What did I cook this weekend.....

I detest anything banana. I understand they are super healthy and i keep trying them hoping that i will start to like them. Just the smell makes me gag.

 

I like them just fine, but I find sometimes eating them makes me taste them for hours afterward.

But I only eat ripe bananas. I know people who eat them half green and I can't understand how they don't get the shts from it. From what I've heard unripe bananas have stuff in them that is not easy to digest. Plus they have a tartness that I dislike.

I haven't made a banana pie in a LONG time! banana Ice Cream (Ala, Alton brown) was on the agenda at one time. I even had them frozen in the freezer, but then someone accidentally set the fridge to DEMO mode and it LOOKED like it was one, but in reality a lot of stuff was thawed. Bananas were a loss. Luckily for me we didn't have anything expensive in there at the time.

 

Bananas are an either way thing with me. I like them when the stem portion is still kinda greenish and there isnt a lot of black marking on the peel. You must avoid the banananus (the bottom 1/2 inch) though. And when they are actually ripe, I prefer to peel them, put a little lemon juice on them and wrap in saran wrap and freeze. Not a huge fan otherwise.

 

I like them ripe. They are too ripe when I can taste alcohol.

 

My MIL used to saute plantains & serve them in a pineapple sauce similar to what outback serves with their coconut shrimp.

 

A couple restaurants around here serve fried plantain chips. Sooooo good.

 

Check the ethnic foods section of your local grocery store. Usually you can find bags of them.

 

I like bananas ok. Mostly ripe to all the way ripe.I just detest anything artificially banana flavored.

 

Sorry I couldn't resist the dancing nana .

 

Bananas and plantains, huh? I like bananas okay...just barely ripe to just getting speckled. Great sliced into cereal. After a little browning, I might stick them in the fridge, but always forget about them for months. SWMBO's favorite ice cream is banana, but not with other stuff added, like banana split or banana pudding flavors. Plain banana ice cream is actually really hard to find. BTW, from which end do you peel? I recently switched.

Plantains...I like and have made tostones. I actually have a tostones press, but have only used it a couple of times. The ones on some of the plates that have appeared in some @Remmy pics in the Alkie thread recently from Puerto Rico are good too...boiled/baked? I don't know, but I've had 'em and they're good! Still need to try mofongo.

 

Hmm ... There's a great Mexican grocery store right across the street from one of the best beer places in town. Looks like I'm heading over that way tonight!

 

I love bananas and I love artificially flavored banana candy like grunts and especially laughy taffy and I love banana Popsicles I could eat an entire box if I let myself.

 

Love banana flavor, texture is another thing. use them almost every morning in a smoothie.
Testones, love them!

 

Costco has huge organic bananas on the green side. The misses likes them on the greener side and I like them on the yellower side, so a bunch works out well throughout a week.

 

I like fresh, ripe bananas, but can't stand them in things like pie, ice cream, cereal, candy, etc...
I avoid anything banana flavored that isn't a banana.
Regards, GF.

 

I'm that way about chocolate...love chocolate, but not generally chocolate flavored things like ice cream, cakes, pie, etc. I do like chocolate milk and milkshakes (with malt...and maybe a frozen banana thrown in!).

 

Quick tip.

Buy two bunches of bananas. One bunch just about ripe so you can eat them right away. Buy a second bunch kind of green so they will be ripe when the first bunch is eaten.

 

Tonight I'm making beer cheese broccoli soup, and Zuppa Toscana (ala Olive Garden).

Making bread bowls tomorrow for guests.

Friends are bringing Chicken Ceasar Salad and Homemade Cheesecake.

A good time will be had by all.

Now to pick a homebrew that will go good in the cheese soup...

 

I've even used a lightly hopped pale ale in beer-cheese-broccoli soup. Or a lager with decent flavor to it so it stands out lightly with the other flavors. A pale ale with less citrusy hops works well.

 

I do have a lager that isn't great. Not bad at all, just not good for the kind of lager I wanted.

Also have:

Belgian Golden Strong Ale (not using that)
Dry Stout
Saison (this might be ok...)
Amber Ale (Or THIS!)
Witbier (JUST carbed. Probably drink this while cooking...)
Imperial Chocolate Stout
Bourbon version Choc Stout
Various store bought beers...

I wonder if I have any Big Red Coq left...

 

I'd go with the Amber ale...

 

I'M kind of sentimental and was thinking the other day about both my grandparents' recent passings and the fact that my son was born so shortly after they passes (man they would have loved him). Now that SessionableGoodness is eating some solid foods I thought I'd give him something she always gave me when I was that little. Pastina, parmesan cheese, a little butter and an egg yolk.

Not ashamed to say I had tears in my eyes when he did his cobra impression and started attacking the spoon after the first taste. Grandma would have been thrilled.

 

Amber ale sounds good to me too.

 

I just threw 8 fat boneless chicken thighs into a Greek marinade in a FoodSaver marinator, pulled a vacuum on it, and stuck it in the fridge.

Later, will grill up those babies and slice and serve atop a nice garden salad - mixed spring greens, baby spinach, green onions, radishes, cucumber, cauliflower, broccoli, artichoke hearts, sweet cherry tomatoes, some bleu cheese crumbles, and a homemade Greek vinaigrette.

I think our nice Red Hook clone will go well with it!

 

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quesadilla burgers

 

About to cook a ribeye, medium rare and delivery it to by grandbaby-mamma. She hasn't been able to eat less than medium well during pregnancy, so now it's time to enjoy steak again...with yukon potato/cauliflower mash, and glazed sweet and sour ginger carrots.

 

Well...didn't get pics of the ribeye, but here's MY dinner: mozzarella stuffed Italian burger with meat sauce.

 

Lamb candy. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1429402290.380566.jpg View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1429402319.115185.jpg View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1429402340.145417.jpg

 

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Lamb lollipops!
Perfect medium rare.
YUM!

 

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Well, I used the Amber Ale in some cheese soup and I used some of my newer cheese too. It wasn't nearly as good as the last batch.

Hate to say it, but I think the Amber Ale ruined it.

I ended up freezing it, because while it wasn't the best, and therefore not suitable for guests, it was still edible.

The second batch with my first cheese and NO beer was much better. I don't think I've had a beer cheese soup that I thought was better than just cheese soup.

 

Well, so much for amber sounding good. My bad,...I thought it would lend a lil maltiness to the soup. It seems the lager might've been better, as that's the commonly used style.

 

Jumbo prawn spaghetti, Fusili tuna salad and moza tomato salad

 

Thursday I grilled bay scallops and shrimp, along with carrots and peapods. Saturday I smoked ribs while SWMBO broiled asparagus and made these really cool potato string things. Sunday I grilled swordfish steaks and beans and SWMBO made some baked home fries. We ate pretty well this weekend.

 

Photos, people, photos.

Asparagus and entrecote steaks in the new Grillsteri!

 

What is the purpose of the double grate?
Regards, GF.

 

Made burgers & fries for my oldest son's birthday yesterday (the multi-handicapped one). Seasoned the burgers with a combination of essence ingredients. Just changed the ingredient amounts.
2TBSP onion powder
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp kosher sea salt
1TBSP chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2tsp cumin
1/2tsp oregeno
Sprinkle on both sides of burgers while they cook. Also made thinly sliced mushrooms with bell pepper & green onions.
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced thin & chopped into 3-4 equal length pieces
6 green onions, white part sliced thin, green part 1" pieces
1 8oz package mushrooms, sliced thin
Saute in pan with butter & a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Place a good soup spoon of the veggies on top of the now done burgers on a sheet pan. Place pepper jack cheese over that & melt in 375F oven 2 minutes. Serve with thin-sliced beefsteak tomato & lettuce. Condiments your choice. I also served coyote68's brown ale malt vinegar for the fries. Nice tang with a good slightly lemon/golden brown sort of flavor! Forgot the last couple pics during prep though...Maybe next Monday I'll make'em again for youngest son's birthday?

 

moved to bread topic

 

It's got a long handle and makes grilling 50 pieces of asparagus a real easy task. Ever try to grill asparagus before?