banana pancakes

This started out as something so non-chalant, and turned into a delightful re-discovery of sense memories from various parts of my life.

It all started when my friend Sadie made a facebook post about pancakes. Actually, a lot of her posts seem to be about pancakes, but this one eventually brought up banana pancakes. Like the theme to the Brady Bunch, it was now stuck in my head. When is the last time I made banana pancakes? More of cool weather cooking for me, and while Fall is definitely making some tease appearances, it's still a bit warm.  Still ... banana pancakes...


At this point, we jump into the way-back machine. I grew up in Vermont, and from a fairly young age, my mother encouraged me to play in the kitchen. In fact, some days I was allowed to literally do that, play around and make what ever I thought might be good. Sometimes, my family, or at least my mom, might even taste it. While I created some seriously inedible concoctions, some that were probably lucky not to combust, the experience taught me not to be afraid to play around. Later experiments taught me to learn the basics, so I knew better how to play around. Kind of like learning scales before you scat. Or learning the grammar before you learn all the cool bad words in another language.  


The reason this flashback hit me as I stood in the kitchen contemplating banana pancakes, is that as I consulted my favorite pancake recipe (Ginny Callan's 'Horn of the Moon' cookbook, from the Cafe that is sadly no longer in Montpelier, VT), I realized that I was missing several key ingredients listed in any of the pancake recipes listed. My first inclination was, maybe I don't make banana pancakes today. Oh, but I must. So I conjured my inner 10 year old determination and decided I would just work around those little issues. I had flour, baking powder, soda, various sweeteners, fats and liquids. Something will work out. That, and while I love LOVE cookbooks and collect them, both vintage and contemporary, and read them like novels, I consider the actual recipes to be helpful suggestions shared by others who have loved to play in the kitchen. Sometimes I actually follow them.  Sometimes...


The short list of subs: no sour cream, so I softened from chevre. No milk, so I pureed some ripe bananas (these are, after all, banana pancakes). No syrup, so I made a bit of simple syrup and cooked down some peaches, figs, and candied ginger. A couple of other tweaks that are hopefully noted clearly enough for me to try and replicate this, and suddenly I was cooking up banana pancakes.


And then again, maybe I don't need to make this exact batch again.  Now this harkens me back to days working in theater. The best, absolute best part of working on shows for me was that every performance was its own thing. A show could be extremely tight and consistent, but there was always something that only happened in that one performance, and even if nobody else noticed what it was, only a relatively small group of people shared in the experience. I loved that. I often carry on these kitchen improvs for other people, and of course being able to share the outcome makes it even better (except for that time the dough didn't rise and the breadsticks turned out to be WMD's). This time, it was just me, and that's ok. Although it is too bad that Sadie's not here to share some!

Eat Local Challenge: day 31

Wow - in so many ways I can hardly believe it's been a month of chronicling my Eat Local Challenge. It's been a lot of fun to focus on, yet I realize that pretty much every day I do very well on the Eat Local front, be it in the locally grown or raised groceries I am fortunate to have available at multiple markets and at my co-op, or be it in the form of the many wonderful local businesses who also work with other local businesses in creating and preparing delicious menus for those times I don't want to cook myself.


While the chronicle will end today, and we'll move on to other subjects (and maybe let some other folks have more to say), my co-op continues the Eat Local Challenge through September, so I'll keep getting my "local" card punched every time I shop. I'm happy to report that shining the light on local this month has confirmed that I have developed many habits that are based around seeking out and supporting my local farmers and small businesses, and I think that's better for my health and better for the economic health of my town. And that's downright sexy. Today was a day of running about, dashing into the studio for bouts of work interrupted by meetings and checking on the drooly dog still recovering from dental surgery. I munched on much in the way of local fare: figs from the tree, more leftovers and veggies from last weekend's markets, etc., but as I worked my way into the evening, I realized I had no signature "day 31" fare. 

braised beef & potato tamale with peach/jalapeno salsa from
Bandido's Burritos, accompanied by a cool Payne's Pale Ale from The Wedge.

Luckily, my sweet friend Melissa helped me solve that problem!  She works at one of our many acclaimed local brewery/pubs, The Wedge, and she put a call out for (of all things) a cup of coffee.  I was headed back to the studio to wrap things up for the night and The Wedge is along the way, so I grabbed a cup and took it to her.  In return, she treated me to one of my favorites, our locally brewed Payne's Pale Ale.  While I was catching up with her at the bar and realizing that I was hungry for dinner, I learned one of my favorite local eateries, Bandito's Burritos, was vending from a food cart in the parking lot.  Moments later I was back at the bar with a braised beef and potato tamale, moist, hot, and spicy, still wrapped in the banana leaf in which it was cooked. Add a little local peach/jalapeno salsa to that and I had just the right amount of spice to compliment my cool Pale Ale. So good I got another one for lunch at the studio tomorrow.


What better way to cap off the month?!

Eat Local Challenge: day 30

This chronicle of my Eat Local Challenge was going to go out with a bang, as I was planning to attend the Endless Summer Market Supper that followed the closing of the West Asheville Tailgate today. Instead, it's something of a whimper as sweet pup who usually sits at my chair trying to levitate food off the plate and onto the floor had to go in for some dental work today. He is not enjoying the post-op experience, so I'm home with him. I'm sure there will be pictures posted of the incredible Mediterranean meal being put together by some incredible chefs, so I'll cover that in a later blog. Maybe my last minute facebook plea will see a plate of leftovers at my door later...


At home and between bouts of very sad whimpers from the pup who just can't seem to let himself fall asleep, I came up with dinner:

I had leftover stuffing from last night's empanada's, plus an extra roasted butternut squash, so I re-heated/roasted them together and added a simple salad of avocado (from Florida, closest I could get) and tomato (second one from my plant - woohoo!) with sea salt.  I made a nice little cocktail by blending the last of a market watermelon with some garden basil and tequila (the dog gets tramadol, I get tequila!), and it was all quite good!

Check out the Tailgate's facebook page for pictures from the Supper

Eat Local Challenge: day 29

The fig tree is really pumping out figs now, and I've been having a great time playing with a variety of uses. I may test my way right out of the batch of preserves or chutney I planned to make, but it will be fun and tasty along the way!

Tonight's fun was with mini 'empanada/ravioli' treats (empanoli?). Empanada in theory, ravioli in design. The dough was made using organic Carolina grown whole wheat flour, which is now happily available at the co-op. The filling is a base layer of leeks, shallots, fennel, prosciutto, butternut squash, tart apples and rosemary, with fig slivers placed on top.  


The leeks, shallots, and fennel were sweated down slowly, the squash was roasted till just tender before adding to the mix, the prosciutto was finely chopped, and the apples were added after the mix was cooked to maintain texture. The figs were placed on top of the mix as each empanada was filled and formed. The individually treated elements meld nicely for good flavor and texture, with just the rosemary, some salt and a slight drizzle of aged balsamic for seasoning. 


What started out as looking for another way to use the figs has given me something I'll continue to play with into the fall and winter. With cooler weather on the way, I'm already thinking about other combinations and variations for fillings - this one's a keeper!

Eat Local Challenge: day 28

Enjoying lovely pre-fall breezes and cooler morning temps this Sunday morning, listening to the news of the storm moving up the East Coast and hoping all in the path and in the wake are faring well.


I stopped by the tailgate to pick up my favorite baguette from Simple Bread yesterday, and they had a special offering of English Muffins - perfect for this cooler morning with a little Oakmoon honeyed chevre, some freshly picked figs and market peaches. Dynamite Roasting Company cuppa rounds it out nicely.

Eat Local Challenge: day 27

I had great plans and dreams for a home garden this year, but a variety of distractions and delays resulted in me getting only a small but lovely spiral garden established. The plot I tilled for the raised bed has already grown over, but I still have plans for getting some greens planted for the cooler season.

a look at the spiral garden in late spring, when I just added the tomato plant
to my basils, sage, thyme, parsley, chives, lavender, and strawberries.

The spiral garden was intended mainly for herbs, but one day I was at a tailgate, and looking at all the beautiful vegetable starters I knew I wouldn't be planting I decided that at LEAST I had to have one tomato plant. And so the garden has herbs going very well, and my one tomato plant. I was so proud when it grew past the rings on the support, and even happier when it started blossoming. And then, a tomato. For the longest time, it was just the one, but by the time I picked #1 (this morning), I was able to pick it's sibling #2 and have two, maybe three, in the wings. I have farmed.

picked this morning from the back 40 (inches, that is) -
tastes like summer!

I've been enjoying some beautiful and delicious heirloom tomatoes from friends and from the tailgates, but today's lunch of just the tomato, sliced thickly and sprinkled with sea salt, accompanied by my favorite Simple Bread baguette, was one of the best things I've ever eaten.

Eat Local Challenge: day 26

The end of the week and a busy day between errands and work, so it was mainly munching on green beans, various tidbits of leftovers tossed together and a nice jar of juiced fruit and veg. All of which has already been seen here in some form or another during this month, so for today's Local Food highlight, I bring you something from one of my very favorite local spots.


The French Broad Chocolate Lounge is the love child of Dan and Jael Rattigan, and it's more than just another local small business. It (they) embody the true spirit of local, be it with their support of local farmers (and, in full disclosure, artists, like me) or be it with their support of the local economy further by paying their employees a living wage. And there's so much more to them, but if you want to get the full picture and you can't go to the Lounge directly, start by reading their manifesto. And then get yourself to the Lounge as soon as possible.


And to the delight of this dairy-intolerant chocoholic, there are endless selections of dairy-free delights. Their vegan truffle collection (the buddha) is crazy good, featuring locally sourced ingredients when ever possible. And then there's the Theros Chocolate Cake (using the olive oil I love), macaroons, liquid truffle emulsions with coconut milk or maybe their house-made almond milk. And that's just the chocolate - there's so much more, but if I go into too much more detail, I'll have to get in my car and go there, then I would never finish this post.


All that being said, because everything they make is done so with extreme care, talent, creativity, quality ingredients, and most of all love, the foodie in me can't resist the occasional taste of something I wouldn't normally eat because of dairy. As in many things in life, sometimes it's just worth it.

salted honey caramel - dark

The salted honey caramel in dark chocolate with sea salt has a permanent spot on the "worth it" list. They're the perfect size for the occasional decadence, and every single bite, chew and savor of the melting chocolate and caramel mingling with salty goodness is a moment of bliss.  


I've spent time in their kitchen (a/k/a 'the happiest place on earth'), and in another post down the road, I'll take you there to see some of the magic behind the scenes. Until then...

realized too late that this was out of focus, and would have
taken another shot, but the truffle was lost in a
sudden bout of consumption.