Southeast Asian Bananas in Coconut Milk &
Spanish Almond Cake

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Margarette Connor says she doesn't know if this is a true food funny or
a kitchen disaster? It sounds like a bit of both to me.

My 16-year-old son decided to cheer me up one bad day recently by making
me my favorite butterscotch oatmeal cookies using the recipe on the bag
of butterscotch chips carefully hoarded from America (we live in
Sweden). After they were ready, he brought them down to my office where
I was working and said "Oh, Mom, I forgot the chips, so they are oatmeal
cookies." After one taste, I asked, "How much baking soda did you put in
these?" He said, "the big measuring spoon." My son learned to cook in
Sweden, so he measures in milliliters. He had no idea what a "tsp" or a
"tbsp" meant, so instead of asking, he guessed! We had one happy Golden
Retriever that week.

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            TODAY'S RECIPES
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If you can get the small "finger" bananas, use them whole for this dish.
Otherwise, regular Cavendish bananas will do perfectly well.

Southeast Asian Bananas in Coconut Milk

1 15-oz (425 g) can unsweetened coconut milk
2 Tbs (30 ml) sugar, or to taste
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt, or to taste
8-12 small "finger" bananas, peeled, or 4-6 regular bananas, peeled and
cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces

Combine the coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a pot and bring to a simmer
over moderate heat. Add the bananas and simmer until heated through,
about 3 minutes. Serve warm, chilled, or at room temperature. Serves 4 to 6.

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Spanish almonds are among the best in the world, a legacy left by
invading Moors, so it's no wonder that this dessert is popular
throughout the country.

Spanish Almond Cake (Torta de Almendras)

2 cups (500 ml) blanched almonds
6 eggs 1 cup (250 ml) sugar
1/2 tsp (2 ml) ground cinnamon
The grated zest of 1 lemon
Powdered (confectioners') sugar for garnish
Butter to prepare the pan
Flour to prepare the pan

Grind the almonds to a fine powder in an electric blender or food
processor, being careful not to turn it into a paste. Beat the eggs and
sugar in a bowl until thick and light yellow in color. Stir in the
almonds, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Grease an 8- or 9-inch (20-23 cm)
springform pan generously with butter and coat with flour. Pour in the
batter and bake in a preheated 350F (180C) oven until a toothpick
inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 45 minutes. Cool on a wire
rack before removing from the pan and dust the top with powdered sugar.
Serves 6 to 8.
Received on Thu Apr 12 18:46:34 2007