The Fat Lady Sings

A Question for the Cooks

This question involves home-made tomato sauce.  My husband and I have a glut of delicious heirloom tomatoes this year - so we are, as always, turning them into sauce.  These particular tomatoes are a very sweet variety - huge and fleshy, with tons of vine.  In fact - our garden looks like Triffids have invaded; either that or I’m staging a remake of “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes”!  (P.S. - They reach the roofline now!)  We grow them organically, by the way – no pesticides of any kind.  We water, we fertilize and that’s about it. 

This batch of sauce is the second we have made this season.  The first came out just fine - more than fine, really - it was delicious.  The second - well, there's a problem.  I guess I should tell you how I render tomato sauce.  It’s simple, really: first I chop up the tomatoes and cook until soft in a non-reactive pot (stainless steel).  Then the hot tomato mixture is processed through our Kitchen Aide mill to remove all the seeds and skins.  The attachments are all plastic and wood - no aluminum anywhere.  We usually put the mixture through twice – just to make sure we get all the good stuff. 

Bush Fiddles around, While our Food is Poisoned

WASHINGTON - President Bush on Wednesday established a Cabinet-level panel to recommend how to guarantee the safety of imported food and other products brought into the country and how to police them better.

The White House denied the effort was aimed at China, though the announcement came the same day senators heard testimony from regulators about problems caused by the extremely rapid growth of imports from China.

"It's important for the American people to know their government is on top of this situation and constantly reviewing procedures and practices," Bush said after his first meeting with the Working Group on Import Safety.

~SNIP~

"This is a serious issue - food safety and consumer safety is a serious issue. We take it seriously," Bush said. "The American people expect their government to work tirelessly to make sure consumer products are safe. And that's precisely what my administration is doing."

Sen. Sherrod Brown said creation of the panel will not address the problem.

"Establishing a product safety panel is like stamping out a single leaf in a forest fire," said Brown, D-Ohio, who called for a broader look at trade issues.

Poll: 92 percent want 'country of origin' labels

Time to shed some light on the industrial food chain!

WASHINGTON - U.S. consumers overwhelmingly support stricter food labeling laws, with 92 percent of Americans wanting to know which country produced the food they are buying, a consumer magazine said on Tuesday.

Consumer Reports said recent food scares, including worries about peanut butter and lettuce, have made Americans more interested in knowing not only how their food was produced but where it was made. [I'm more concerned about flour - which is much easier to adulterate]

“I was definitely shocked at how high these numbers were,” said the study’s coauthor Dr. Urvashi Rangan, a senior scientist and policy analyst at Consumers Union, the nonprofit organization that publishes Consumer Reports magazine.

“It’s much like a nutrition label or an ingredient label in that it needs to be part of the general information coming in about imported foods,” she added.

The poll was conducted with 1,004 telephone interviews between June 7 and June 10.

Last month, USDA said it would reopen public comment to its so-called “country-of-origin” labeling measure until August 20.

Congress enacted the meat-labeling requirement as part of a 2002 law but has twice delayed the start date, now set for September 30, 2008.

Will this be a campaign issue? Can we MAKE it one? With more and more of our food supply (along with every thing else) coming from overseas, and with more of it coming from places where we have no reason to assume the goodwill and proffessionalism of the exporters, it's high time that we expand testing. It's high time we give consumers enough information to make informed decisions.

If you want to let the marketplace decide, you must not hobble their process.

Large corporations need to understand - if they create a paranoid public because of their secrecy and lax regulations, they cannot win when the next round of regulations seek to limit consumers' risk of sickness and death.

So, I say: If corporations want the "invisible hand of the market" to decide, they must open up ALL of their secrets to public scrutiny. EVERYTHING - including recipes and processes that might be patented or company secrets. All their financials, too.

Otherwise, they need to submit to some regulations, before more people die of tainted food and water - or else loose their license to operate in this country.

*cross-posted at The Gypsy's Caravan

I'm not going to have to eat cat food this month.

What a pleasant way to spend the morning!  If you have to be awake, that is.  It all started a couple months ago.  One of the newer girls  told us about her weekend and how she had to go to a church to pick up her food.  "Your food?" we all asked.  She explained that she had ordered her food a month ago from something called, "Angel Food Ministries".  Then, she had to be at the church, to pick it up, on a specific day. 

A day or two later, one of the other girls brought in something she'd printed off the Internet.  It told of the menus offered and the prices.  We all said we were going to order.  Well, we didn't that month, but the next menu came around and I said I was going to order.  My good friend, next to me, said she'd like to order one of the specials.   There is a main menu you must purchase, $25.00,  to order any of the specials (the ones we opted for were $17.00 each).  So, I ordered the main menu and a special.  I ordered her special while I was at it. 

We waited all month.  Today was the day!  The time, to pick it up, was between 9:00 and 11:00 am.  If you don't get there within the time constraints, or make special arrangements, your food becomes a donation to help feed the hungry.  So, I took a couple boxes and my clothes basket on over to the church I'd ordered from (I sent check and order form to that address the month before).  Because I was pretty early, there were only a couple people, in front of me, waiting to be helped.  It looked like there were plenty of people being helped, already, though. 

When it was my turn, the lady had a young man (she called him a "walker") who took my laundry basket to load up.  He told me it should be big enough; I didn't need the boxes and I could leave them there, or take them with me.  I asked if others would be able to use my boxes, and he said, "yes", so I left them there.  There was a grouping of tables with volunteers manning (and womanning) each station.  Each had an item that went into my basket. It was so well set up, and everyone was so very friendly, it cheered me no end!  At the end of the line, my two specials were waiting, already boxed up.  Another gentleman picked them up and they carried them out to my car.  It was amazing!   

I took my friend's special to her, and brought mine home.  The specials (chicken items) will have to be cooked, not just microwaved (I usually get stuff that's already cooked).  So, I ended up with a Salisbury steak dinner, St. Louis Ribs, chicken tenders, stuffed manicotti, country chicken fried beef steaks, lasagna hamburger helper, pasta salad, pinto beans, sliced frozen carrots, corn, french fries, corn muffin mix, rice, peanut butter, waffles, and peanut butter cookies.  The chicken special contained wings, breaded tenders, breaded nuggets, chicken breasts, and breaded frying chicken.  "No income restrictions/If you eat, you qualify".  They didn't even ask to see my church identification:)
Crossposted at It's Morning Somewhere.

Chocolate Lovers Of The World Unite...

Two of California's oldest confectioners, See's Candies Inc. and  Guittard Chocolate Co., are battling an attempt to loosen government  rules that dictate what ingredients go into the sweet stuff.
U.S. consumers pack in 3.6 billion pounds of chocolate, or 12 pounds per person, per year. I myself have done my level best to promote the consumption of that delightful confection because I fortunately do not have an allergy to it...although sometimes I wish I did. While I do not consider myself a chocoholic...a good pop into the mouth now and again with a little gem of tasty brown delight is all the doctor ordered...if you know what I mean.

Legally, the candy that melts hearts and comforts the broken-hearted is made with cocoa butter and, in the case of milk chocolate, whole milk. But the Grocery Manufacturers of America, a trade group, wants to let confectioners substitute cheaper ingredients  -- vegetable oils and milk protein concentrates.

Gary Guittard, president of his family-owned business,  sees this as a battle for the soul of the popular confection.

"Anybody who has a passion for chocolate doesn't want to see it adulterated," said Guittard, whose great grandfather Etienne Guittard founded the company in San Francisco in 1868.

But the trade group, which has the support of the Chocolate Manufacturers of America, says it's just thinking outside the old chocolate box. The petition is part of a broad effort to give its members more flexibility in choosing the ingredients that go into many food products. A spokeswoman said the proposed rules would not prevent companies such as See's and Guittard from adhering to current chocolate standards.

Nevertheless, Guittard and See's Chief Executive Brad Kinstler want America's chocoholics to complain loudly to the Food and Drug Administration before April 25, the day the agency will stop taking public comments on the issue. The proposed change is driven by price, but chocolatiers will tell you the difference will be obvious.

The chocolatiers have urged lovers of the candy to visit Guittard's  DontMessWithOurChocolate.com Web site, where they can electronically  submit complaints to the FDA.

If you care for your chocolate at all...you will go to that link and submit your complaint...because even if all else in our lives is crummy...your chocolate doesn't have to be. It is a sacred indulgence that must be preserved. Much like the American way must be preserved...we owe it to our taste buds and psyches to hold what is true in our hearts about all that is chocolate...the last bastion of scrumptious goodness. Is nothing sacred anymore? Amen!

What's Cooking

Greek Christopsomo Bread

Ingredients:

½ cup milk

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar (this is to taste – so if you like your bread sweeter - use a full cup)

¼ cup crushed anise seed (this is very important - make sure your anise is fresh!)

2 pkg. active dry yeast

½ cup lukewarm water

1 tsp. sugar

4 large eggs

1 beaten egg

5 ½ - 6 cups flour

1 cup broken walnuts + walnut halves to go on top (if you like)

Directions:

Crush the anise seed with a mortar and pestle.  Don’t use your food processor, and I’ll tell you why.  Anise seed is an aromatic – it tastes and smells like licorice.  What you are doing is releasing all the essential oils.  This way the bread not only has superior flavor – but the scent of anise will fill the room every time you cut a slice.  Crushing the seed is the only way to do this.  It’s like garlic.  There is a substantive difference between crushed and chopped garlic when it comes to flavor.  This is why the anise seed must be fresh.  We actually mail order ours from a spice company.  We buy lots as it tends to go rather quickly (this bread is a favorite around the house and I like anise tea – it settles the stomach). 

Combine the milk, sugar, salt, butter and anise seed – and bring the mixture to the boil.  Cool to lukewarm.  Sprinkle the yeast over the water along with the 1 TBLS. of sugar and dissolve.  Combine this with the lukewarm milk/butter mixture.  Temperature’s important here.  You want the yeast to proof.  To warm – dead yeasties; too cold – nothing happens.  I use the finger temperature method.  If the liquid feels slightly warm on the skin it’s OK.  Think baby bottle – but not as warm. 

Beat eggs in your mixer bowl and add the milk/yeast mixture.  Gradually add 1 ½ cups of sifted flour to the liquid.  Beat two minutes on medium high (don’t even consider doing this by hand - it would take forever!).  Gradually add in the remaining 4 cups of flour followed by all of the crushed walnuts.  Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic – about 8 to 10 minutes – adding more flour if necessary (it will be).  Here’s a good place to add in additional anise seeds for an extra burst of flavor.  I use a couple of teaspoons.  Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and set in a warm place until doubled.  Don’t let it over rise.  You want it to rise again just before baking; and that yeast has only so much ‘poof’.

Punch down and knead lightly onto your floured board.  Now comes how you want to bake it.  Traditionally, Christopsomo is baked as a single, round loaf; decorated with swirls in the shape of a cross and topped with walnut halves.  I will include instructions for doing that if it is your wish.  We prefer to put it in ordinary loaf pans.  It slices and toasts so much easier that way – not to mention being easier to store (this bread freezes beautifully!)  So – let us start with the traditional way first:

Pinch off two small pieces of the dough and set aside (this will make your cross).  Shape the bulk of the dough into a round loaf, placing it pucker side down on a greased or parchment covered baking sheet.  Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.  When we bake ours this way – we either use a Silpat sheet or our baking stone.  If you decide to use a baking stone – I would recommend having the loaf rise on a bakers peel first.  It makes transferring it onto the stone much easier – as you don’t lose any of the ‘rise’.  Now come’s the cross: roll each of the small balls into 14 inch ropes; cutting a 5 inch slash at the end of each piece.  Lay the ropes on the loaf, crossing the ropes at the center of the loaf.  Curl the slashed ends away from the center, forming a small circle.  Place your walnut halves in each circle saving one for the center of the cross.  Cover and let rise until doubled in size.  Brush with one beaten egg while (this makes the top shiny and attractive).  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the bread is hollow sounding when tapped.  Hell of a lot of fussing, I know; but it does look cool.  Like I said though – I prefer to put it in loaf pans. 

Here’s how to do that:  Divide the dough into two equally sized pieces.  Using your rolling pin – roll each piece out individually into a square roughly the length of your loaf pans  Beginning at one end – roll each square into a tube, pinching the ends closed and then turning them under.  What you end up with is essentially a bread sausage.  This ‘sausage’ will blossom out and (hopefully) form perfect loaves.  That’s the general idea, anyway.  Place each of these into greased loaf pans, cover and let rise in a warm place until double.  You can decorate your loaves with those walnut halves if you like.  Just make sure to do it before the loaves have risen.  As with the other method – bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until hollow sounding when tapped.  Before cutting this loaf, Greek tradition calls for making the sign of the cross with your knife and wishing everyone joy and health for the New Year.  We just cut the damn thing, toast it up and drizzle with honey.  That’s thanks enough.

More Recipes!!!

Just like the 'Old Man' in "A Christmas Story" I am a certified turkey-holic.  I love the stuff - every juicy, mouthwatering bite!  And as poultry and fish are the only meats allowable with my IBS - I tend to eat lots of both.  Here is my recipe for roast turkey.  The poultry seasoning recipe is available under 'Food and Drink' in my category list.  I highly recommend making your own as opposed to store bought.  Who knows how long that bottled stuff has been sitting on the shelf!

Roast Turkey

For Brine:

1 cup kosher salt

½ cup brown sugar

1 gallon vegetable stock (chicken works just fine if you can’t get vegetable)

1 TBLS black peppercorns

½ TBLS allspice berries

½ TBLS candied ginger

1 -1 ½ gallons iced water (depends on the size of your bird.  It must be thoroughly submerged in the liquid)

For the aromatics:

1 - 2 apples (any kind), sliced

1 – 1 ½ onions (any kind), sliced

1 or 2 cinnamon sticks

1 cup water

4 sprigs rosemary (this needs to be fresh)

6 leaves sage (can be dried but fresh is better if possible)

Canola oil

This brine recipe comes from Alton Brown with a few changes here and there to better suit our tastes.  Combine all the brine ingredients (except the ice water) in a stockpot and bring to a boil.  Stir to dissolve the solids – then remove from heat, cool to room temperature and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.  We do this the day before we plan to cook the bird.  It’s important the liquid be really cold before adding in the rest of the ingredients and the turkey itself.  When its super cold, combine brine and ice water in a clean 5 gallon bucket.  Place the thawed turkey breast-side down in the brine, cover, and refrigerate (or set in a really cold area – not freezing, mind – but refrigerator cold) for at least 6 hours.  We find that brining the bird for 12 hours or more really makes a huge difference.  The longer it soaks – the more flavorful the meat.  Don’t forget to turn the turkey over once about half way through the brining.  You want that flavor evenly distributed.

What does this do?  It seals moisture in the meat and adds tons of flavor.  No it won’t taste like cinnamon and allspice; and the salt won’t stay on the meat – you wash it off.  It will however taste like finely seasoned turkey.  Best I’ve ever had, actually.  After having tried this I will never do a turkey any other way. 

OK – Just before roasting, heat the oven to 500 degrees.  That’s right – 500 degrees.  You want to crisp the skin and seal in the juices.  Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and nuke on high for 5 minutes.

Remove the bird from the brine and rinse inside and out with cold water.  Be sure to get all the nooks and crannies.  Discard the brine – it’s done its work.

Place bird on a roasting rack inside a wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels.  Add the steeped aromatics to the cavity along with the rosemary and sage.  The idea is to completely fill the cavity – that’s why I left how many apples or onions to use open.  If the cavity is left unfilled – the bird will dry out.  That’s initially why people used stuffing.  Early stuffing’s were discarded – as this will be once it’s served its purpose.  Once the cavity is filled, its time for the poultry seasoning.  Mix about ¼ cup of seasoning (how much depends on the size of the bird) in with about a ¼ cup of canola oil.  Yes – you can use butter; but the canola oil’s better.  Really.  It’s neutral in flavor, and won’t burn.  Anyway – you are trying to make a paste.  Rub the seasoned oil liberally all over the bird – top and bottom.  I then generally put any that’s left-over into the pan for basting.  Don’t forget to tuck back the wings so they won’t burn.  We also skewer the cavity so the apple and onion filler won’t fall out while cooking.

Roast on the lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees for 30 minutes.  Yes – I really did say 500 degrees.  The initial high temp crisps up the skin and seals in the flavor.  Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast (being careful not to hit bone) and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees.  Set thermometer alarm (if it has one) for whatever it says is advisable for turkey.  We hate undercooked meat – so we set it for 180 degrees.  Now remember – the meat will still cook a bit when it comes out of the oven (residual heat) – so don’t set it too high.  But don’t go too low, either.  We like our poultry to be at 185 degrees (it will go up five degrees while out of the oven).  I know that’s a tad high on the ‘chef’ scale – but underdone poultry just turns me off!  Why use a thermometer?  Best way to tell if something’s cooked.  We use ours all the time.  It’s one of the most useful kitchen tools we have.  Now I’m not talking those old-time jobbies that stick in the meat and stay in the oven.  I mean the kind where the probe stays in the oven and the body with the digital read-out hangs outside.  If you don’t have one – don’t sweat it.  A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 ½ to 3 hours roasting time.  I know this goes against the usual 4 hours in a low oven mentality – but this method not only saves time – it delivers a juicer bird.  Basting however is a definite must.  Don’t bother for the first 30 minutes.  After that, every 15 minutes till done is just about right.  This may extend the cooking time.  That’s why a probe thermometer is a great tool.  You are cooking by internal temperature – not by time alone.  You’ve a better chance of getting perfectly cooked meat.  By the way – the smell of the cooking bird will fill the kitchen!  All those aromatics and herbs!  Yummy!  At any rate – when done, let the turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

Recipe Time

Cornbread and Herb Stuffing

This is my all time favorite stuffing for poultry.  And the fresh baked cornbread is a must!  Once you try it – you will never go back to plain old bread stuffing ever again.  We begin with: 

Skillet Cornbread

¾ cup cornmeal

½ cup flour

2 TBLS sugar

1 TSP baking Powder

½ TSP salt

½ LB bacon, cooked and crumbled, 3 TBLS drippings reserved

1 egg

¼ cup + 2 TBLS milk

1 can cream corn (trust me – it adds moisture, texture and oodles of flavor!)

Pinch paprika (sprinkle on top)

Heat oven to 450 degrees

Place medium-size cast iron skillet (8 inches in diameter) in oven to heat

A suggestion – make this one day ahead – especially if this stuffing is to be part of your holiday meal.  It will save tons of time.  OK - Cook up the bacon and set aside, making sure to reserve about 3 TBLS of the rendered fat.  Now – this is a big no-no for me.  Animal fat is not part of my diet – not with IBS.  So - I eschew the bacon and just lightly spray the pan with cooking oil; but if you can manage it – the bacon really adds to the cornbreads flavor profile. 

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Then whisk together the milk, the egg and two tablespoons of the bacon drippings in a separate bowl.  Stir milk mixture into the flour mixture till evenly moistened, being careful not to over mix.  Fold in creamed corn, along with the crumbled bacon and any other additions your little heart desires (use your imagination – onions, scallions or pimentos would go fabulously).  Make sure everything is evenly distributed. 

Using a heavy oven mitt – carefully remove the hot skillet from the stove.  Brush the bottom and sides of hot skillet with remaining drippings (this will sizzle like crazy).  Pour the batter into the skillet, spreading to the edges of the pan.  Sprinkle the top with paprika.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden and begins to crack slightly.  Now – don’t be surprised of it takes a mite linger.  That creamed corn adds lots of moisture.  It’s important the cornbread be cooked through.

Remove skillet to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes.  Invert skillet onto cutting board and remove cornbread.  It should just slip right out.  Let cool, then cut into bite-sized cubes.  Place cubes on a cookie sheet, and dry in a very low oven (135 degrees).  This drying is important – otherwise you will end up with stuffing that more closely resembles polenta.  So – now you have about 2 ½ cups of cornbread croutons.  That’s not a lot, I know.  Don’t panic.  You will be adding regular bread to flesh it out.  Cube about 2 ½ cups of anything you like.  Make sure to stay away from wheat or multi-grain – it will hijack the flavor.  I use left over ends of potato and buttermilk bread.  You are going for a neutral palate here.  The cornbread should be the dominant flavor.  If you want to bake your own bread for stuffing – have at it.  We have done that on occasion – but it’s terrifically time consuming.  Making the cornbread is usually more than enough when you add in everything else.  It’s also cool to use cornbread alone.  I like to leaven it with regular bread – but plain old cornbread works just dandy.

Once all the cubed pieces are sufficiently dry (that’s also a matter of taste – it depends upon how firm you like your stuffing when you bite into it) – its time to assemble the stuffing.  Put all of the bread and cornbread into a single large bowl.  Add in about a ¼ - ½ cup of the home-made poultry seasoning (recipe below).  You want high flavor – but be careful not to overdo it.  Moisten the mixture with approximately 2 cups of chicken broth (I use Swanson’s salt-free).  Again – this is to taste.  You don’t want stuffing soup.  I then add in 2 beaten eggs to help bind it all together, and transfer the entire mixture to a covered corning ware baking dish, popping it into a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.  The idea is for the top to brown and get a bit crunchy – so if you’re using tin foil instead of a clear oven glass cover - take it off about ten or 15 minutes before the hour is up.

And there you go.  I don’t put my stuffing in the bird any more.  I brine my bird and stuff it full of chopped onions and apples to perfume the meat.  Nummy!

Poultry Seasoning

½ cup Parsley

¼ cup Sage

2 TBLS Thyme

2 TBLS Rosemary

2 TBLS Marjoram

2 TSP Salt (I use Kosher)

1 TSP Pepper

½ TSP Onion Powder

1/8 TSP Ginger (any pumpkin pie spice will do – Cloves, Nutmeg, Allspice.  The idea is to give the seasoning a little snap)

Crumble and combine all ingredients.  Seal in an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place for up to six months.  Shake well before using.  Makes about 1 cup.

Obviously you can tweak this to taste.  The first 5 ingredients form the base – everything else is an add-on.  Salt brings out the flavor of the herbs a bit more – but it can be left out.  Also - this is one of the few times I’m going to say that fresh doesn’t really work all that well.  This is essentially a rub.  I mix it with a little canola oil to form a paste to rub on the bird.  That’s kinda hard to do if the herbs are fresh.  Which brings me around to potency.  Now – I grow all my own herbs for this and quite a few of the spices (except for the Ginger).  I also dry them myself – so I know how strong the flavor is.  Using store bought ingredients might change that somewhat – so be prepared to adjust.  I’m not saying don’t use store bought – just make sure you taste each one first.  Frankly - I think store bough herbs taste like cardboard.  Thats why I grow and dry my own.   

     

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Another baking day!  Busy, busy, busy.  God, but I love to cook!  It's like gardening.  I get to create something out of almost nothing with my bare hands.  Pretty cool.  And the hubby is a primo baker.  Between us we could come up with a feast fit for a king! 

Now - this is hands down the best cheesecake I have ever eaten.  It comes out dense and moist and brimming with spice.  If you really want to wow them with your cooking - this is the desert to bring!

(The recipe comes after the fold)

Bananas Foster

Ingredients:

2 – 4 slightly unripe bananas

Rum

Brandy

Cointreau

Grand Marnier

Banana Liquor

Dark Brown Sugar (enough to adequately sop up the melted butter)

Butter – (how much depends on how many bananas you can fit in your pan)

Orange Peel (the entire orange so it opens up like a ribbon)

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Vanilla or Macadamia Nut Ice Cream

1 long-handled butane lighter

1 metal ladle

A little history here.  My husband and I first tasted this recipe in Tokyo in a wonderful restaurant called 'Wellingtons' at the New Sano Hotel.  We were courting at the time - and ran off to Tokyo as often as possible.  It was the only place his beeper didn't work!  As he was military - he couldn't just turn the damn thing off - he had to go out of range (plausible deniability!).  Well - we fell in love - with each other, with Tokyo and with this recipe.  We bullied the chef into giving it to us.  It's a little different than most Bananas Foster recipes you may have tried before.  Richer, tastier and much, much more complex.

First off – you must have everything ready and staged near the pan.  This desert goes fast!  Total time from beginning to end hardly takes five minutes.  It is very showy – so have someone handy to turn off the lights at the opportune moment.  Having an open flame is important.  If you don’t have a gas cooktop – consider using a small camp stove in its stead.  Without an open flame you won’t be able to burn off the alcohol – and that will seriously affect the flavor of the dish.  This will work on an electric stove (increase prep time by another several minutes) as long as you have that open flame available.  Always heat the ladle with actual fire – sticking it in the oven just won’t do (besides – how in hell would you hold the end of the ladle?).  You want that sucker hot – but not nuclear.  If it’s too hot – the rum/brandy combination will light the minute you pour it in – and that could be very dangerous.  Have I mentioned having a kitchen extinguisher handy?  Always a good idea when doing flaming deserts.  Now - you will notice I have not included how much of anything save for the bananas.  That’s because this is all about taste.  What do you like?  More cinnamon?  Nutmeg?  Prefer Vanilla Ice cream?  Maybe you don’t like certain of the liquors (though I’d recommend using everything listed first time out – those flavor combo’s really set this dish off).  The only rule of thumb here is ½ banana per person per serving.  Everything after that is a matter of who likes what.  I am very much a seat of the pants cook.  Frankly – unless it is a new and unfamiliar recipe – I rarely measure anything at all.

Procedure:

Melt the butter in a shallow-sided pan.  You want it hot – not burning.  Add in brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg - stirring till well combined. Turn heat up, place bananas face down in pan and cook through, being careful NOT to allow fruit to become soft or mushy.  What you are going for is a slight sear (a bit of color) on both sides.  This is a delicate process – don’t ever walk away from the pan.  Things can go south in a matter of seconds.  Add in a splash each of the Cointreau, Grand Marnier and Banana Liquor - then reduce (don’t add too much – you want a slightly thick sauce here – not a Mojito).  Have orange peel prepared ahead of time.  Heat a large ladle and fill it with a combination of Rum and Brandy (heavy on the rum).  Light the banana/brown sugar/ liquor combo first.  Then immediately light the liquor-filled ladle and pour flaming concoction slowly down the Orange peel onto the panned desert.  This is more than just for show, folks (though the show is fantastic!).  It releases the essential oils in the peel and deposits them onto the bananas.  Super yum!  Allow the alcohol to burn itself off (this will take only seconds).  Serve immediately over vanilla or macadamia nut ice cream – your choice.