Fluffy Banana Bread

While most of my ohana prepares for New Years Day (the biggest holiday for local Japanese-ish families) I'm temporarily checking out and finding comfort in something everyday and timeless. . .banana bread.

Banana bread is usually the fortuitous result of some misfortune . . . bananas ripened too quickly to keep up eating them.  I don't think too many people go out and buy bananas with the outright intention of making banana bread.  Well, not me, anyway.

When I was married, my father-in-law had about a half-dozen prolific banana trees, so we had an endless supply of apple bananas.  Apple bananas were a kid favorite. . .just the right size for a kiddie snack.  Now that I'm not on the banana list, I buy my bananas at either the Hilo Farmers Market or Safeway.  I find the bananas from KTA to be kinda on the slimy side.  I'm sure they are, like the Safeway bananas, the Williams variety, but somehow, the Safeway bananas are not slimy.  Of course, if I buy bananas from the Hilo Farmers Market, I always buy apple bananas.

My all-time favorite way to enjoy a banana is in a pie.  Sunnyside Restaurant in Wahiawa makes a double-crust banana pie.  A few other place on Oahu make it too:  Violets on Dillingham, Likelike Drive Inn, and Flamingo Restaurant.  I'm not sure if those places are still in business, but thats where I'd go for my banana pie fix when I lived on Oahu.

Unfortunately, I haven't ever tried making a double-crust banana pie because I'm always outnumbered in the house with people who want plain banana bread.  No nuts, no chocolate chips, no mincemeat.  The Ds like their banana bread plain.  This is their favorite banana bread. 

I normally bake this in mini loaf pans because they are easy to munch on and convenient to take places.  Because my mini loaf pans are "gang" style, they are easy to load in and out of the oven.

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Fluffy Banana Bread

     1/2 c butter, softened

     1 c sugar

     1 tsp vanilla

     2 eggs

     1 2/3 c flour

     1 tsp baking soda

     1/2 tsp salt

     1 c mashed banana

     1/2 c sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 4 mini loaf pans, an 8" x 8" pan, or a loaf pan.  Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.  Combine mashed banana and sour cream.  Set aside.  Cream butter with sugar and vanilla.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add banana mixture alternately with flour mixture, ending with flour mixture.  Pour a little over 1 cup (2 1/2 scoops from a #10 disher) in each pan if using mini loaf pans.  Bake for 40 minutes.  If using an 8" x 8" pan, bake 30 minutes..  If using a loaf pan, bake 65-70 minutes.  Double recipe can also be baked in a 9" x 13" pan for 1 hour.

Stinky Food: Ulu and Bacalau Salad

I'm dedicating this post to two of the nicest Oregonians I know, Dawn and Mardale.  Dawn and Mardale make up the fantastic School Synergy team.  They have been on the Big Island for several months, assisting schools in KKP with a school audit.  Dawn and Mardale are not just "two haoles who fell off a turnip truck in Puna".  They are honorary kama`aina who have developed quite a penchant for local foods.  In fact, they even brought a bag of seasoned edamame to an audit.

One of the birdwalking conversations at a recent school audit was about breadfruit.  Dawn and Mardale had been very intrigued with breadfruit and were eager to try some.  I'm not sure what they did, but they said it was horrible.  Then Anne gave them an idea of making breadfruit salmon hash.  Dawn said it was out-of-this-world fantastic.  Well, Dawn, I've got something else you can do with breadfruit.  But be warned. . .if the smell of the fried squid made you weak, this breadfruit dish might be something you just enjoy in 2-dimensional form!

There are a few things that I cook which cause the Ds to clear out of the house.  D2 cannot stand the smell of vinegar on the stove.  When I made the sauce for kama (about a month ago), she kept her nose pinched.  But both kids will run out of the house when I cook bacalau.  I think even Desi & Kenni take cover.

I love bacalau.  Growing up, Dad used to soak it in water, cut it into cubes, and deep fry it.  It was great with rice.  Carol & David brought bacalau hash patties to a tennis potluck once, and I thought it was better than corned beef hash patties (except for Aunty Betty's version).  I use bacalau in a potato salad:  bacalau, potato, shoyu & oil.  But when I'm lucky enough to be given ulu (breadfruit), I make spicy, tangy salad with the ulu and bacalau.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Ulu and Bacalau Salad

     1 piece bacalau   

     1 firm ulu, peeled, cored & cut into chunks

     2 cloves garlic, smashed

     1 1/2 tbsp rock salt

     1/4 c olive oil

     1/4 c apple cider vinegar

     1 tsp sugar

     1 chili pepper, seeded

     1/4 onion, thinly sliced

Cut bacalau into pieces that will fit into a medium saucepan.  Add water to cover.  Bring to a boil.  Discard water.  Repeat boiling and discarding water 5 more times.  Bacalau should still taste salty.  Pick off bones and shred meat.  Set aside. In a large pot, place ulu, garlic and rock salt.  Add water to cover.  Bring to a boil and cook 15 minutes or until ulu is tender.  Drain water and discard garlic.  Set aside.  Combine olive oil, cider vinegar, sugar, and chili pepper.  Stir until sugar is dissolved.  Smash chili pepper against side ofbowl.  Let sit.  Cut cooked ulu chunks into 3/4" pieces.  Combine with with sliced onions and shredded bacalau.  Remove chili pepper from oil mixture and pour oil mixture over ulu.  Toss gently.  Chill until ready to serve.