A Slice of Paradise: Hawaiian Banana Bread

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Banana bread, like Zucchini Bread, is basically an excuse to eat cake for breakfast. Because of the addition of fruit, a slice of this bread can be justified at any time of day.

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I completely overlooked this article about Julia’s Banana Bread in the March issue of Bon Appétit until I saw it pop up on fellow hapa foodie Erica’s blog Cannella Vita. After reading her post, I rummaged through the magazine and read the article and was convinced to attempt the recipe.

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My family is from Maui and the first time we visited Hawai’i we made the trek down the road to Hana. I remember seeing this green shack, but didn’t know that it hid delicious treats. Next time I go to Maui (for my honeymoon!), I’ll be sure to stop by Julia’s to try some banana bread. My hometown, Pai’a, is the “last stop” on the way to Hana, so I have absolutely no excuse.

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This banana bread is a great slice of comfort in the cold, chilly mornings of Winter (when the recipe was originally posted in Bon Appétit), but it works equally as well on the sticky summer days we’ve been having recently.

I sprinkled the top of the bread with some raw sugar I picked up the last time I was in Hawai’i and added in some whole wheat flour to boost the healthiness so that it’s even easier to justify that second slice. The bread looks even more inviting on this tie-died, honu printed sarong I picked up from Pai’a when we were there last.

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Julia's Banana Bread

By nicole Published: August 13, 2013

  • Yield: 1 loaf
  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Cook: 60 mins
  • Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins

The original recipe, by Julia's Banana Bread Treehouse in Kahakuloa, can be found at Bon Appétit.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 1.5 lb loaf pan with nonstick spray.
  2. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk eggs, sugar, bananas, and oil in a large bowl until smooth.
  3. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and stir just until combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Sprinkle with raw sugar for extra crunch (optional).
  4. Bake until a tester inserted into the center of bread comes out clean, 60-70 minutes. If you decide to bake it in the smaller and more common 1lb sized pan, lower the temperature so that the bottom doesn't get overcooked (like mine did!)
  5. Transfer to a wire rack; let bread cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around inside of pan to release the bread. Turn out onto rack and let cool completely.

Foodie Penpals: June & July

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June

Our June Foodie Penpals package was from Stephanie in Utah!

Our mailmen had a little mishap getting the first package to us (we never got it, but she sent it) but Stephanie was so very nice to send us another one!

What we got was: calpico mango and white peach drinks, chocolate covered macadamia nuts, chocolate almond wafer rolls, butter coconut crackers, pineapple cakes and a cute cupcake note! The note card got a little wet so I couldn’t take a picture of it.

She especially shopped for us at her local Asian market. How could we ask for anything better? She chose to go there for “lots of fruity and sweet items…also, Calpico.” She tried every flavor and gave us her two favorites! I popped them in the fridge to get them cold and I’m saving a day to drink them.

She used to live in NY/NJ…we connected over how much we love the Asian selections over there. She lives near the biggest Asian supermarket in Utah! The pineapple cakes are her mom’s favorite, but apparently they come in different flavors! Our dad already devoured almost all of them, but he claims they’re like “island fig newtons” – count me in! I got to find some more.

Thanks Stephanie for our wonderful package!

Visit Stephanie’s cute blog at http://munchimunch.blogspot.com/

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July

Our July Foodie Pen Pals is from Melissa!

She lives in Northern Indiana, which is 2 miles south of Michigan – so it’s called “Michiana”! She sent us some great local treats.
She works just near the “largest chocolate store” – how cool!

What we got is: summer themed malted milk balls (lemon and orange), peanut butter and chocolate fudge dessert topping, some lavender hill farm spice mix (lavender, rosemary, thyme, savory, and marjoram), and a nice postcard.

The malted milk balls are a nice summer treat that I ate one already of! My dad likes the lemon ones and I like the orange ones. They’re fairly big, but nonetheless, good.

I tried the dessert topping warmed up on top of ice cream – it tastes more like peanut butter than chocolate but that’s fine with me. I like how some of the money goes to a local food shelter. I haven’t tried the spice mix yet, but it sounds interesting!

Thanks for our nice package, Melissa!

For more information on Foodie Penpals, follow the link below.

The Lean Green Bean

The “Hapa” Age of Reason

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My fiance (how weird to say that?!) and I recently returned from a vacation to Brooklyn & Philadelphia. One of the many souvenirs we brought back were these ‘Elemakule Tiki Bitters from a shop called Whisk. They are quickly becoming our new favorite add-in to new and tried-n-true cocktails. Last weekend Dan whipped up this refreshing drink using some shiso I snagged from our pitstop in New Jersey’s Mitsuwa Market on the way from New York to Philly. Shiso is nearly impossible to find in the DC area, so I always bring some back whenever I can go to a Japanese-centric mart. Unfortunately, since it’s so precious I want to keep it for something special and often times it ends up going bad!

Make this “hapa” version of a drink called the “Age of Reason“–hopefully it will help you survive the current heat wave and kick-off the weekend right.

 

The “Hapa” Age of Reason Recipe

By nicole Published: July 19, 2013

  • Yield: 1 cocktail

Make this "hapa" version of a drink called the "Age of Reason"--hopefully it will help you survive the current heat wave and kick-off the weekend right.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Smack the shiso leaf in the palm of your hand, shred it into small pieces. Shake for 30-45 seconds. Garnish with more shiso if desired. Serve in a chilled coupe glass.

PYO at Hartland Orchards: Blueberry Coffee Cake

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In 2011 we tried our hand at a “pick your own” orchard. This was not our first time–we had picked apples at an orchard before, but this time we went in the summer to get some peaches and blueberries. Something about picking your own fruit makes it taste so much better.

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Each time we make the decision to head out west to the part of Virginia where these farms are, we try to pick a different one. I want to be able to compare the different orchards and offerings to decide which one I like best, so that I can spread the love when find “our” place.

We’re still on the search for a perfect place. Last year we went to a place that had blackberries, peppers, and squash, but we got a flat tire on the way back, so that soured it a bit for us.

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We also picked a peck of peaches (say that 10 times fast!). Most of the peaches were eaten as-is and I gifted some to my mom since it’s her favorite fruit. I also made a horrendous peach “cobbler” with some of the peaches. I’ll spare you that anecdote.

But, these blueberries. These blueberries were small, firm, tart, and after a quick wash, they didn’t need any more adornment or modification. But they were screaming to be made into what could be called our household’s favorite treat: Blueberry Coffee Cake.

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This cake is soft and moist and just the right balance of tart and sweet. The crunchy, sugar-y topping is what makes it perfect though. I snagged a copy of this recipe from my mother-in-law and taped it into our recipe book. It’s been time-tested and proclaimed “excellent!” time and time again. This sure is a delicious way to get your daily dose of fruits.

We usually make this for Dan’s birthday since he doesn’t like traditional cakes. But, to be honest, we make this any chance we get! It goes well in the morning with a cuppa tea or coffee, but also holds it own with ice cream or whipped cream for a light yet satisfying dessert.

You can add some red berries and really make this a red-white-and blue affair to celebrate the 4th of July! I’ve made this same recipe and subbed the blueberries with blackberries, peaches, rhubarb, or even frozen mixed berries; they are all delicious renditions.

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Excellent Blueberry Coffee Cake

By nicole Published: July 3, 2013

  • Yield: 1 8x8 (16 Servings)
  • Prep: 15 mins
  • Cook: 45 mins
  • Ready In: 60 mins

This recipe has been in my family for many years. Its xeroxed copy has "Excellent!" written all over it, and it definitely is. You can sub-out any fruit for the blueberries and it will be equally delicious (blackberry, peach, and rhubarb are all very good).

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add egg and milke. Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Gently fold in berries and pour into a greased 8 or 9 inch square baking dish.
  4. Combine topping ingredients (cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, flour) and spread over batter. I find it easiest to mix and distribute the topping with my fingers.
  5. Bake 45-50 minutes.

Thai X-ing

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This review of Thai X-ing is a good companion to my review of Little Serow. It is also the first (and so far only) BYOB I’ve been to in the District.

I had heard rave reviews about the Salmon Pumpkin Curry, so when I called 2 weeks in advance to secure a reservation I meant to ask if it was still on the menu. I left a voicemail and followed up a few times before I got a call back a few days in advance. I confirmed the curry was available and showed up to our Saturday reservation with empty stomachs and cold wine.

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At first I thought we were lost, but the converted home in the middle of a residential street really does house this sought after restaurant. The interior and exterior were decorated like a well-loved Asian Mother-in-Law’s home. At first it was distracting, but it really served to transport us. I felt like I was zipped to the other side of the world, especially since most dishes were served on bright green leaves and the sunlight was pouring in through a large window. The staff shouting to each other over their walkie talkies–ahem–added to the “atmosphere.”

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The menu changes seasonally so it will always be a bit different. The price and menu type also change depending on what day of the week you choose. We started with a sausage-stuffed cucumber soup, a spicy and sour chicken larb, a refreshing green papaya salad, and rice.

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We were then served 3 courses in quick succession – pork in green curry, fried string beans and chicken pad see ew. 

All of the flavors were very well balanced and complementary. They had a brightness, freshness, and complexity that I find lacking in my local casual Thai restaurants. They were also easier to eat and enjoy than the extreme-ness that I experienced at Little Serow.

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Our meal ended with a simple but satisfying mango sticky rice. We hadn’t finished the salmon curry and the chef was nice enough to pack up our leftovers and even gave me some extra curry sauce when I proclaimed how delicious it was.

For $45 a person, this is a unique experience that you can’t have anywhere else in DC and I highly recommend you visit there soon. It’s more fun and exotic than many of the drab downtown pre-theatre menus with the same price!

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