Easy and simple banana bread to celebrate five years

It’s been five years (and three months) since I started writing this blog.  I wanted to drop by in September, observe this anniversary and thank you all of you out there for reading my words and appreciating my stories and recipes.  And then things got in the way…unfortunately…  But this little space in the large blogosphere would not exist without you.  So, thank you from the bottom of my heart!  Also, I wanted to gift you this exquisite banana bread recipe, a sweet gem all the way from Maui.  

Lately, whenever I read or find anything Maui-related I stop and take notice.  That’s probably because Adrian and I made two trips to Maui in a year.  Needless to say we love Hawaii even if it would be faster to fly home to Romania than to get to this remote paradise in the Pacific. 

Everything tends to be simpler on Maui.  The moment we land, we instantly relax and embrace the slower island pace, soft sand, annoyingly clear water, lush vegetation and stunningly fiery sunsets.  Oh, and let’s not forget about the Maui specialty – banana bread – a bite of that buttery goodness and you’ll never want to leave.  We began to really appreciate banana bread on the winding and wondrous drive on the road to Hana, a town in the heart of the island’s rainforest.    

This banana bread truly captures the spirit of Maui.  Sometimes, simple is the way to go because the simplest of ingredients make for the boldest of flavors and stunning results.  This banana bread is case in point.  It is dense, spongy, moist and features a deep and elegant banana bouquet that easily envelopes the surroundings.  It is deeply decadent while highlighting basic, clean and unspoiled aromas that undoubtedly go a long way.   

 

It’s gutsy to refrain from tinkering with a recipe, over-embellishing and overflowing with needless ingredients.  I tried really hard to control myself from tossing in any crunchy texture or lemony zing.  But this recipe doesn’t need any of that.  The straightforward yet decadent flavor of banana shines through and makes for a wonderful dessert, snack or breakfast.  Enjoy this magical recipe and Happy New Year to everyone!

Easy and Simple Banana Bread

Adapted from Julia’s Best Banana Bread from Bon Appétit (March 2013)

Makes: 1 loaf of banana bread

Ingredients:

·         Butter for greasing the pan

·         1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

·         1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

·         ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

·         3 large eggs

·         1 ½ cups sugar

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         1 cup mashed ripe bananas (from about 2 large bananas)

·         ¾ cup vegetable oil

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Butter and flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. 

Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.  Whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, bananas and oil in a large bowl until smooth.  Add dry ingredients to the banana mixture and stir just until combined.  Scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake until a tester inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean, about 60-65 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes.  Run a knife around inside of the pan to release the bread.  Turn out onto the rack and let cool completely. 

Do ahead:  Banana bread can be made 3 days ahead.  Store airtight at room temperature.      

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Feta Cheese and Dill Stuffed Flatbread

I’m an only child, which on occasion means being spoiled rotten.  So, when at age eleven I demanded a puppy, my parents happily obliged.  Granted, the three of us lived in an eight hundred square foot one bedroom apartment on the sixth floor of a ten story building with no air conditioning during the scorching summer months.  Did it matter?  Not at all…  The four of us simply learned how to gloriously bake in the one bedroom hell of a sauna.  But being treated like a princess was not the case when visiting my grandparents in the northern part of Romania.       

Maramureș, a region in the northern part of Romania, is a place where time seems to stand still and hundreds of years of culture and traditions are firmly engrained in the rugged mentality, hardened way of life and extremely hardworking people.  It is here where the nearby volcanic mountains are proudly covered in a dense layer of snow well into spring; where locals master the elaborate process of making the famous ţuică drink every year (my ninety five year old great-grandmother is still deeply invested in this process); not to mention how chickens and other domestic animals roam freely around the yard all day long and are considered proud members of the family.  Maramureș is also the place where I learned how to forage for plump beautiful mushrooms in the untamed forests, how to gingerly maneuver a two handle saw and help my grandfather cut wood at the very young age of four, and most importantly where I learned how to whip up this rustic and mouthwatering Feta Cheese and Dill Stuffed Flatbread. 

These flatbreads are without a doubt a staple in my grandma Aurica’s kitchen – simple, basic dough stuffed with a cheesy goodness.  It can’t get better or easier than that!  They are unpretentious and versatile; delicious for breakfast, satisfying as a snack, great for lunch, and light for a quick dinner.  Needless to say, they are a terrific alternative for the beloved bread.  The yeasty dough winds up tender and sweetly chewy while nestling a perfectly salty and savory interior.  These Feta Cheese and Dill Stuffed Flatbreads are deeply flavorful without being fussy and I guarantee you won’t stop with just one.  Enjoy!  

Feta Cheese and Dill Stuffed Flatbread

By Simply Romanesco inspired my Grandma Vicki and Grandma Aurica

Makes: 15 stuffed flatbreads

Ingredients:

·         500 grams (3 ½ cups) all-purpose flour

·         ½ teaspoon baking soda

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1 packet (7 grams) fast rise dry yeast

·         1 ½ teaspoon sugar

·         1 large egg, at room temperature

·         125 ml (1/2 cup) water

·         125 (1/2 cup) whole milk

·         50 ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil, plus more for frying

Ingredients for the filling:

·         350 grams (12 oz) feta cheese

·         A good bunch of fresh dill, chopped (the green parts of green onions, chopped, also work really well)

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, yeast and sugar.  Mix well.  Add the egg, water and milk and, using clean hands, gently combine all the ingredients.  Add the oil and mix well until the dough gathers into a ball.  Knead the dough for a few minutes until it becomes pliable and easy to work with.  Leave the dough in the bowl.  Cover the bowl with a dish towel and allow the dough to rest and rise for an hour and a half until it almost doubles in size.

In the meantime, combine the feta cheese and dill in a medium bowl and set aside.

Divide the dough into 15 balls.  Lightly flour the work surface and the rolling pin and roll out the balls of dough one at a time.  Add a heaping Tablespoon of the feta cheese and dill filling and fold the edges of the dough to seal the filling inside.  Set aside and allow the filled concoction to rest for 10 minutes.  Proceed the same way with the rest of the dough. 

Lightly flour the rolling pin and roll out each of the filled doughs careful not to break the surface and the filling to spill out.    
    

  

In a large skillet, heat about ½ cup of vegetable oil over medium heat.  Add one or two flatbreads at a time and cook them over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden-brown.  Place the cooked flatbreads on a platter and cover to keep warm.

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Chocolate Loaf Cake

With all the cold and snow outside, I’ve been longing for some warmth and coziness in the house.  And there’s nothing better than some good ol’ baking and a dense, fudgy effortless Chocolate Loaf Cake to sooth you on icy, winter days.  Even if you’re not particularly keen on chocolate you’ll easily and unequivocally appreciate this dreamy concoction.  You won’t be able to resist it, I guarantee it.  One bite and you’ll be craving more, not to mention all the points you’ll score with everyone in the family.  And, yes, you’ll be adding another solid brick to the chocolate repertoire!   

This cake is the epitome of all things chocolate.  It’s so plain and easy to whip up yet intensely elaborate tastewise conveying a heady, damp (as Nigella might say), chocolatey aroma.  It’s almost like gingerbread: slightly sticky, borderline soggy and very, very tasty.  Nigella’s recipe doesn’t call for toasted walnuts but I tossed them in the mix for that subtle and distinct crunch kick that elevates the flavor and chocolate intensity of this wonderful dessert.  

This is not your elegant, sensual and seductive chocolate cake, and it probably wouldn’t excel in a beauty pageant.  I mean, the thing is more than likely to collapse in the middle while it bakes.  But if you’re willing to overlook the less than appealing appearance, you’ll be in for a mouthwatering ride; this cake with rock your world.  

The Chocolate Loaf Cake is absolutely lovely with coffee or tea or whipped cream or ice cream or simply by itself.  And it will make for a great sweet treat during the highly anticipated Super Bowl Sunday.  Enjoy!

Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake

Adapted from How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson

Makes: 8-10 slices

Ingredients:

·         1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

·         1 2/3 cups dark or light brown sugar

·         2 large eggs, at room temperature

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         4 ounces best bittersweet chocolate, melted

·         1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

·         1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons boiling water

·         ½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.  Grease and line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.  The lining is important as this is a very damp cake: use parchment paper, heavy duty aluminum foil or one of those loaf-pan-shaped paper liners.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, with an electric hand-held mixer, then add the eggs and vanilla, beating well.  Next, fold in the melted and now slightly cooled chocolate, taking care to blend well but being careful not to overbeat.  You want the ingredients combined: you don’t want a lightly airy mass.  Then gently add the flour, to which you’ve added the baking soda, alternately spoon by spoon, with the boiling water until you have a smooth and fairly liquid batter.  

Pour the batter into the lined loaf pan.  Sprinkle the walnut pieces on top.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Turn the oven down to 325ºF and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.  The cake will still be a bit squidgy inside, so an inserted cake tester or skewer won’t come out completely clean. 

Place the loaf pan on a rack, and leave to get completely cold before turning it out.  (If you leave it for a day or so: like gingerbread, it improves.)  Don’t worry if it sinks in the middle: indeed, it will do so because it’s such a dense and damp cake.  

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

The bread pudding throwdown

Since Christmas is fast approaching, I thought that it would be a good idea to share with you more exciting recipes to add a twist to the holiday table.  Have you heard of the show Throwdown with Bobby Flay?  Maybe yes, maybe no.  Anyway… this is a hit show on Food Network where acclaimed chef Bobby Flay challenges absolute masters in different kinds of cooking – award-winning BBQers, bakers, pizza makers and more.  In each episode, one of these cooks thinks Food Network is shooting their profile for a show.  What they don’t know is that Bobby is going to drop in for a surprise visit and challenge them to an unexpected cook-off.  Well, this is a bread pudding throwdown.  

The first recipe is Giada De Laurentiis’ Berry Strata, a classic Italian dessert.  Originally, a strata (which means layers in Italian) consisted of a layer of custard, a layer of bread, a layer of custard, a layer of bread, and then you would bake it off.  This recipe, however, mixes all the ingredients together making the strata similar to a bread pudding, which is very easy to create.  This berry strata is so versatile because you can make it for breakfast or for dessert.  When you bake the strata, the outside turns golden-brown, while the inside stays moist and sweet. This modern version of a strata is just like bread pudding but creamier, silkier and fluffier.  The chunky berries make it colorful and the citrus flavor from the orange juice brightens everything up!     

Berry Strata

Adapted slightly from Berry Strata by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients:

·         2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

·         3 Tablespoons honey

·         4 large eggs, at room temperature

·         ½ cup ricotta cheese

·         3 Tablespoons sugar

·         1 cup whole milk

·         ¼ cup orange or lemon juice

·         4 slices of bread, such as white or sourdough bread, torn into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)

·         1 (12-ounce) bag frozen mixed berries, thawed and drained

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  Turn off the heat, add the honey, and stir to combine.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl beat the eggs with a fork.  Add the ricotta cheese and sugar and mix to combine.  Add the milk, orange or lemon juice, butter and honey mixture, and bread.  Stir to combine.  Gently fold in the berries.

Place the ingredients in a 10x8x2 inch baking dish.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours.  Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Bake the strata until golden on top and baked through, about 40-45 minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.  Spoon into dishes and serve.  

The second recipe is based on a dessert that chef Anita Lo serves at her New York restaurant, Annisa.  Anita Lo’s inventive recipes are inspired by her travels and multicultural upbringing, and they also reflect her classic French training.  Although, she likes to bring Asian ingredients to the holiday table, this recipe is more of a spin on the classic bread pudding.  This baked goodness is sweet, custardy, crunchy on top, and shot through with poppy seeds for a stunning visual and textural effect.  The pecans bring nuttiness, while the warn Amaretto sauce is just like velvety caramel bringing more sweetness and moisture to this superb dessert!       

Pecan and Amaretto Bread Pudding

Adapted from Pecan, Bourbon, and Butterscotch Bread Pudding (Bon Appétit, November 2011)

Serves: 10 servings

Ingredients for the Amaretto Sauce:

·         1 cup (packed) light brown sugar

·         ½ cup agave syrup

·         3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

·         1 ½ teaspoons salt

·         ½ cup heavy cream

·         1 Tablespoon Amaretto liquor (optional)

Ingredients for the Pudding:

·         1 pound day-old rustic white or sourdough bread, crusts removed, cut into ½ inch cubes (about 12 cups)

·         ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

·         2 Tablespoons, plus 1 ½ cups sugar

·         5 large eggs, at room temperature

·         4 cups heavy cream

·         1 ½ Tablespoons poppy seeds

·         Pinch of salt

·         3 Tablespoons Amaretto liquor

·         ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise

·         2 cups pecan pieces

Instructions for the Amaretto Sauce:

Bring the brown sugar, agave syrup, butter, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking to dissolve sugar.  Boil until mixture is syrupy and measures 1 1/3 cups, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat; add cream and Amaretto, if desired, and stir until smooth.  Let cool.  Do Ahead:  Can be made 3 days ahead.  Let cool completely, cover, and chill.  Rewarm before serving.  

Instructions for Pudding:

Toss bread, melted butter, and 2 Tablespoons sugar in a large bowl and set aside.  Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and remaining 1 ½ cups sugar in another large bowl until pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add cream, poppy seeds, and salt; beat to blend.  Place Amaretto in a small bowl; scrape in seeds from vanilla bean (reserve bean for another use).  Whisk to distribute seeds, then add to egg mixture, whisking to blend well.  Pour egg mixture over bread mixture in bowl.  Add pecans and toss to coat well.  Transfer mixture to a 13x9x2 inch glass or ceramic backing dish, spreading out in an even layer.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight. 

Preheat oven to 325°F.  Remove plastic wrap and bake until top is browned in spots and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 1 ¼ - 1 ½ hours.  Serve bread pudding with Amaretto sauce.  

These two different takes on the traditional bread pudding are tasty and easy to make.  However, at the end of the day, you’re the judge and you get to pick the winner of this bread pudding throwdown.  Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)