Vietnamese Banana Cake with Cashews

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                            FOOD FUNNY
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Here's a timely food funny from Rosemary Zwick:

I was planning to surprise my wife with a romantic Japanese dinner on
Valentine's Day. I know all about teriyaki, gyoza, sashimi, and sake,
and, let me tell you: if you knew sushi like I know sushi. I also knew
that there's nothing like a fine wine to wake up a dish of sushi. You
just have to make sure your wine isn't one of those artificial ones made
from honey. They call mead the grape pretender. Well, I guess if the
waiter served my wife a fake wine for the dinner, she might end up
singing "My Phony Valentine."

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                            TODAY'S RECIPE
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Pastries and baked goods are rare in most Asian countries, but Vietnam
is an exception. In fact, some of the best French-style breads available
anywhere are baked in Vietnam as a legacy of the French colonial rule.
Of course, this recipe is more on the sweet side.

Vietnamese Banana Cake with Cashews

3 eggs
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
3/4 cup (180 ml) cream
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) all-purpose flour, sifted
4 lbs (2 Kg) very ripe bananas, peeled and slightly mashed
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) coarsely chopped cashews
1 cup (250 ml) grated coconut
1 tsp (5 ml) Chinese five spice powder

Beat the eggs and sugar together until thick and pale. Add the cream and
stir to combine. Add the flour, bananas, cashews, coconut, and five
spice powder and stir just enough to combine the ingredients. Pour into
two greased and floured 8 inch (20 cm) cake pans and bake in a preheated
350F (180C) oven for about 1 hour, until the top is golden brown. Serve
warm or at room temperature.
 Makes two 8-inch (20 cm) cakes.
Received on Sun Feb 21 16:49:56 2010