Perfectly Poetic Tuesday

Nana
Pride abounding
Smiles inside out
Heart reshaped by love
Blessings

Now for you non-poets out there, this is a cinquain, a prescribed 5 line poetry form. To see the inspiration see this blog.

I love baking in the Fall.

Caramelized Banana Loaf Cake:
4 large bananas
3/4 C sugar, divided
2 T unsalted butter, in one piece
1 large egg plus 1 large egg white
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C vegetable oil

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325. Grease a 5-by-9 loaf pan. Invert the loaf pan and use the bottom as a guide to trim 3 bananas to fit. Lay the bananas across the bottom of the pan and slice off both ends at the edge of the upturned pan. You want the fat center of the bananas to be used for this part. Reserve the end pieces. Halve the long banana pieces lengthwise; peel and transfer to a plate.
2. In a large, heavy skillet, bring 1/4 c of the sugar and 2 T water to a boil, without stirring. Cook until water has evaporated and the mixture starts turning amber. Remove from the heat and swirl in the butter with a fork. Add the long banana pieces cut side down and cook over low heat for 1 minute. Transfer to the prepared pan, arranging them crosswise, cut side down. Drizzle the remaining caramel on top.
3. In medium bowl, mash the banana ends to equal 1 C (add the extra banana if necessary.) Mash in the remaining 1/2 c sugar. Beat in the egg plus the white, and vanilla.
4. In large bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the banana mixture and oil; whisk until blended. Scrape the batter over the bananas in the pan and bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, 50-60 minute. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes; invert the cake onto a platter and let cool.

Note to those using Breville convection oven: I set it to 325 and baked for 45 minutes. It came out beautiful.

Exciting Trip to NYC

I know it's been said before, but NYC is an amazing city. It's clear that I wouldn't want to live there but I'm grateful my daughter does so that I can go for short visits. There is so much to see and do and the pace is incredibly fast. All the senses are engaged constantly: Beautiful fall colors, cold rain and wet jeans, bright, garish, and neon lights, architectural wonders and historical edifices, pungent, sweet and savory smells, bumping, shoving, pushing,and moving, honking, sirens, subway rumbles.

Most awesome having Stephanie as well as Charles and Quynh join me in my big city adventure. Some of the highlights of my 6 days in the Big Apple in no particular order other than my how they bubble up in my poor memory:
1. Thin crust pizza
2. Fast and efficient subways and cabs.
3. Umbrellas sold cheap on the street
4. Walking opportunities galore
5. Queens, the borough
6. Steinway factory tour in Queens
7. Carnegie Hall tour
8. 5th Avenue window shopping
9. Rockefeller square
10. Central Park
11. Patsy's Pizza
12. Standing on the pedestrian bridge and gazing down at the mamas rowing their little one on The Lake in Central Park (the one day it didn't rain!)
13. The atrium at Metropolitan Museum
14. Steinway showroom in Manhattan
15. Trader Joe's Manhattan (crazy!)
16. NYU
17. Ellis Island visit with bonus audio tour
18. Statue of Liberty
19. Times Square
20. Broadway
21. Scrumptious deli sandwich at Dean and Deluca's
22. Playing Rummy with my kids
23. Subway rides
24. Cab rides
25. Fabulous dinner and dessert at 24 Prince
26. Awesome dinner at Batali's Otto
27. Sweet pumpkin gelato and apple crisp at Otto. Olive oil gelato - not so much.
28. Meeting Steph's roommate, Holly
29. Enjoying this city with some of my favorite people
30. Sharing a dorm room with my daughter
31. Having to buy some sensible shoes after the first day of a ridiculous amount of walking
32. Ground Zero
33. Battery Park
34. Union Square
35. Extraordinarily good Greek chicken and lemon potatoes in Queens.
36. Displays of pumpkins on a corner of 5th Ave. Unexpected juxtaposition of the earth's fruits and the concrete jungle.
37. Pumpkin spice tea latte and a sweet respite from the rain with Charles at a local and quaint coffee shop
38. Dark chocolate covered bacon from Dean and Deluca's
39. NYU Law Library
40. People watching
41. Wall Street
42. Street musicians and entertainers
43. Ornate cathedrals wedged between towering condos and offices