting. Today I received:

• a bunch of collard greens
• a head of lovely leaf lettuce
• a container of broccoli sprouts
• two small zucchini
• a couple pounds of potatoes
• an eggplant
• a couple kiwis
• a couple peaches
• a couple apples
• a bunch of bananas
• some black plums
• a couple nectarines
  

The zucchini and eggplant and potatoes will be no challenge, but I don't really know what to do with the collard greens or broccoli sprouts, as they're items I would never buy unprompted. BO sent along a good-looking collard greens recipe (with garam masala) that I may try. And I guess I'll stirfry the sprouts with some rice and other veg. Exciting!

Pre-Dan grooming, etc.

1. Appointment at Carriage House (next Tuesday, 12:00 p.m.)
   
2. Appointment at Gino
3. Mani/Pedi
4. Eye Appointment (next Monday, 1:20 p.m.)
5. Appointment for foot X-ray
6. Appointment for physical therapy
   

Food inspiration

I signed up for Boston Organics fruit and vegetable deliveries. I'll get a box every other week with half fruit and half vegetables. I'm hoping that having a variety of veg arrive on my doorstep will help inspire my cooking and challenge me to try out some new things and find some new recipes. Good times.

It's windy this morning and while I was out walking Lucy the wind was making ripples in the grass that moved across the field in just the same motion that the sand was being blown across the beach this time last year in Amrum. The temperature is perfect and the breeze is just a little cool (unlike in Amrum last year, where it was frigid) and it was just a beautiful feeling to be outside. I rather wished, though, that I were standing on some ocean cliff instead.

Summer cooking

I just made a Fruit Salad with Mint and Ginger Syrup.

Delicious. Photos later.

Lezebel fantasies

Some rather large part of me (maybe the Smithie in me?) really, truly, deeply hopes that Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson are actual, real-life lesbians.

To-Do

I make Dan do this all the time, so I may as well. Things to do before he gets here.

1. Obviously, work.
2. Buy wedding lingirie. Go to Lady Grace and/or Intimacy.
3. Buy wedding shoes.
4. Buy dress/outfit for civil ceremony.
5. Buy sandals.
6. Figure out Adjustment of Status and Social Security Number paperwork.
7. Get plane tickets for August.
8. Get the apartment sorted a little better.
9. Stop being a pathetic sap.
   

Blah

I'm feeling the need to do something creative. I know it's just filtered frustration because I know I need to be working, but I'm having a hard time motivating myself to do that. I know I'll feel better when I get some done, but it's still frustrating.