Spiced Banana Bread

I think this is my new go-to banana bread. I added some buckwheat flour (apparently I’m becoming a little obsessed – I just made some pancakes with this flour too!), which I think makes the flavor a little deeper, and the spices compliment that well. The butter and eggs make it moist. I brought this to a choir rehearsal and it’s a good thing because I would have eaten way too much on my own!

why hello there

Spiced Banana Bread
Adapted from here for the basic recipe and here for the spices

Ingredients

1.5 cups all-purpose flour, plus a tablespoon or two for dusting the pan
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe bananas, mashed into about 1.5 cups
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
3/4 stick/6 tablespoons/85 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for the pan
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or add 1 sachet de sucre vanille to the sugar measuring cup before you measure the normal sugar)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pain d’épices mix (or 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, pinch of ground cloves, and a few grinds of black pepper)

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, then dust the pan with flour.
2. Mix the mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
3. Add the flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture and mix until just combined.
4. Scrape into the prepared loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean and top is brown.

This is what “mix until just combined” means

Pumpkin Muffins

It’s fall!  The leaves are changing, I had to get my coats out of storage, good tomatoes are long gone, and I’ve been eating figs like it’s my job.  Pumpkin muffins are clearly the next step!

Pumpkin muffin and whiskey – perfect for a rainy day

Gluten- and Dairy-Free Zucchini Bread

I never thought I would say this: I have been eating an all gluten- and dairy-free diet for about two weeks now.

I saw a naturopathic doctor for stomach pain. I have always had a sensitive stomach. Since I was a teenager I have experienced months-long periods of daily, unexplained stomachaches. Traditional doctors thought it was an acid-reflux-type condition, so I was always taking antacids and avoiding acidic foods. Sometimes this treatment would work and sometimes it wouldn’t. When my mom so generously offered to pay for me to see the naturopathic doctor, I figured I might as well try. I am going back to Paris for another year in September, and I didn’t want to be dealing with this issue there.

More and more people are becoming sensitive to gluten and dairy in recent years. I suppose this is why at my appointment, my doctor recommended that I do a super-healthy gluten- and dairy-free diet. She took it one step further and limited my fruit servings to 1-2 per day and upped vegetables to 6-10! I am also supposed to try to avoid dried fruit, fruit juice, bananas, potatoes, peas, and corn. Because I have previously had problems with coffee, tomatoes, and jalapenos, I have to continue to avoid those as well. The plan is to follow this healthy diet for two weeks in the US and then 1-2 weeks after I arrive in Paris, then gradually start adding foods back in to see what is causing the problem.

In the past, I would notice blogs, recipes, cookbooks, and packaged foods here and there boasting “gluten-free!” and never thought much more than, wow, I’m glad I don’t have to worry about that. I don’t know anyone personally who has gluten issues, (although I know several people who have varying levels of sensitivity to dairy) so it just never seemed like a big deal. At least not to me personally.

Well, I get it now! American food culture, while very diverse, is not set up to accommodate either of these dietary restrictions. Even vegetarians still have a hard time staying true to their diet choices, depending on which region they are in. (On a trip to Montana in high school, chicken was offered for the vegetarians with all seriousness!) If you are gluten- or dairy-free, it can be difficult and frustrating to eat out, because menu options are severely limited. But if you are both gluten- and dairy-free like I am right now, you can pretty much forget about eating out.

This has been such a challenge. I thought the hardest part would be saying no to things like pasta, cheese, baked goods and coffee. In fact, aside from the caffeine withdrawal I went through for the first four days, the hardest part has been community eating. It’s only been two weeks, but I already have numerous stories about situations where I couldn’t eat what everyone else was eating. At a traditional English tea with countless cakes and cookies, complete with freshly whipped cream, I ate only grapes. At a fancy restaurant in Napa, I couldn’t order a fancy-sounding ravioli dish or share the goat cheese appetizer; I had a plain salad and some meatballs. A coworker brought donuts specially from Portland for the office…I could continue, but I might start crying. (Just kidding…sort of.)

It’s actually really easy to say no to food when you have doctor’s orders. Previously, if I’ve ever tried to limit foods, all it took was a craving, a friend making cookies, or a commercial for french fries and I was easily breaking my promise to myself. Refusing certain foods isn’t the hard part now. The hardest thing is having to say no to other people. I know that I come off as picky, rude, and snobby when I refuse food people have made for me, or when I ask a waitress how a smoothie is prepared (I just need to know if there is dairy in it!). It’s so frustrating and sad, because I respect food and the people who make it, and I don’t ever want to come off as ungrateful. However, my mom paid a lot for this doctor, and so far I haven’t had any stomach pain, so it’s worth it to me to try. I owe it to myself!

I’m trying to look on the bright side: it’s only one month, this will help me feel better, and it’s been a great way to force me to cook more and eat a variety of foods instead of copping out to convenience food when I’m too tired or lazy. The lack of options makes that impossible.

I have learned a lot about myself during this process. I knew I loved food, but I never realized that a lot of that enjoyment comes from the act of sharing and eating it with friends, family, and strangers. I learned that I have a lot more willpower than I thought I had. And, I learned that I love baked goods soooo much that I figured out how to make a gluten- and dairy-free zucchini bread!

I’ll be honest; if I had no dietary restrictions, I would probably choose a traditional recipe including butter and eggs. But if you really can’t have dairy or gluten, this is a great substitute! I’m eating it tomorrow morning with maple syrup and bacon. Maybe I will survive this diet after all…

Gluten- and Dairy-Free Zucchini Bread
adapted from How Sweet It Is

Ingredients

2 cups gluten-free flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp chia seeds, mixed with 1/4 cup room-temperature water
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soy milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup oil of your choice (I used canola, but you could use vegetable or coconut)
1 small zucchini, grated (yielding anywhere from 1-1 1/3 cups
1 small banana, mashed
1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions

Place chia seeds and water in a bowl. Whisk with a fork. Let sit for 20-30 minutes, until chia seeds have swelled and the water is gel-like.

Before…

After!

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8x8in pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Thank you Bob’s Red Mill for taking gluten-free eating into consideration!

In a large bowl, whisk chia seed mixture and brown sugar.
Whisk in vanilla, oil and milk.
Stir in zucchini and bananas.

Adding in zucchini

Add dry ingredients in two additions, stirring until just combined.
Spread batter into prepared pan. If you desire more sweetness, sprinkle the top with a tablespoon or two of granulated sugar.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Breakfast treat!

I DO <3 my mom!

Pan-Fried Corn

Get in my tummy

This dish was created mostly by my bestie. A few weeks ago, I went over to her apartment for a calm weeknight dinner. We made avocado pesto on orecchiette with peas, and this corn dish. I was making the pesto so I didn’t taste the corn until we sat down – and it blew my mind! So flavorful, so crunchy, so sweet! I had seconds, and thirds.

I made it for my parents last week with the addition of bacon, and they loved it too. So, with or without bacon, this is a winner!

I am nearing the end of my 2 month summer at home in Oakland. I am an emotional wreck, to say the least. The good news is that my friends and family are all still here, doing their thang. My fear that I would come back and not know anyone and no one would know me did not come true. But, that’s also the bad news. Because, now I’m leaving again and it will be just as painful as last time. Why do I do this to myself?

All I can do is stay present, enjoy life today, and try not to worry about the future too much. And eat corn!

Pan-Fried Corn

Ingredients

3-4 slices bacon (optional)
3-4 large ears of corn, shucked
1 small red pepper, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
a handful of cilantro leaves, rinsed and minced
the juice of 1-2 limes
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crispy.
Remove from pan and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
Once cool enough to handle, crumble or chop the bacon into corn kernel-sized pieces and reserve on a plate.
Pour off some of the bacon grease and return skillet to medium-high heat.
(If you aren’t using bacon, start here and use 1 tbsp olive oil instead.)

Onions, peppers, cilantro, and bacon

Add the onions and cook until starting to brown.
Add corn and red pepper and cook until browned.

Once everything is cooked through and has lots of color, remove from heat.
Stir in crumbled bacon and cilantro.
Squeeze lime juice over corn to taste.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Fiesta!

Kelly’s Hummus

At the pacs party, there was lots of delicious food, including this hummus. I was surprised to find out that Kelly made it herself – in her shiny new food processor. Young adult life these days is such that appliances are a total luxury. I can’t wait until I won’t have to save up to buy even the smallest items, like a zester. Sigh…I may be totally broke, but I also have the freedom to move to France, so I will stop complaining!

Kelly thought of this recipe herself. It’s very simple but VERY delicious. You’ve been warned!

Sundried Tomato Hummus
by Kelly

Ingredients

2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
olive oil
1 clove of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 small package of sundried tomatoes
the juice of one lemon
salt
pepper

Instructions

In the bowl of a food processor, add the garlic, 1/2 can of chickpeas, and some of the sundried tomatoes. Pulse a few times until garlic is distributed.

Look at that byoot!

Add the rest of the chickpeas and blend. Add more of the sundried tomatoes and the lemon juice, salt, and pepper all to taste.

We added and tasted together until we got the perfect result!

Add olive oil until it reaches the consistency you want. Serve with pita, chips, veggies, or a spoon!

Lately…

Food Creations

I haven’t made any recipes that are too involved in the past few weeks, but I have a few things that I want to share!

Sandwich with Brie and Cornichons
inspired by a boulangerie near the Sorbonne

On a baguette or panini bread, place a few slices of chorizo or salami, brie cheese, and cornichons (pickles). Grill in a pan with a heavy pot or pan on top (or a panini maker if you are so lucky) and eat! The combination sounds weird but it works – salty, creamy, and crunchy all at once!

Broccoli with Lemon, Parmesan, and Black Pepper

I have been using a new healthy-eating technique that has been working really well to keep me eating lots of veggies! I chop up a vegetable and put it in a tupperware, and then for the few days after I have no excuse not to use it since it is already prepared. Broccoli works well because it doesn’t go bad very quickly, but I’ve also done it with cauliflower, cucumbers, bell peppers, and onions.

Little trees dusted with snow

Here is how I do it in my small “kitchen:” Place bite-size pieces of broccoli in a bowl with an inch or two of water, put a plate or paper towel on top, and microwave for 30 second intervals, testing with a fork until it’s as soft as you want it. (Usually for me it’s 45 seconds, but it depends on your microwave and how crunchy you want it to be.) After it’s cooked to your liking, drain the water out. Then squeeze lemon juice over it, put a few spoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese, and a twist or two of black pepper.

It’s really flavorful and quick to prepare. Eat it right away because it gets cold fast and there’s nothing worse than cold broccoli. Next I am going to try adding in zucchini!

Tomato and Basil Salad

With a simple vinaigrette, this has been a great lunch along with bread and cheese. It’s a great light lunch when it’s too hot to cook or eat hot food (such nice weather this week!).

Simple and delicious!

Herb Butter

I saw a bunch of herbs at a store near me for only 1.50eu per bunch! I couldn’t resist so I got basil and cilantro. They have started to wilt before I could use them all, so I finally made herb butter, something I see on blogs all the time but haven’t gotten around to trying. This is now going to be my go-to recipe to use up herbs that are on their way out.

Simply use some good butter (I used this yummy salted butter, but you can use unsalted and add salt if you want) that is slightly softened. Chop up whatever combo of herbs you want (I used basil and cilantro; thought it would be weird but they work together!) and throw them into the butter. Mush together with the back of a spoon until the herbs are incorporated.

So easy, so fancy!

I would love to do this with cream cheese; in fact, I thought I was buying cream cheese but I actually bought margarine. (Just when I was getting confident in my ability to understand French, the dairy goods got me again! I don’t know if I will ever be able to navigate the extensive French dairy aisles…) Damn it! Anyone have a good use for margarine?

Anyways, I put my herb butter on toast. I bet it would be good with pasta, on some sort of roasted meat, baked onto chicken, on toasts for a party, need I continue?

Oranges and Mint

No picture here, because this was a dessert one night with the family I work for. Peel and slice oranges and then garnish with a little mint. If you are thinking – EW that sounds like when I brush my teeth and then drink orange juice – SHHT! It’s not! It’s refreshing and makes you forget the fact that you are eating just oranges for dessert!

Non-food stuff:

-Did you know I am kind of a freak? Well, I left a comment about my siren song on my favorite podcast, and I got a shoutout on this episode! I was happy I made Joy the Baker and Shutterbean laugh. I was a little starstruck just listening to them say my name (well, my fake name “sweetmaddy”)!

What’s your siren song?

-This week, I went to Vertigo Productions, a recording studio located in Boulogne-Billancourt where I live, for a recording session. I, along with a group of six people from my choir, sang some small singing bits for the film Nous York. The recording engineers needed more voices to layer the sound in a few parts of the movie. There is a birthday scene, so we sang “Happy Birthday,” and we also sang the chorus of this song by Diam’s. In the film, the main actress (who showed up later to listen to us!) gets a group of the patients at an old folk’s home to perform the song with her. So, our voices will be used to round out the sounds of the group of old people singing on stage with her. Hilarious!

The screen we watched the movie on with the lyrics sliding by below

My friend Sophia and I – so excited to become superstars!

-Speaking of my choir, we have a concert coming up! I am very excited for this one. Not only do I love all three pieces we are performing, but I have a solo! I love most music, but it’s rare that I am STOKED to sing everything on the program, and I am SO stoked. I dork out every week and really enjoyed practicing and rehearsing every minute of this music. So, if you or anyone you know will be in Paris on June 8 or June 9, please stop by!

-I am still hammering out the details of what I will actually be doing next year, but I did buy my plane ticket back to California on July 5. I will be returning to Paris on September 3, so the adventure will continue!

Easy Mango Chutney

I found this post that I never put up – back from Christmas! Oopsies…

Every time I make Indian food, I make a batch of this mango chutney. It is such a good standby, especially if you make other Indian dishes. If you like the sweet/spicy flavor combination, you must try this!

Bubbling, glistening sauce

It comes together pretty quickly. If you are making other Indian dishes to eat it with, I recommend making this first, as it can sit for awhile and be fine – in fact it is better to let the flavors meld for at least an hour, if not overnight.

Reusing jam jars for storage

Mango Chutney
slightly adapted from Mangoes and Curry Leaves

1. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a small wide heavy pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add 1 teaspoon fennel seeds and fry briefly.
3. Add 2 cups chopped peeled green mangoes and cook for several minutes, until starting to soften. [Use mangoes that are very ripe, as in: pretty soft when you press them.] Depending on how soft they are, you might need to smush them with your spoon to help them cook down faster.
4. Add 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is bubbling.
5. Taste and adjust sugar or spices as needed. Add water if it’s not liquidy enough (based on your preferences!).
6. Serve with Indian food!

Flavors will intensify as time goes on

Arugula Salad with Honey Dressing

In my neighborhood, we have a wonderful market every Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday. I have started going there almost every time it’s open, because it’s so fabulous. You can get wonderful produce, meat, eggs, cheese, bread, spices, dried fruit, olives, or even clothing, jewelry, and antique books! I love the farmer’s markets in the US too, but one thing that is infinitely better here is the fromage.

Myrtille keeps telling me I need to go to this one fromagerie next to the market. Every week when she asks me about it, I keep saying, no I haven’t been yet. I finally confessed that I was afraid of saying the wrong thing and looking stupid, and she said, no, just point and say a little or a lot, and they will take it from there. Well, she was right – nothing to be afraid of! On Sunday, I finally conquered my fear of making a cheese-ordering faux-pas and got in the long, snaking line. It was super busy and there wasn’t much time for deliberation, so I simply ordered some Roquefort, as I know I love blue cheese. It was creamy but crumbly, full of creepy fuzzy blue mold, and just oh-so-tasty! I could have eaten it by itself, but instead I made this salad.

I randomly added honey to my dressing and it made the salad special enough to post here. It’s my new obsession!

It's always dark here so there is horrible lighting in the photo sorry!

Arugula Salad with Honey Dressing

Combine equal parts oil (I used olive), vinegar (I used apple cider), and honey in the bowl you will toss the salad in. Sprinkle salt to taste. Whisk the dressing using whatever utensil you have on hand. Add a handful or two of rinsed and dried arugula and toss until well-coated in the dressing. Sprinkle Rocquefort or other blue cheese and dried cranberries on top. Toasted walnuts or hazelnuts would be a nice addition too. <3

Pear Crisp

Pear Crisp

I made this for the first time 2 years ago for Christmas. It was a hit, but for some reason I haven’t made it since. I like to bake on Fridays because I only teach one class in the morning and I have the whole day free. When I saw pears at the market near my school, this recipe came to mind and I had to make it! However, because I was working from memory, I got oats instead of pecans for the topping. It worked just as well, so if you are serving someone with a nut allergy it’s a good substitution.

Naked pears

I shared the crisp (or crumble, said in a French accent, as they called it) with my family here; happily, it went over better than the last time I served an American-style dessert to French people. However, Myrtille did mention that she makes a similar crumble, but with chocolate chips added in. French people sure love their chocolate!

I could just eat this part by itself!

Next time, I will be trying it with browned butter mixed into the topping (just cook the butter in a saucepan on medium heat until little brown specks form and it starts smelling nutty and heavenly, and cook until it is dark brown)! I think browned butter would accompany the pear and cinnamon flavors nicely.

Pear Crisp
adapted from PW

Ingredients

-4 or 5 large pears
-2/3 cups sugar
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1-1/2 cup flour
-1/3 cup sugar
-1/3 cup brown sugar
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
-1/2 cup pecans, very finely chopped, or 1/2 cup oats
-1 stick butter, melted

Instructions

*Use ripe pears for better flavor and unripe pears for ease of peeling and dicing.

Peel and dice the pears into 1 inch pieces.

Dice

Waiting for a sugar bath

Sprinkle 2/3 cups sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt over the pears in a bowl. Stir and set aside.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans or oats.

Topping ingredients

Pour butter on top and mix with a fork.

Mmm...butter...

Pour pears into a baking dish and sprinkle crumb topping on top.

Bake at 350 degrees F or 175 degrees C for 30 minutes.  Move pan to top rack of oven and bake for 10 more minutes, or until golden brown.

I should have left it a bit longer to bake but I really wanted to taste it!

<3

Bread Pudding

I am obsessed with salad, but I hate to make it.  I hate watery lettuce but I also hate drying it; I feel like bagged salad goes bad quickly but I hate ripping up heads of lettuce; I never have on hand exactly what I want to put in it.  So, when I have a salad craving, I go to Intermezzo on Telegraph in Berkeley.  They have huge portions, it’s affordable, and they serve their salad with a big hunk of honey wheat bread on the side.  It’s delicious!  The last time I was there, I asked for more bread as we were leaving so I could enjoy it with my leftovers the next day.  They charged me a quarter for a whole bag of bread!

I knew I wouldn’t eat it all, so I decided to invent this bread pudding recipe to use it up.  The bread ended up being great for this recipe because it’s substantial and a little bit sweet.  If you make this and you don’t have a bread that’s on the sweet side, I would add some honey, maple syrup, or agave to the custard.

I haven’t had a chance to make this again to perfect the recipe.  If I were to make it again, I would use superfine sugar for the topping to make it less gritty.  I would also be curious to see how it baked up in a larger pan as opposed to the small ramekins that I used.  It also might be nice to do layers of bread and sugar instead of only doing sugar on the top.  Play around with it!

Bread Pudding

Ingredients

-4 cups of 1 inch cubes of day-old bread (preferably honey whole wheat)

-2.5 cups milk (2%)

-3 eggs

-3 tbsp melted butter

-1 tsp vanilla

-1/2 to 3/4 cup white sugar

-1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 4 ramekins with butter and set aside.

2. Cut bread into cubes. Set aside.

3. Whisk together the milk, eggs, and vanilla.  Set aside.

4. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Set aside.

5. Place bread cubes into the ramekins.  Pour milk mixture over bread until liquid reaches just under the rim.  For less custard, fill only halfway (if you do this, make sure to serve with syrup or other liquid as they turn out a bit dry).

6. Drizzle a bit of melted butter on each ramekin.  Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top (not as much as I did!).

7. Place ramekins on a baking sheet.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until custard is set and tops have begun to brown.

8. Let them cool and enjoy for a sweet breakfast or light dessert!

<3