Foot and Fire

Hahaha! The title is a scam just for fun. I am writing about what I was eating during my month-long vacation in the Big Apple. Well, I can say that I liked what I ate all throughout.  I disliked what I had only on three occasions: I don't like the bread used in the sandwich of Nathan's Cart as well as in The Met cafe. While both are in New York City, the only proper eatery I disliked was in DC where I had Chinese noodles and dumplings in the only-open restaurant at 10 am and the best according to the bills posted on its door. I started this blog with what I didn't like so you won't think that I am no picky eater, and that I have no discriminating palate given that I liked almost everything even the neighborhood Colombian food. Let me group the food I had and let me walk you through the memory lane of my gustatory delight sans the elaborated plating and expensive ambiance.   1. ITALIAN Carnegie Diner and Cafe Having jet-lag is never good as the appeti...

Kombo nga Saging or Banana Fritters Ripe saba variety banana, peeled and cubed 2 cups flour 1/2 cup brown sugar plus a handful for dusting 1 tsp baking powder (optional) 1 egg (optional) 1.5 cups water Canola Oil for frying. In a bowl, except for bananas and oil, mix all ingredients. Stir well until free of lumps. Add the cubed banana. Fry about 1/3 cup of mixture by batch in oil. Serve hot with a sprinkle of sugar.

Wet ingredients About 8 overripe bananas (500 grams), mashed 1 cup brown sugar 1 1/3 cup olive oil (or canola oil) 2 tsp cinnamon powder (or vanilla extract) Dry Ingredients 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 cup oatmeal 2 tsp baking powder Chopped macadamia nuts (any nuts or raisins will do) Combine all wet ingredients in a deep bowl Combine all dry ingredients in another bowl Add small amount at a time the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Mix well. Add the chopped nuts. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes. Makes 16 medium-sized cupcakes

With no much ado, I am immortalizing the pasalubongs here by photographing them (Of course, they're wiped out long before this post): From Up to Down: Pineapple from Polomolok, banana from Tampakan, Asparagus and dried fish bought from KCC Mall in Koronadal City, durian candies from Davao City, Eagle Kite we bought outside the Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City, T-shirts bought at Aldevingco Mall, Bling-blings courtesy of a friend in Tampakan and Pomelo from one of the many stands in Davao City. ***

Strawberries. *** Grapes. *** Grapes, Banana, Guavas. *** Bananas, strawberries, Guavas. *** Banana *** Not a pomelo, I'm sure. *** Jackfruit crossbred with Marang. The peelings look like jackfruit but it peels like marang. The smooth texture in the mouth is marang while the smell is jackfruit. Awesome best of both world. ***  Papaya and Guavas *** Papayas. *** Must be sugarcane wrapped in some dry leaves? ***

*I baked these squares some time ago and I will try my best to remember the proportions I have used here. 3 cups flour 3 tsp baking powder 3 cups sugar a pinch of salt 3 eggs 1 1/2 cup banana syrup (made from banana and sugar) 1 1/2 cup canola oil *For simple banana cake I added raisins *For chocolate banana cake I melted some chocolate and spread on top of the banana squares... Mix all dry ingredients. add the egg and oil a few amount each time and mix until the batter is free from lumps. Bake at 350 F temperature.

A bunch of bananas and a left-over chocolate:  Banana split (a name insisted by my nephew). *** A quick dessert. Peel 12 small bananas and pour some chocolate syrup.  Serve with a Smile.  *** Yummy and gone in seconds Banana and chocolate are like soul mates, very compatible. ***

I have a small bowl of chocolate in the fridge, a left-over from the chocolate fountain we served during the last birthday of my nephew. I also have small green bananas (balangon variety) hanging in our clothesline to ripen. So, an idea sparked: make a chocolate and banana cake. Since the banana is not over ripe, i did not mash it but instead, sliced it. For this recipe, I used the the following proportion times three. I churned out three 9 x 6 pans with 1 inch thick cake I cut into squares. So for a small pan, here is the proportion.... 2 cups sifted flour 1T baking powder 2 pcs chicken eggs 1 cup milk or water 1/2 cup canola oil (or may use butter/margarine) 1/2 cup sugar (or more if desired) 1 cup sliced banana (or mashed, if desired and I used a lot of this in this recipe)  1/4 cup chocolate syrup (or melted chocolate of choice) To melt chocolate from the fridge, I boil water in a small deep pan and place a stainless bowl of top of the pan. This will slowly melt the chocolate a...