Banana Pancakes

This is the story of two sad bananas.  They were gorgeous when I brought them home.  Then they sat there as they watched the other bananas in their bunch get picked, only to be left behind.  Their skin went from bright, sunny yellow to brown and spotty.

Once bananas pass a certain stage in their ripeness, I won't eat them.  It's a texture thing, I don't like mushy food and these were about as "mushad" as one could possibly get. 

Normally I would freeze them for smoothies or wait until I had one or two more for banana bread.
But,  I felt the need to rescue them and do something with them other than relegating them to the dark, frozen tundra that is my freezer.

Pancakes are not usually what I crave for breakfast.  Generally I find them to be too filling, but these are not.  After eating more than my fair share I am happy to report that I did not have that "blegh" feeling after eating.  You know that feeling...  Rewind back to Thanksgiving.  Yeah, that one.

As usual when I am looking for a recipe I know I have, I can't find it.  Luckily I found a good jumping off point on allrecipes and then tweaked it to suit my tastes.

mashing bananas!

 

 

Banana Pancakes

 

1 cup AP flour

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup whole milk

2 tbsp melted butter, cooled

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/8 tsp cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

 

 

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.  Whisk to combine.

 

In a medium bowl combine egg, milk, butter, vanilla and bananas.

 

Add dry ingredients to wet, mix until just combined and all flour is incorporated.

Batter will be lumpy, do not overmix. 

 

Ladle about a 1/3 cup batter into pan on medium heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Gingerbread Cakes

Gingerbread and a cup of tea. 

This is what comes to mind when I think of my father's mother.  Sitting in her kitchen, eating a slice of gingerbread and having a cup of tea while she leaned against the sink with the sunlight shining in through the window on her smiling face.

The memories I have of her are few and far between.  She lived in Newfoundland and I lived in Ohio.  Spending time with her and getting to know her wasn't very easy given the 1600 mile separation.  I was about 16 years old when I asked her for this recipe, somehow even back then I related through food.

If you know nothing at all of Newfoundland,  this is one thing I experienced over and over:  
Visiting is practically an Olympic sport and they excel at it.  You are offered a cup of tea as soon as you cross the threshold and of course something to eat with the tea... whether it be toast, cookies, cake, etc.

At first I thought this was just something that my relatives did.  Then I quickly realized after nearly bursting out of my jeans, it was what everyone did.

The recipe below is slightly tweaked (although not much) from Nanny's original recipe. I had thought about adding a ganache or a creme anglaise to it, but decided to leave well enough alone.  

As you go "visiting" this holiday season, take a few of these with you to share as you make the rounds... 
Put the kettle on, stay for a cup of tea and make some memories.



Gingerbread Cakes

2 cups AP flour
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup strong tea
1 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a mini bundt pan (or muffin pan) and set aside.
In a small bowl, add baking soda to tea, stir and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt; set aside.

Using paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add egg and beat until incorporated.  Add molasses and tea mixture.

At this point, the batter will appear broken.  Don't panic, it will come together once flour mixture is added.

Scrape down bowl, add flour mixture and beat until combined.

Divide batter evenly, filling about 2/3 up.  Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until knife comes out clean, about 15 - 18 minutes.  Let cakes cool slightly in pan.  Remove cakes and place upside down to cool completely on wire rack.

Dust with powdered sugar.

 

Here's the Rub...

The weather in Brooklyn is perfect today...  mid 70's, sunny and breezy.    These end of summer days are the ones I really cherish because I know too well that before long, they will be gone until the spring.

It is nearly unthinkable to cook dinner inside today.   The days left in this year that we can enjoy being outside are numbered and I want every last second of warm sunshine I can get. 

Although, grilling in inclement weather is no foreign concept to me.  I have memories of my grandmother grilling in the rain, tongs in one hand & umbrella in the other...  I guess once she decided what was for dinner, there was no turning back.   Luckily for me, the weather this weekend has been picture perfect. 

If you are among the throngs of apartment dwellers with no access to a grill or outdoor space, this is delicious done on a grill pan or even a saute pan.    Speaking as one of the aforementioned,  I've cooked many a steak on top of the stove and they are almost just as good.

Why use a rub?  Granted, a good quality piece of meat requires little more than salt & pepper and a nice sear, but sometimes it needs a little something extra.  That's where a good rub comes in.   That extra boost of flavor can transform a good steak into possibly one of the BEST steaks you've ever had.


The Rub

• 3 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsps brown sugar
• 1 tsp pulverized dried chili pepper(s)
• 2 tsps ground coffee beans or espresso powder
• 1 tsp dry mustard powder (Colman's)
• 1 tsp Spanish paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper

• oil, for brushing grill
• 2 bone-in ribeye steaks, approximately 1 to 1 1/2 in. thick

Grinding your own spices makes a world of difference!

 

- Mix all dry ingredients together and set aside.

There are a few key steps to this:

• choosing the right cut of meat
• cooking it properly
• forming the crust
• letting it rest.

Before we proceed, a word about the steak. Fat is FLAVOR.  Most people would agree that for this purpose, the ribeye rules. It is nicely marbled, meaning there are little lines of fat running throughout the meat. This will ensure a juicy steak, provided you don't overcook it. 

Now that we've covered the basics, let's get on with it...
    

It is best to start with room temperature meat.  It will cook more evenly, so take steaks out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you plan to cook them.

Pat steaks dry with paper towel,  rub on both sides with spice blend.  Cook over medium-high heat until desired doneness.  For me, that is 7 - 8 minutes per side if the steak is 1 1/2 in. thick which is medium-rare.   Let steak rest for a few minutes before serving.