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Browned Butter Banana Cupcakes with Salted Dark Chocolate Ganache

Browned Butter Banana Cupcake with Chocolate Ganache

Too Many Ripe Bananas

“Charles squared his chair around and put his elbows on the table. We’ll have to figure it out, he said nervously. We can put it off all we want, but we goddam well got to figure out what we’re going to do. I know that, said Adam. I guess I just wanted some time to think about it.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

There is a time when a decision must be made. We’ve all been there. What is the best thing to do with too many ripe bananas? When there are five ripe bananas a certain panic sets in. A massive amount of food waste becomes possible. I was ready to throw the bananas away when I saw this post. This is a genius recipe from Fine Cooking. READ MORE . . .

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Yeasted Waffles with Whole Wheat and Maple Roasted Figs

Yeasted Whole Wheat Waffles

The allure of a famous recipe

“Gradually a perfectly natural thing happened.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Weekend mornings are made for Marion Cunningham’s yeasted waffles. With an easy prep the night before the batter can be finished while the waffle iron heats in the morning. I have made the recipe so many times that I now take short cuts, deviating from her famous recipe. Adding an extra half cup of flour to the original recipe makes a thicker waffle that still has the famous crispy exterior yet has a soft, pillowy inside. Simply voluptuous breakfast material. For the original crispy thin waffle, make a thiner batter with a total of two cups of flour. The nutty taste of browned butter stands tall in flavor with whole wheat flour and makes an appearance in these waffles. Dissolving the yeast in warm water and warming the milk are just extra steps in the original recipe. Mix cold milk together with the yeast and proceed with the recipe. It yields a batter with the same volume and texture as the original recipe. Make the recipe in a very large bowl as the batter at least doubles in volume. When the eggs and baking soda are stirred into the bowl the next morning a silky smooth batter is waiting for the hot waffle iron. READ MORE . . .

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Olallieberry Financiers

Ollalie Financiers

Summer Berry Mania

“Wouldn’t it be funny if she never left Watsonville, thirty miles away? She could even slip in over the line and see her friends if she wanted to. Maybe she came to Salinas sometimes. She might be in Salinas right now.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

It was mid June. It was time for the local olallieberry harvest at Gidzich Ranch in Watsonville. If I held my breath it would be over. I grew up with the olallieberry harvest at Gidzich Ranch every summer. During those years I found my mother’s fixation with the olallie to be a bit obsessive. Often we would go pick berries each week of June and the beginning of July. We would leave early in the morning when it was still cool so my mother would have time to process the lush berries on the same day they were harvested. I am beginning to follow my mother’s path. I have been to Gidzich twice for olallies. I made pie, jam and froze olallieberries just as my mother did. But this year I tried a new berry recipe with my olallies. And I am very glad I did! READ MORE . . .