Baked Plantains & Coconut Sorbet

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            FOOD FUNNY
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This one from Rosemary Zwick sure sounds like a true food funny to me:

A friend and I were standing in line at a fast-food restaurant, waiting
to place our order. There was a big sign posted. "No bills larger than
$20 will be accepted." The woman in front of us, pointing to the sign,
remarked, "Believe me, if I HAD a bill larger than $20, I wouldn't be
eating here."

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            TODAY'S RECIPES
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Plantains are available in every stage of ripeness, from green when
they're young, to black when they're fully ripe. Use the black ones
for this recipe, and if you can only find green plantains, buy them
and wait until they're ready.

Baked Plantains

2-3 large plantains
4-7 Tbs (60-90 ml) brown sugar
Ground cinnamon to taste
Ground allspice to taste
2-3 Tbs (30-45 ml) butter

Trim the ends of the plantains and do not peel but split them in
half lengthwise. Make several gashed is the flesh with the tip of
a knife. Mix together the brown sugar and spices and sprinkle
over the plantains. Dot with butter and place on a baking sheet.
Bake in a preheated 400F (200C) oven until the sugar is bubbling,
about 20 minutes. Cool slightly before serving. Serves 4 to 6.

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Even though this has the richness and consistency of ice cream,
technically it has to be classified as a sorbet due to the lack
of dairy products. Unlike most frozen desserts, this one doesn't
keep very well and is best eaten as soon as it's made.

Coconut Sorbet

3 cups (750 ml) coconut milk (about 2 cans)
3/4 cup (180 ml) sugar, or more to taste
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract

Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl, stirring to dissolve the
sugar. Taste and add more sugar if desired. Freeze in an ice cream maker
according to the manufacturer's directions. Serve immediately, or "warm"
in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving if stored in the
freezer. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Thu May 31 07:17:40 2007