Cooking

Banana Ketchup

Cooking

Banana Ketchup! Say what? The husband is at it again. He shared with me another interesting topic. Banana Ketchup.

According to Wikipedia, Banana Ketchup is a Philippine fruit ketchup that is made from mashed bananas, sugar, vinegar, and spices. It is naturally brownish-yellow in color but is often colored red to resemble the tomatoe ketchup we are familiar with. Banana Ketchup was first produced during World War II in the Phillipines. Bananas were used instead of tomatoes because of their abundance in the Philippines.

As I am partial to bananas I decided to try making banana ketchup from scratch. Here is the recipe I used…

Pelago’s House-Made Banana Ketchup

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 1 tablespoon chopped shallot
  • 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
  • 2 ounces tomato paste
  • 4 bananas (Saba if possible)
  • 2 ounces white vinegar
  • 2 ounces water
  • 4 ounces brown sugar
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Sweat garlic, shallot and ginger for 5 minutes.
  2. Add tomato paste and cook for another minute.
  3. Deglaze with vinegar and water.
  4. Add brown sugar and bananas; cook for 10 minutes.
  5. Puree mixture until smooth, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Recipe from: http://www.foodrepublic.com/2015/09/02/banana-ketchup-the-philippines-answer-to-a-lack-of-tomatoes/

My take on banana ketchup…

I cut the above recipe in half and it made about 10.5 ounces of ketchup. This was more than enough! I served the banana ketchup with hamburgers. It was good but sweet. I think that the banana ketchup would go better not as a ketchup per say, but as a sauce. I can picture making beef ribs and using the banana ketchup as a kind of barbecue sauce on the ribs and serving it on top of rice. This sounds really good to me. As for on a hamburger, I would prefer mayo. On French fries…probably not. It is made with bananas so it does taste of banana. Having said this, anything that would taste good with fruit might be a good possibility. Chicken, pork, and shrimp could be good candidates. I think I will try some of the leftovers as a dip for fried shrimp…

Give banana ketchup a try; and be sure to let me know what recipe it was used with. As always, Happy cooking!

My Take on… Gordon Ramsay’s 24 HRS To Hell and Back

Cooking

Season 3 of Chef Gordon Ramsay’s television show, 24 HRS To Hell and Back, aired last night and was it ever an eye-opener. Think a restaurant has to be clean and serve fresh food to stay open? Think again! After viewing an episode of 24 HRS To Hell and Back one may never want to eat out again.

The mission of Chef Ramsay in his show is to go “undercover” to a restaurant, taste the food, and then bring the lack of quality to the attention of all the diners in the restaurant. He then tells the diners to come back in 24 hours for a much improved experience. In the mean time, he gives the management and staff 24 hours to turn the restaurant around with help from himself and his staff. Chef Ramsay lets the staff know what needs to be changed in order to save their restaurant.

In the semi-truck that houses Chef Ramsay’s traveling kitchen, his chefs train the cooks at the restaurant how to prepare a new menu that has been made by Chef Ramsay. The wait staff is busy cleaning and gutting out the dinning area. Re-painting and decorating to make up-to-date changes to the restaurant. The kitchen is also being cleaned from top to bottom.

Chef Ramsay helps management see the changes needed to be made in order to have a functioning restaurant. He points out what is wrong and how to fix it, and he means business. If the changes are made and the restaurant keeps up with the new agenda, hopefully, the restaurant will be able to turn it’s self around and be profitable.

With the amount of filth in the kitchen, the disgusting sanitation habits, and the expired food that was being served in the restaurant on last nights episode, I may never eat out again! It was beyond GROSS! It really makes one wonder what is going on in the kitchen…

As a fan of Chef Gordon Ramsay, I would have to say this show is worth a view. Also, good for you Chef Ramsay, for helping these restaurants turn themselves around. My only question is…How are these restaurants remaining open and where are the health inspectors? I think I’ll be dining in tonight. Bon Appetit!

How to Clean a Toaster

Cooking

Making toast is messier than one might think. I guess the action of popping the toast out of the toaster helps shed a few crumbs. Over time the crumbs can build up.

Toasters can be cleaned by emptying the little crumb tray at the bottom of the toaster. However, not all the crumbs are kind enough to make their way onto the crumb tray. Some like to stay stuck to the bottom of the toaster. Turning the toaster upside down and giving it a good shake will dislodge a few more of these crumbs, however, the really stubborn ones hang on for dear life. What to do? It is a narrow space and a long tool is required.

First off, unplug the toaster. Next, wrap a paper towel around a pencil or kabob stick and secure with a rubber band. Now this little cleaning tool can be used to reach down to the bottom of the toaster and dislodge those stubborn crumbs who could not be shook out.

Place pencil in folded paper towel
Wrap the pencil in paper towel and secure with a rubber band
DIY Cleaning Tool
Using the tool to clean inside the toaster

The outside of the toaster can be shinned up as well with a little white vinegar. For the metal parts, use a little cream of tartar and water made into a paste and use a non-abrasive scrubber to buff out any residue. Voila! The toaster is as good as new!

All shined up!

My Take on The Sharper the Knife the Less You Cry

Book Reviews, Cooking

I found the book The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn when searching the cook book shelves at the library. It looked interesting so I picked it up. From then on it was hard to put down.

The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry is a memoir of Kathleen’s journey to Paris after being let go from her job in London. Encouraged by her boyfriend, Kathleen enrolls in the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris to fulfill a life long dream. It reads like episodes from Master Chef. Also entwined in the book are her daily adventures of being an American in Paris, learning the French language, outings and entertaining friends, and life with her boyfriend Mike. She includes recipes as well. So the book is also a cookbook.

I found the book entertaining and really enjoyed sitting down to read it. It’s the kind of book I hated to see come to an end. I should also mention that Kathleen Flinn has a background in journalism, so the book is well written. If a fan of cooking, cooking shows, Paris, or just want to learn a bit about how Le Cordon Bleu works, this book fits the bill. Bon Appetit!

Baked Alaska Cupcakes

Cooking

I have a bucket list of items I want to try and make in the kitchen. Baked Alaska was on that list. It was one of the intimidating, challenging items on my list. How can ice cream be baked? Will I end up with ice cream soup? How will we eat the whole thing before it melts?

The answer was simple. Start small. I found that Baked Alaska can be made in cupcake form. Brilliant! The recipe I was looking at called for a box mix cake. I do not do box mix cakes. The family does not prefer them, and to be quite honest, I do not see the point in buying a mix if I have all the ingredients to make a cake from scratch. It is not any harder to make and it tastes better. Also, we did not need 24 cupcakes, only 3. So, I decided to make three Baked Alaska cupcakes.

First I made the cupcake batter and filled the cupcake papers in a muffin tin. I let these cool on a wire rack. Next, I placed them into a freezer safe container and then scooped ice cream on top. Into the freezer they went for a couple of hours.

I preheated my oven to 450 degrees F while making the meringue. Then I took the cupcakes out of the freezer and popped them back into the muffin tin and spread the meringue over the top.

I popped them in the oven for 2 minutes, until the meringue browned.

Then the Baked Alaska cupcakes were plated, brought to the table, and devoured.

The results were good. The family liked these tasty treats. My husband wished that I had made more. So the next time I made a bigger batch. Another successful attempt in the test kitchen. Happy baking!

To make the Baked Alaska Cupcakes:

  • Make cupcakes using paper cupcake liners (any flavor/any recipe – I used chocolate)
  • Ice Cream (any flavor – Again I used chocolate)
  • Meringue – to cover 6-12 cupcakes: 2 egg whites/ 1/4 tsp cream of tartar/ 3/4 tsp vanilla/ 1/3 cup sugar

Make cupcakes and let cool on wire rack. When cool scoop ice cream on top leaving a little border around the edge and place in freezer safe container. Freeze for at least two hours. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Beat egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Slowly add in the sugar until stiff peaks form. Take cupcakes out of freezer and place back into the muffin tin. With a knife, spread the meringue gently around the ice cream being sure to seal around the top of cupcake. Pop in the oven for 2-3 minutes. The tops should be light brown in color and firm. DO NOT over bake as the ice cream will melt. Remove from oven and plate and serve promptly. Enjoy!

Celebrating My 100th Post on Another Day With Julie!

Cooking, life

Today is my 100th post on Another Day With Julie! My children did not think I would keep it up. I think my daughter was amazed I got any followers at all. However, it has been about five months and I am still posting. I have tried to keep my blog a positive one and hopefully a helpful one as well. I would like to thank all my amazing followers! I am going to celebrate this milestone by making a cake. Care to join me? The recipe follows…

Buttermilk-Chocolate Cake

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • cooking spray
  • Chocolate Glaze
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Beat sugar, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 5 minutes). Add egg whites and egg, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine buttermilk, water, and baking soda. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour into a 9″ round cake pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Spread glaze over cake. Yield: 9 servings.

Chocolate Glaze:

  • 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
  • 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
  • 2 Tbsp 1% low-fat milk
  • 1/2 tsp butter or margarine, melted
  • 1/2 tsp light-colored corn syrup
  1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Yield: 3/4 cup.

Calories 295 (21% from fat); Fat 7g (sat 1.8g, mono 2.6g, poly 1.8g); Protein 5.1g; Carb 53.6g; Fiber 0g; Chol 25mg; Iron 2.4mg; Sodium 274mg; Calc 82mg

(This was a reader recipe by Carol Hook from Cooking Light Magazine.)

The only changes I made to the recipe were…

  1. I do not usually have cake flour on hand so I made my own cake flour substitute. To do this I took 3 Tbsp of flour out of the recipe and in it’s place added 3 Tbsp of corn starch. I then put the flour/cornstarch mixture through a sifter and voila!
  2. I do not usually have buttermilk on hand either. So to the milk I added a 1/4 tsp of lemon juice.
  3. In order to have cakes come perfectly out of pans without sticking I do not choose to use cooking spray. Instead, I cut a circle of wax paper to fit the bottom of the pan. In this case a nice 9″ circle. Then I spread shortening around the side of the pan and with a spoon put a good spoonful of flour in the pan. I then shake the flour around the side of the pan to cover the shortening. Next I place the wax paper circle in the bottom of the pan. The cake batter is then poured directly on top of the wax paper. When the cake has cooled, it will easily come out of the pan and the wax paper can be peeled off and thrown away.
  4. I decided to add chopped macadamia nuts around the side of the cake to be fancy and add a little texture.
My cake
A slice

My family liked this cake. I loved the fact that it looked nice but was super simple to make. The chocolate glaze was the perfect amount for the cake and was the EASIEST frosting I have ever made. It whisked together beautifully with a hand whisk. No mixer required. It was also very easy to spread. Being a single layer cake, it was not too heavy yet satisfied my sweet tooth.

Again, THANKS for following and as always, Happy Baking!

Spotlight on Recipes

Cooking, Projects

As I have grown older, I have found reading my recipes a bit more challenging. No, I do not need a new pair of eye glasses. My glasses are fine. That is not the problem at all. The problem is poor kitchen lighting.

The overhead lighting is not sufficient for reading recipes. Think of it like an office. One uses a desk lamp along with the overhead lighting. Hence, under cabinet lighting is the kitchen’s desk lamp.

With a simple request to my hubby, he was off to the hardware store. He came back with three under cabinet lights that plug in. I thought that would take up a lot of my outlets. Where would I plug in the mixer? He quickly educated me on electrical terms. Ever hear of the daisy chain? Me neither! According to Wikipedia, “In electrical and electronic engineering a daisy chain is a wiring scheme in which multiple devices are wired together in sequence or in a ring.” Brilliant! So the three lights are all hooked together and only one plug is inserted into the outlet. My husband even got an adapter with a switch that allows me to turn them all on together at the outlet. I also have the option to turn off the ones I do not want on. So I could use the lights individually if desired.

My husband had the lights up and working in no time at all. Now I can read the recipes without having to bend down and squint into the cookbook. Wow what a difference! Thanks honey!!!

Looking up from under cabinet – Lights are not visible straight on
Outlet Switch

Leftover Banana Treat Obsession

Cooking

In a previous post, I shared how I make frozen chocolate covered bananas. These soon became a hit with my children. I have become obsessed with them! But there is always room for improvement.

I have changed how I make the chocolate covered bananas slightly. Now, I make them without the stick. I found I really did not need this and I make the bananas without sticks and just pick them up and eat them with my fingers. Messy? Oh yes! It is messy, but honestly, it seems easier than eating them off the stick.

I also do not try to make them in the peel any more. I can get more chocolate on them this way. I peel them, throw the peel away and spread the melted chocolate over the banana, even on the ends. Messy? Again…yes! But it is worth it!!!!

My favorite version of the chocolate covered frozen banana treat is covered in coconut flakes. I lay out some wax paper and sprinkle it with coconut flakes. Then I spread the melted chocolate on half the banana, lay it down on the coconut and then continue to spread chocolate on the other half and sprinkle coconut on top and then freeze.

I have also changed the quantity I make of the banana treats. I stock-up and freeze a few halves at a time so I can go get one without having to make one every day. I still only make them in halves. Even if I use a whole banana I will cut it in half and make two treats out of one banana. (See my original post – Leftover Banana Treat – for a more detailed description.) Happy Snacking!

Spiced Pumpkin Cut-out Cookies

Cooking

As a kid I remember going to the bakery and getting pumpkin cookies around this time of year. A seasonal thing. They were to die for! They were cut-out cookies in the shapes of pumpkins with faces on them. The bakery is closed now and no other bakery can even come close to doing them justice.

I decided, as Halloween is this week, to make pumpkin flavored cut-out cookies. These are not at all a replication of the cookies of my childhood. They are a different version all-together. However, I thought they would be nice for a little Halloween treat. The recipe can be found at: https://thepioneerwoman.com/food-and-friends/spiced-pumpkin-cut-out-cookies/

Ready for the oven
Just out of the oven
Frosted and ready to eat

These cookies were easy enough to make. The typical sugar cookie with the addition of pumpkin. I did not get as fancy with my frosting as the recipe did. I just made a simple powdered sugar and water frosting with a touch of food coloring and spread it on with a knife. A few got the glory of having orange sprinkles shaken over them. I made a few shades of orange for the pumpkins, giving them a little character like a real pumpkin patch. The family picked their pumpkins from the “patch” and we enjoyed our fall treat. Happy baking!

Food as a Souvenir (Pasties)

Cooking

Making a recipe from a place visited makes for a great souvenir. Every bite brings back memories of the times spent there and the flavors savored. So if one can’t get back to the spot, bring the spot home to the table.

Many years ago when the children were small we took a family trip to the gold country in Northern California. While there we set out to have Pasties which were common for the miners to eat way back when. The kids loved them so much that we even ordered the apple filled dessert version as well.

Upon returning home, I decided to make a recipe for Pasties. It is still one of my son’s favorites and requested by him often. Every time I make them, memories of our trip come to mind.

Pasties

Crust:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup Crisco solid vegetable shortening
  • 1/2 cup cold water

Put flour into mixing bowl with salt. Add shortening and cut in with pastry blender until texture of flour is like cornmeal. Add water and mix with spoon. Turn out onto floured board. Knead dough with hands for a few seconds until well blended. Form into 4 balls. Cover each ball with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Fillling:

  • 3/4 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cups diced potatoes
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 Tablespoons dried parsley
  • Milk to brush pastries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix ground chuck, onions, potatoes, salt, pepper, and parsley together in a bowl. Take dough out of fridge and roll out each ball into a 8 inch circle with rolling pin on a floured surface. Brush edges of pastry with milk using a pastry brush. Place one cup of filling on one half of each circle and fold the other half over it. Seal the edges by pressing with a fork. Transfer to cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut a 1/2 inch slit on top of each pasty to let out steam. Brush with milk. Bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes or until golden.