WHAT'S NEW WITH MY BANANA BREAD??

I realize that we all have our favorite banana bread recipes but recently I got a little tired of my recipe. So being the food nerd that I am, I wanted to duplicate a banana chocolate cherry bread I had tasted in an upscale coffee house. I liked the idea of chocolate and loved the pieces of cherry that were in it as well. Off to the kitchen like a home chemist. I figured out that if I added 1/4 cup of cocoa to the recipe, it would add a chocolate color to my bread and a slight bitter taste. Then I added 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips and 1/4 cup dried cherries. Wow my new version looked good.

Conclusion: The combination of the dried cherries and the chocolate chips that equaled 1/2 cup and the 1/4 cup of cocoa was absolutely divine. And by using the little bit of chocolate pieces and dried cherries I managed to decrease the sugar from 11/2 cups of sugar to 3/4 of a cup. Less sugar is always good thing.. Loved my results!

I encourage all of my readers to venture out of the ordinary and alter some of your favorite recipes for something surprisingly new and delicious.

Beautiful Mushrooms at the Ferry Building in SF

“Far West Fungi” specializes in mushrooms at our Ferry Building.in San Francisco. The day I visited I snapped pictures of unusual mushrooms especially those that I had never eaten. I bought mushrooms that were called “Yellow Tree Oyster Mushrooms” or “Canary Mushrooms”.

Determined to cook them right away I decided to ask how best to prepare these yellow mushrooms. The salesperson suggested sautéing them quickly or eating them raw would be ideal.. They are organic and cleaning them would not be necessary. I would expect to taste a cucumber/buttery flavor.  Well that sounded absolutely delicious!  I couldn't wait to experiment.

At home, I decided to create a simple recipe and all I needed were a few key ingredients. That would include chopped garlic, butter and some wonderful organic olive oil. So I reached for my cast iron pan and heated it on a medium flame. I then laced the pan with two tablespoons of olive oil, added my tablespoon of chopped garlic and when they were slightly golden I added my 1/2 lb. of mushrooms. As I gently tossed them, I added a tablespoon of butter ... more flavor. Lastly, a tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley, and a touch of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Now the final moment for tasting. Yum, the mushrooms were tender and absolutely delicious.They did have that buttery/cucumber taste. Now I had another favorite mushroom and I would continue to eat them cooked or raw. Thanks to the folks at “Far West Fungi” who provides all of us with gorgeous mushrooms all year round.

I am very happy lady..it’s always fun to be surprised with something new..

My Friend Brought Me a Fish

Recently, a friend brought a piece of wild salmon for our dinner and I assured her I had all the makings for a Cesar salad with lots of vegetables to round out our dinner. "Simple," I thought. Why not put together a fish wrapped in parchment paper (en papillote) with what I could find in my vegetable drawer.

The fish was easy to assemble, a 12"x12" piece of parchment paper, 1/4 pound of fresh salmon, one lemon slice, orange bell peppers, lots of cauliflower (or broccoli) and all I had to do was drizzle 1 tbsp. of white wine and 1 tbsp. of olive oil over the fish. The final touch was to sprinkle kosher salt and pepper. To fold the packet was easy as well... Start folding in pleats tightly as possible to form a packet. Place on a cookie sheet. Now, fifteen minutes in a 425º oven was all I needed to finish the entree and in that time, I prepared the romaine lettuce and drizzled my homemade Cesar dressing over it.

Voila! A French-wrapped fish with an Italian dressing made easily by The Chinese Lady...

That’s the world we live in today... And I think it’s marvelous.

Steamed Mussels, So Easy!

My dear friend Susan who doesn’t like to cook happens to love, love steamed mussels. So when I see them at the market, I buy a 2 lb. bag. Then I do the imaginary head thing to check if I have lots of garlic, white wine, chopped onions, parsley, broth, butter and of course, a fresh loaf of French bread.

The first thing I do is to rinse them in cold water then place them into a colander to drain. In a saucepan I add a tablespoon of butter and a little olive oil and toss in the 1/2 cup of chopped onions and 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic. Swirl that around until translucent and you can smell the garlic. Now add the 2 lbs. of rinsed mussels, 1 cup of broth and 1/4 cup of white wine and 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley. Cover right away and cook for a few minutes. Peak at the mussels and when they are all opened, they are ready to serve. Sometimes if I want pasta, I put it on the bottom of the bowl then add the steamed mussels on the top with broth.

The only addition to my mussels would be a handful of clams. That is it! Don’t forget the French bread and a tossed green salad.

Artichokes In Season

I'm an island girl from Honolulu and when I moved to San Francisco, I remember the first time I ate an artichoke. The thorny vegetable was not love at first sight but after dipping the leaves in melted butter, I was hooked.

Now I look forward to them every season and I prefer them simply steamed with a drizzle of olive oil and kosher salt.

Honestly until recently, I did not know if an artichoke had any nutritional value whatsoever, so I looked into it. It appears that there are many health benefits. I learned that the most powerful part of the plant medicinally is its leaves and clinical studies have shown artichokes have been proven to be a safe, non-toxic, natural way to prevent and treat high cholesterol. They are packed with antioxidants, making them incredible defenders against cancer, aging, heart disease, and illness. They also boost the immune system and lower cholesterol.

Wow, good to know that I now gain health benefits by eating artichokes!