Bananas Foster

Day 115: Good Eats 2: The Middle Years 

April 25, 2011

Bananas Foster, the desert of fancy restaurants, or is it? A dessert with flames at home…does it get any better than that? My husband had a recent fire experience in the kitchen so when he went to flambe the dessert, lets just say we went over the steps  of how to put out a kitchen fire. Here is not what to do: Step 1 blow on the fire. Oxygen actually gives the flames more energy to burn. Step 2 swat at the fire with a towel. Once again this is giving that fire all the oxygen it wants. The real thing to do is to have a lid ready to go to smoother the fire by taking away said oxygen. The lid was ready for our attempt at dessert on fire. The lights were dimmed and the fire starter was at the ready. Let’s just say we were disappointed that the flames did not arch up to the vaulted ceilings in our house. They were  more like a whimper in the pan. This does not mean that when you prepare this that you will not have different results. So home cook beware: grab the proper fire fighting tools before making this dessert.

Alton Brown is the chef who I call the mad scientist of the cooking world. He takes the recipes or ingredients and shows us the science behind it all. Giving us such in-depth information that I go into information overload. But if you are the type who like to know everything, this is a perfect cookbook for you. Lots of behind the photos and trivia as well. Looking for those science-of-food recipes, you will not be disappointed!

The Ruling: We all loved it, well those of us who eat bananas loved it. Using the fresh nutmeg and orange peel really enhanced the overall flavor of the dish. The flame was small, but that is a good thing so we didn’t have any trips to the ER with burns. Try explaining that one to the ER doctor, and I know they have a file on us already! You may want to double the sauce as we felt there wasn’t enought sauce to go with the bananas. Also, we used crepes that my husband is now a pro at.

Bananas Foster, page 144

Ingredients:

•  2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 tablespoon banana liqueur
• 2 under-ripe bananas, cut in half lengthwise
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest, grated

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a 10 inch heavy skilled over low heat. Add the brown sugar, allspice and nutmeg and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the banana liqueur and bring the sauce to a simmer.
2. Add the bananas and cook for 1 minute on each side, carefully spooning sauce over the bananas as they are cooking. Remove the bananas from the pan to a serving dish.
3. Return the sauce to a simmer and carefully add the rum. If the sauce is very hot, the alcohol will flame on its own. If tho, using a stick lighter, carefully ignite the sauce and continue cooking until the flame dies out, 1 to 2 minutes. If the sauce is too thin cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until it is syrupy in consistency. Add the orange zest and stir to combine. Immediately spoon the sauce over the bananas and serve with waffles, crepes, or ice cream.

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at www.ididit-fargo.com .  Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@ididit-fargo.com.  For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page  here.

If you try any of my suggestions, I would love to hear from you.  It helps me to understand what my readers want me to write about and what they think is a waste of their time….thanks for taking the time to help me out.

Crepe and Dulce De Leche Stack

Day 12: “Daisy: Morning, Noon and Night: Bringing Your Family Together With Everyday Latin Dishes”

January 12, 2011

When you think of Latin food, what do you think of?  I think seafood, fresh fruit and vegetables, which this cookbook has and which I love.  However, I gave the cookbook to my son and he picked out a dessert….of course he did!  He didn’t pick out any dessert, he picked out one that took about 8 hours from beginning to end….Crepe and Dulce de Leche Stack.  Yes it was tasty….but oh it was time-consuming.  That is what I love about this journey through cookbooks, is the variety of dishes that are chosen.  I never would have taken the time to prepare it.  From the minute it was all assembled, it took less than 5 minutes to devour…..I guess that had something to do with waiting for 8 hours. 

I did try to take shortcuts….I bought premade crepes…..but then as you see on the picture below, they weren’t so

tasty so my husband whipped up a batch of homemade crepes from the recipe that he made the other day  (when I say whipped, I really mean, he takes the next 90 minutes of his life and dedicates it to crepe making).  You can find the full recipe here.  I know this made the dessert even better!  What took so long however is the length of time it takes for a simple can of sweetened condensed milk to turn into dulce de leche goodness.  Be warned this sauce can become addicting.  Be warned, if you let the water level fall below the can, the can will explode and you can be maimed or killed, as well as the mess it will leave in your kitchen.

The Ruling: I will say this was a fun experience to see what the milk would turn into.  We didn’t open the other can as it stays in the fridge for weeks.  We do have extra crepes so we may make this dessert again in the near future.  My batch didn’t turn as dark as I thought it would.  I should have bought two different brands of the milk to see if that made a difference.

This cookbook is also available on the Kindle.

Crepe and Dulce De Leche Stack, page 291

Ingredients:

• Two 14 ounce cans sweetened condensed milk or 1 1/2 cups store-bought dulce de leche
• 12 7 – 8 inch crepes, homemade or store-bought
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans plus pecan halves for garnish
• confectioner’s sugar

Directions:

1. If starting with condensed milk, make the dulce de leche:  Remove as much of the label from the cans as you can. (This won’t affect the finished dulce do leche; it just makes things neater.)  Put the cans in a large (at least 6 quart) pot and pour in enough water to almost fill the pot.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, then adjust the heat so the water is simmering.  Cook for exactly 3 hours from the time the water comes to a boil:  check often, and top up the water every 20 to 30 minutes.  THE LEVEL OF THE WATER MUST NEVER DIP BELOW THE TOPS OF THE CANS!  After 3 hours, turn off the heat and let the cans stand in the water for 1 hour.
2. Remove the cans for the water and let cool to room temperature.  DO not attempt to open the cans while they are still hot.
3. Open the cans and scrape the dulce de leche into a bowl.  Whisk it well to loosen up the texture a little.
4. Line a flat plate large enough to hold a crepe with a circle of parchment or waxed paper.  Lay a crepe on top of it and spread the crepe with a thin, even layer of dulce do leche (about 2 tablespoons).  Scatter a tablespoon of the chopped pecan over the dulce.  Repeat with the remaining crepes, dulce, and pecans, but top the stack with a plain crepe.  You most likely will not sue all the dulce do leche.  Refrigerate the stack for at least 1 hour to firm up.  The stack can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.
5. Remove the stack from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving.  Just before serving, sprinkle the top with confectioners’ sugar and garnish with he pecan halves.  Cut the stack into wedges using a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion.  The wedges will be a little sloppy-that’s the nature of the beast.

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at www.ididit-fargo.com .  Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@ididit-fargo.com

French Crepes

Day 9: “Bubby’s Brunch Cookbook: Recipes and Menus from New York’s Favorite Comfort Food Restaurant”

January 9, 2011

Sunday breakfast is traditionally my husband’s to make.  It is my one meal off during the week that I don’t make, and I enjoy it.  My husband is a really good sport and today I handed him the “Bubby’s Brunch Cookbook” with the  French Crepes recipe on page 140.  Then I said “oh, and don’t forget to take pictures”, because that is what good wives say when their husbands are about to cook.  I will give my husband credit as he did not roll his eyes directly at me.

The Ruling: My kids love crepes, especially ones filled with Nutella….which is a chocolate hazelnut spread.  I like mine on the savory side with spinach, bacon and swiss cheese.  Also good would be banana with caramel sauce.  My husband sprinkled his with sugar.  He also filled his with jalepeno jelly.  These got a 10 thumbs up and no eye rolls from anyone.  They have now been requested to be made on Wednesday morning as well (the kids have late start on Wednesdays so I make them a hot breakfast that day).

French Crepes, page 140

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 4 extra large eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for the pan

Directions:

1. Combine the flour and salt in a bowl; set aside.
2. Using a whisk or a mixer set on medium speed, beat the eggs in a large bowl for 1 minute, or until frothy.  Add the milk and butter and beat for 1 minute, or until well combined.
3. Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and blend well with a large wooden spoon.  Allow the batter to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
4. When ready to cook, gently stir the crepe batter.  Very lightly butter the pan and use a paper towel to wipe off any excess.
5. Starting in the very center of the pan, slowly pour in enough batter to just coat the entire bottom of the pan.  Carefully tilt and rotate the pan so the batter completely covers the bottom.
6. Cook the crepe for about 1 minute, or until the bottom is light brown and comes off the pan easily.  Flip the crepe with a rubber spatula or your fingers, and let it cook in the second side for about 30 seconds, just until browned (the first side cooked will be darker).  Slide the crepe onto a plate.
7. Continue to cook the crepes, stacking them evenly one on top of the other, until all the batter is used up.  As you cook, keep the crepes warm in a 200 degree oven, covered with a damp kitchen towel.
8. To serve, peel the crepes from the pile, lay them out flat, and spoon on your choice of filling.

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at www.ididit-fargo.com .  Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@ididit-fargo.com