Banana Bread with Chocolate and Rum (Just a Pinch)!

This is a very simple concept: 
Bananas + Chocolate + A Splash (or two) of Rum = Deliciousness.
I asked Debbie, a wonderful baker and girlfriend of my cousin-in-law, for one of her favorite dessert recipes. She suggested the 'Jacked Up Banana Bread' from Smitten Kitchen. The recipe looked very familiar. It wasn't long before I realized that this was a souped-up version of Elise's recipe from Simply Recipes and that I had made, like, a million times (though I added chocolate and nuts). Is it too presumptuous to say, "Great minds think alike?" 
Banana Bread is perfect for an early morning snack, a mid-afternoon treat, or at the end of the day...with a little bit of coffee, wine or rum!

Jacked Up, Souped Up Banana Bread  

(Adapted from Elise and Deb-- with thanks to Debbie for reminding me about this bread.)
Ingredients
3 to 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted salted butter (5 tablespoons)
1 cup light brown sugar (can easily be reduced to 3/4 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoons of rum (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cup of flour
3/4 cup of chopped chocolate - a 3.5 ounce bar  (or large chips)
1 small handful of walnuts (optional if you like nuts)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla and rum, then the spices. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in.  Add the flour, mix.  Now add your chopped chocolate.  Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

October Surprise: Ina Garten's Panzanella

I know what you're thinking. Panzanella? In October? Yup! For some reason I thought that tomato season would be over by summer's end. But our CSA pick-up last week contained gorgeous beefsteak, heirloom and golden tomatoes. We also got basil leaves, red onions and red peppers...so this was kind of a no-brainer.
Originally I was thinking about making a salsa or using the tomatoes in a soup, but after I unintentionally left a baguette unwrapped the night before, I knew it was time for some panzanella.
Panzanella comes from the Latin word panis, or "bread." Like most crouton and bread crumb recipes, you really have to use stale (hard) bread.  Fresh bread can't absorb all the flavors from the panzanella vinaigrette- and if left for a short while, it will turn into mush.  In contrast, days-old bread can stand up to the liquid and maintain its integrity. And this way, even that old bread is put to good use (what's that saying, "waste not, want not..."

Panzanella (Courtesy of Ina Garten)
You can mix and match tomato sizes and varieties.  
Adjust seasoning accordingly.

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 of a French Baguette or Boule bread (about 3 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large, red, ripe tomato, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small, red, ripe tomato, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small golden tomato, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes (you could also use yellow pepper)
1/2 of a small red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
10 basil leaves, chiffonade or coursely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained

For the vinaigrette:
1 small clove of finely minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan.  Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned.  Add more oil as needed.
For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.
In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, red pepper, red onion, basil, and capers.  Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette.  Season liberally with salt and pepper.  Allow the salad to sit for at least an hour at room temperature.
and without capers...(and a nice little bowl).

Storm King Art Center and Fall Foliage

 

The Storm King Art Center has a really special place in my heart since it's where my husband proposed to me (yes, I was very surprised!). This amazing sculpture garden is situated on 500-acres of rolling hills in the Hudson Valley. The collection includes the work of some extremely influential 20th century artists such as Calder, Smith, Serra, Lichtenstein, Lewitt, Moore and di Suvero. If you're a fan of the documentary Rivers & Tides, Storm King also showcases the installation work of Andy Goldsworthy.  

Goldsworthy is known for using natural objects such as twigs, leaves, wood, stone, and ice. His piece Storm King Wall is a wall of Field Stone that seamlessly weaves through the woodlands before ending at a small pond on the property. It's simple and it's brilliant. There's also the Lichtenstein Mermaid Hull. Serra's triangle jutting out of the grass. And the bright orange Calder pieces from the 1970s. 

Storm King is gorgeous in the spring and summer, but it is absolutely spectacular this time of year due to the fall foliage--which is kind of legendary in the Northeast. 

I visited Storm King this past weekend with Baby Otis, my best friend Nader and another man whom I adore, Richard. We all had a wonderful afternoon.

{If you are interested in visiting the Art Center this fall, please note that the grounds are closed from November 14th till March 31, 2011.}

Thanks Storm King! See you next Spring!

Baseball, A Spa, Apple Picking and Butternut Squash-Apple Soup!

We had a perfect weekend. Close friends, Belgian beer, great food, the Yoshitomo Nara exhibit, post-season Yankee baseball, a Korean spa visit and apple picking. It was he best (35th) birthday my husband has ever had. 
We started our day with brunch at Park Avenue Autumn. Yes, it's a super pricey place to eat breakfast, and it seemed like the whole Duke lacrosse team was brunching with us, but the food was fantastic (and this was a big birthday celebration, after all). The bread plate was delicious-- glazed banana, pumpkin, pistachio, spiced sugar donut, to name a few. I had pumpkin soup (perfection) and the wild mushroom breakfast risotto with a fried egg. My husband had scallops with lemongrass curry and the Branzino. It was certainly a step above yogurt and granola! 

Then we walked a few blocks to the Asia Society where Nara was on display. We are both big fans and were happy to see the exhibit.

For dinner, we went to Daniel. The meal began with an awesome white Cosmopolitan, (chilled to perfection with a ball of ice that had an orchid in its center) and a Mai Thai (with a twist). Hello! Bottoms up.  
In case you want all the details: I began my meal with the Jerusalem Artichoke Velouté with chanterelle custard, walnut bread tuile and fall root vegetable confit -- in a word, wow. It was delicious. My husband really liked the Duo of  Frog's Legs, as well as his main course, which was a flaxseed crusted Millbrook venison loin (which the waiter told us has a "short seasonal window.") It came with quince marmalade, butternut squash purée, glazed chayote and Grand Veneur sauce. Ridiculous (in a good way)! My main was a 'purse of pasta' with gorgonzola, wilted spinach, tomato coulis and about 10 other herbs and ingredients that I can't name-- but it was scrumptious. Of course we were also eating one delicious roll after the other--- roasted garlic, classic french and olive.
Wondering about the desserts? Well, they were some of the best I've ever had--- we got a chocolate molten cake and the chocolate and peanut ganache. Oh heavens! The waiter also brought out a special birthday plate (candle included): sake poached pluot with an almond biscuit, vanilla plum gelée and concord grape sorbet. 
As if that were not enough, there were fresh baked Madelines, petits fours, and chocolates (we had Grand Marnier and Pralines). It was fantastic. I get the hype. I wish I could cook like this at home-- but that would require a skill level that far surpasses my own and a lot (a lot) of time. I also kind of wished that I had been wearing maternity pants with an elastic band instead of a more form fitting dress...if you know what I mean?! 
After dinner we took the subway up to Yankee Stadium... and watched the Yankees clobber the Twins. It was a great game. 

We celebrated the final day of the three day weekend by going to Masker Farms for a picnic and apple picking...

We could not have asked for a better day. The weather was perfect. And the apples were ripe for the picking. I really liked the Cortlands, MacIntosh and Empires. My favorites, though, were the super tart Granny Smiths (aka 'Greenings').  
So here we are, on a lovely Tuesday morning...with a whole lot of apples. It's a little bit chilly, so apple soup it will be! 

Notice the jump (!) Now that's some lift...

This soup is so delicious and super-seasonal. I used MacIntosh apples straight from the tree and locally grown butternut squash. Since there are only two main ingredients, it's important to go with the best ones you can find. There is no cream, no stock-- just pure fall flavor...oh, and a few tablespoons of curry to "kick it up a notch!" 

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup (Courtesy of Ina Garten)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large)
• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder 
• 5 pounds butternut squash (2 large)
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet apples, such as MacIntosh (4 apples)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups good apple cider or juice

Preparation

Warm the butter, olive oil, onions, and curry powder in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks.

Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Process the soup through a blender/food processor, or puree it with an immersion blender (which is the easiest thing to do and minimizes things to clean). 

Add the apple cider (I added 1 1/2 cups) or juice so that the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Check the salt and pepper and serve hot.
I served this with a few slices of toasted french baguette. 

Ina Garten's Pumpkin Cupcake with Maple Frosting

Last Friday night our good friends Jenn and Ori invited us over to their new place for a home cooked meal. The dinner was delicious and they worked really hard putting it all together, no small feat considering Jenn is due to deliver their first child in just 3 1/2 weeks! 

We started off with a wonderful Italian Ceasar Salad with Polenta Croutons. The next course was fresh pasta from Eataly, which was topped with Marcella Hazan's awesome tomato sauce (made from San Marzano tomatoes- the real ones- and whole onions that were removed once the sauce was complete). 

I brought these cupcakes over for dessert, which I made after spotting the recipe in the most recent issue of House Beautiful-- and you know I check the magazine every month because they regularly feature Ina Garten.  

This one is one of my favorites for the fall season. I made one modification to the cupcake topping by adding Vermont Maple Syrup to the frosting. It worked perfectly. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting 

(Courtesy of Ina Garten @ House Beautiful)


Makes 10 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup canned pumpkin purée (8 ounces), not pie filling

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Maple Frosting (recipe follows)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped Heath bars, for serving (2 1.4-ounce bars)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush or spray the top of 10 muffin tins with vegetable oil and line them with 10 paper liners.

2. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.

3. Divide the batter among the prepared tins (I use a level 2 1/4-inch ice cream scoop) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.

4. Spread the cupcakes with the Maple Frosting and sprinkle with the chopped toffee bits.

Maple Frosting (Adapted)

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon Maple Syrup

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and butter on low speed until smooth. Stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.