your banana bread sucks

really, it does. i have never had decent banana bread. it was always undercooked or burnt, or both. dry, flavorless, culinary abortions two stepped across my palate. in 25 years of existence i’ve eaten many, MANY pieces of banana bread, and all of it was crap. i began to believe that no one could make a decent banana bread. it was simply impossible.

until i met cristina topper.

topper is a true baker through and through. and she makes edible banana bread. however, it’s not only edible, it’s fucking delicious! she was kind enough to share the recipe, and i will share it with you. together i think we can break the cycle of crappy banana bread.

i could eat a truckload and then ask for more.

topper’s banana crumb muffins

4 large ripe bananas, mashed

3/4c sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3c butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

1/2c water added as necessary to make mixture more pliable

2c ap flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

topping:

1/3c brown sugar

1 tbsp  flour

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp butter

in a large bowl combine dry ingredients. combine bananas, sugar, egg, butter and vanilla; mix well. stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. fill muffin cups 3/4 full.

combine the first three topping ingredients; mush in butter until crumbly. sprinkle over muffins.

Bake at 375 for 18 – 20 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing.

there you have it. now go! spread the word! hurry!

they may look like a fungus, but a fungus they are not

truffles. what more can i say? really, is there anything? no. they are just chilled ganache that is rolled, and then covered in more chocolate (or whatever the hell your little heart desires)

my pig just dug these bad boys up from my backyard

well, here’s one thing:

if you use a melon baller to form the truffles, your hands will be very clean and the truffles will be perfect spheres. if you want your truffles to look like truffles then just press them with your hands (which is what i do).

chocolate truffles

8 oz chocolate (i like ~60% cocoa), chopped fine.

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp vanilla

cocoa powder

place chocolate into a boil. bring the cream to a boil in a separate sauce pan. pour cream over chocolate and add the vanilla. whisk until combined. let cool, then cover and place in the fridge for about two hours.

line a baking sheet with parchment paper. remove now firm ganache from fridge. using a teaspoon scrape ganache and form into balls. you can try rolling, but it usually doesn’t work. and like i said earlier, it doesn’t matter if they are perfect. if you feel the need for a perfect sphere, use your melon baller.

roll the truffles in the cocoa powder and shake off any excess. a mouthful of cocoa powder is gross. store refrigerated in an airtight container. (truffles are best served at room temp)

po-ta-to*

so i’ve been on this huge potato kick recently. reds, yukon golds, purples, and of course, russets. but before we delve into today’s recipe, i’d like to dispel the bad rap potatoes have been getting for the past few years, so listen up:

POTATOES ARE NOT BAD FOR YOU.

was that that hard? potatoes are full of fiber (assuming you eat the skin) and vitamins (assuming they aren’t boiled to death), and are fat-free (assuming you don’t dip them in oil or cover them in mayo), got it? good.

i grew those green onions

twice baked potatoes

1 large russet potato, scrubbed clean

extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper

~5 green onions, diced

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp heavy cream or milk

cheddar cheese, grated

pamigiano reggiano cheese, finely grated

i use the alton brown method for the initial bake:

heat oven to 350F. line a baking sheet with foil. using a fork make several piercings into each side of the potato.  rub potato with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. place potato directly on rack and place the baking sheet below the rack holding the potato. bake for 1 hour (1.5 hours for large potatoes). remove from oven and let cool.

while the potato is cooling, chop green onions and mince the garlic. using a serrated knife cut the potato length-wise and scoop out the insides. two things to consider:

1. the potato will still be damn hot, so be careful.

2. leave about 1/4 inch if flesh on the skin. this will provide stabilization.

place the skins on the baking sheet and place back in the oven while you mix the innards with the garlic,  half of the onions, cream, parmigiano, salt and pepper (if desired). remove the skins from the oven and fill with the mixture. set the oven to broil. sprinkle with cheddar cheese and place back in the oven. broil until cheese is melted. sprinkle with the rest of the green onions.

*remember when i told you that joke? we were both incredibly drunk.

foodgasm

after many a month deciding on whether or not i was going to purchase new cookware i bit the bullet. and it was one of the best choices i’ve ever made (hopefully quitting my job will also yield equally good results)

circulon infinite.

ooooohhhhhh, aaaaaaahhh

it’s hard anodized aluminum. in my book that makes it full of magical wonderment. this stuff is freakin’ awesome. the non-stickness is amazing too! there’s no teflon, or any other coating and everything just comes right off! i know, it’s new, and things could change. however, i’ve heard so many good things i doubt it. oven safe up to 500F. i could go on and on.

but it wasn’t all rainbows and unicorn farts. the stock pot was warped which kept the lid from fitting. so i called up circulon/meyer and they’re sending me a new one; i don’t even have to send the old one in.

AND i got a free skillet and 4 qt stock pot with my order AND free shipping.

behold the power of cheese

i love cheese. if i ever become lactose intolerant i would just up and die. hopefully that never happens.

while there are many variations to the classic grilled cheese sandwich, they are usually made the same way. butter two pieces of bread. and place butter side down in skillet. fill with cheese and other fillings. cook over medium high heat. flip. done.

mine is really no different. except at the very end i re-butter the bread and sprinkle it with parmagio reggiano cheese. then i flip the sandwich and repeat to make a nice crispy crust of cheese.

i’m not going to have much written below other than what i use for my grilled cheese and that i  grew the tomatoes and sage, baked the bread, and cut the cheese (heh) myself.

crunchy, salty, warm, gooey, and tasty.

grilled cheese sandwich with tomatoes and sage

2 slices whole wheat bread

spreadable butter

grated extra sharp cheddar

parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated

1 tomato, sliced

salt

freshly cracked pepper

4 sage leaves, torn into small pieces.