THEE Banana Cake

I made this cake for the first time for my pastry final (see post below) and I absolutely loved it, on its own, without all the necessary frilly ingredients for the test. So yesterday with an urge to create something on my off day, I tackled the cake again. This time I used whole wheat flour (for it eases my mind when I go back for another piece). The cake is super moist and super simple to make. Perhaps you can adorn this cake with a dark chocolate icing, mimicking a chocolate covered banana eh?
THEE Banana Cake
via Bon Appetit
3 sticks of unsalted butter with a tad extra for buttering the pan
3 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 1/4 c. sugar
6 eggs
6 large very ripe bananas
3/4 c. sour cream
Butter two cake rounds well. And preheat over to 325. Sift flour, salt, baking soda into a large bowl. Separately beat butter and sugar into an electric mixer, until light and fluffy. Add each egg in one at a time. Mixing on low speed, gradually add in flour mix.  Fold in the mashed ripe bananas and then the sour cream. Separate the batter between the two buttered cake rounds. Bake the cakes in the oven for a good 50-55 minutes.

A Pastry Class Final!

Banana Cake with Chocolate Mousse and Chocolate Ganache with Papaya Coulis 

and Handmade Vanilla Chocolate Chip Ice Cream with a Half Moon Tuille (Cookie)

Cheers, to the end of Culinary School and Pastry Class!

Stay tuned for tons more fun, pretty and inspirational food concepts...

A Heavy Piece of Meat and Simple Light Salad

We found cheap fillets at the grocery store the other day. Monetarily cheap, however rich in flavor for the inexpensive cuts were wrapped in bacon! Now, bacon is not typically my favorite flavor, as I have been vegetarian a couple times in my life, never returning to eat that meat. But talk about a flavorful piece of meat. Fillet wrapped in bacon! It is as though the bacon keeps the flavor of the fillet locked in. No need for any seasoning what so ever!

We served them up with some inspiration from our friends. A fresh orzo and vegetable concoction. I never cooked with orzo before. It is super simple, a lil almond-shaped pasta and smaller than almonds. Easy to cook, because it is just like pasta. Strain when tender. We added what was in the fridge: collards, squash, tomatoes and a pinch of fresh grated Parmesan. 

A Tasting!

So I have been given some freedom at work, which is wonderfully nice. This here and below is the tasting I did for a couple wanting to get married at the museum. It was a "duet" plate (filet and panko encrusted chicken with rosemary cream sauce, panko is just a breadcrumb) with "smashed" potatoes and roasted asparagus. The cream sauce (seemingly difficult) was extremely simple! Whipping cream, butter, onion, garlic and rosemary sprigs cooked for a good 30-45 minutes over medium head then strained for a silky creamy rosemary infused cream sauce to top on the chicken. Was a nice task to complete solo, and the guests enjoyed it:)

Bee Pollen?! Yup.

So the allergies were mega bad two weeks ago, just as Spring was showing her (or his?) face. I came across bee pollen after talking with my local Whole Foods lady in the herbs and medicinal section. There is the idea that you should take a tablespoon or so a day of local honey because it combats your local allergies. Makes sense, bees... pollination... local flora... exactly what you are reacting to... yadi yadi yada...
SO, if you take the bee pollen it's more potent than taking the honey, it's basically getting straight to the point with the bee pollen granules. Also, bee pollen is an energy booster so athletes are known to take them for a natural boost! That is what sold me on the remedy, the fact that if I don't get allergy relief from my bee pollen granules regardless, it is an energy booster, to be sprinkled in coffee or smoothies, etc. Note: it tastes very floral. I'm two weeks in, and my allergies have been good. I'm skeptical, not quick give credit to the pollen. Maybe they just subsided? Whatever the case is, I really like my bee pollen and the additional boost, for now. Do try, share and gain some healthy, natural relief.

Great Measurement Conversion Sheet

I have been using this sheet religiously this semester with baking and cooking and then work. You can see my paw prints all over it. I figured I should make a digital copy for if the thing disintegrates shortly I will be lost!

Warm Kale Salad and Simple!

I had some watercress to play with. And for the record, I am not a huge fan of the strong lil green. However, I continued to play and used minimal for this delicious lil spur of the moment salad! I had seen a Chef recently serve watercress up with a asparagus salad. So with my lil bit of watercress, I used the kale in my fridge. I sauteed it lightly in oil and garlic and salt. Note: get baby kales for this salad. They are more delicate and not as strong as "big" kales are. I dropped the kales on top of the bed of watercress. Drawing upon the previous posts dressing (actually, just what was in my fridge) I sprinkled feta and zested lemon. Served it up with warm bread and oil and salt and pepper;)

Mache Lettuces!

Here friends, is the mache lettuce. It's delightful! Delicate and a nuttier flavor than most of it's kind. Plus the shape is killer for pretty plate presentation. It's squiggly and spirals. I served this salad up simply, with what was in the fridge. A lemon's zest and some feta. Oil and pepper:) Keep it simple. Cheers!

A Food Good Day

While however hectic, long and tiring yesterday was, it was also a good food kind of day. From a fancy tasting alongside a skilled chef who came in from Chicago to a pastry class where we made homemade ice cream and cake. I need to make this post brief as I running late for work. Had to share the pretty plate designs and tasty foods! TGIF!!!

The vegetarian option that I assembled. It was thinly shaved squashed placed in molds and stuffed with ratatouille and goat cheese and then removed from molds and plastic wrapped. Eventually before presentation they were steamed for a hot vegetarian dish!

 I wish I took a menu from the tasting event (the tasting refers to the chef selling a menu for the eventual real event in this case, of 300 persons in about 3 weeks from now, he prepared foods for 5 people yesterday) This plate is missing the watercress, I just wanted to take a shot when I had some free hands. It is an asparagus salad with some relish and a sweet onion with a sauce who's name escapes me!

 

 A mache lettuce salad with beats and goat cheese and I forget what else. MMMmache lettuce! Such a cute and tasty lil green.

To top it off, I continued from work to class to take a test, make some ice cream and banana cake for next weeks practical side of our final exam.

Spring (CLEAN!) Salad

Been getting blasted by Spring allergies and my sinuses are out of whack! After a fun weekend and then a bit of a set back with a head and chest cold, today my body was in a heal and reboot mode. After a long day at work, I returned home to some welcomed spring cleaning, tea, music and a much needed healthy dinner. My body was craving a hearty salad. For you spring cleaning, allergy ridden folk, here is a simple and healthy rebooting salad. Forge forward through the pollen, stay close to you water bottles (not plastic, please!) and welcome the spring Clean!

Spring (CLEAN!) Salad
Cranberry, Almond, Walnut, Feta, Chicken Breast Salad
3 organic chicken breasts baked in olive oil and smoked paprika
1 handful of raw almond slivers
1 handful of raw walnuts
1 large tomato diced
1/4 medium yellow onion diced
Spring mix (1 box of organic spring mix)
1 handful of dried cranberries
1/4 c. of crumbled feta
1 tbs. of olive oil (I found tossing the salad and letting the feta coat the leaves proved beneficial, less oil was needed to dress the salad this way, less oil=less cals, but who's counting!)

The ingredients above may sound a lot, however if you just keep your fridge stocked with various nuts and cheeses and dried fruit (they don't, go bad quickly at all) you are always ready for an impromptu "heady" salad. Chicken and greens was all that I needed. Bake the chicken, that was coated in oil and paprika (a pinch of salt too) at 350 for about 20 minutes. Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl and enjoy. I paired this salad with a large glass of my Soda Stream fizzy water and a dash of fresh lemonade. Makes for a wonderful non alcoholic beverage on this healthy occasion.

Lychee MMMmmmmtinis

The Lychee Martini.

A girlfriend and I went out for what she demanded we must try, The Lychee Martini. And she was right! Hailing from Asia the fruit is like a delicious, citrusy, berry. You can buy them canned with the shells and seeds removed (after a 'lil internet searching, I uncovered the sweet, in my world exotic, fruit comes in a casing with a large seed inside) Note: the picture of the berry on the straw of the martini glass below... it holds the shelled, seeded, canned lychee. See a hip bar near you, for the tastiest sweet alcoholic beverage the quickly approaching warm weather has to offer!

Short Ribs, Mashed Goodness and Stroganoff!

Talk about an odd line up of foods for Cooking 2 last Wednesday. The syllabus reads funny at times, as though it is not paired properly. The chefs probably have so much they need to teach us in so little time. Like with everything in life.

I never tasted Beef Stroganoff before last week, and man what a surprising delicate and scrumptous taste. It was a complicated construction with a lot of ingredients but the end result was worth it! Really tasty (probably because its fatty as heck)! We tackled short ribs and made a delicious "smashed" potato along with other things prepared that day. I took the "smashed" potato from the Chef from work. He makes mashed potatoes with the skin on in butter and cream and salt and pepper, simple cooking.

Baking Bavarians

Below are snaps from last weeks baking class. We made Bavarian cream over pound cake with a handmade tuille (the cookie in the shape of a spoon) and a raspberry coulis (fruit sauce for plate decoration)...

 

Reflection with time to kill, peering into the raspberry coulis sauce...