Banana Crumb Muffin

I have frozen overripe bananas sitting in the freezer for some time now and they were occupying some storage space. So I looked up allrecipes.com for some inspiration, and come up with this one. It was rated 5 stars by 7,120 users (as of writing) and it has a streusel topping, that I just cannot resist!

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers. 

2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. 

3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.  

4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. 

I was surprised how quick and easy it was to make. I didn't even use an electric mixer, I used a fork to mix the ingredients. Moist and soft cake against the crisp streusel topping, it was banana-heaven! Make that 7,121 5-stars!

Chocolate Kiss Cupcake

My niece had a talent show in her class and she decided to showcase her baking skills. She approached me to assist her and we used this "Better Than Sex Cupcake" recipe I found in the internet. (I forgot the source. I'll look it up again and post the source to give proper recognition. My apologies.) But to make it appropriate for 9 year old kids we called it "Chocolate Kiss Cupcakes" instead. hee hee!

1/2 c butter, room temperature
1-1/4 c sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature

3/4 c flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa
1/2 c milk
1 t vanilla extract
24 pcs Hershey's Kisses

1. Beat butter until soft. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa in a separate bowl.
3. Combine milk and vanilla in another bowl.
4. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture until combined. Then add 1/2 of milk mixture and combine. Add the remaining flour mixture alternating with the milk mixture ending with the dry ingredients.
5. Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
6. In a lined cupcake pan, put a tablespoon of the mixture then drop a Hershey's Kisses on the middle then top with another tablespoon of  the cake batter. Make sure the kisses are covered and the cups are only 3/4 full.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 15 - 18 minutes or until the tester inserted comes out clean.

You can substitute the Kisses with chocolate chips or any other chocolate pieces that you like. I also topped it with bittersweet ganache. To make ganache, heat heavy cream in a pan, once it starts to boil, turn off heat then pour over bittersweet chocolate. I added 2 tablespoonfuls of confectioner's sugar to get the right consistency for icing. Finally, I dusted a bit of confectioner's sugar to give it a little warmth.

Her teacher was impressed with her presentation and her classmates loved her cupcakes! She was given an A++! And her classmates gave the cupcakes two thumbs up!

Food Bonds.

Food bonds.

Two simple words. One universal truth.

I read this sentence in a Reader's Digest's 2010 food issue. It amazed me how a very short sentence conveyed  so much truth to it. Business are discussed over lunch or even coffee; Weddings, anniversaries, birthdays are celebrated with lavish parties; Friends get together over dinner; Family bonds over mealtimes;  

Food creates relationships.

I changed my blog's name in the hope that the truth of this statement can transcend to my life, and hopefully, to yours.

Pan Fried Oriental Fish

I found this recipe in yummy.ph, the website of Yummy Magazine. I used cream dory for this recipe and the taste reminded me of the Japanese Unagi. It has the same soft texture and sweet-salty dark sauce as its expensive counterpart. I adjusted the recipe a bit to suit our taste.

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil
4 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced green onion
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 pack cream dory (2 medium sized pieces)

1 Make the marinade: Combine and stir together the olive oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, and green onion. Set aside.

2  Toast sesame seeds on a dry sauté pan over medium heat until brown.

3  Mix toasted sesame seeds with marinade. Set aside.

4  Lay fillets in a pan. Pour marinade over fillets. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

5  To cook the fish, heat a frying pan with about 1 tablespoon of corn/canola oil. Place fillet on the pan and cook one side for about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip it over using a spatula. Generously baste each side of the fish with the marinade.

Unfortunately, when dinner time came, we had a power interruption. This was the best picture I got of my cheap "Unagi" dinner. Yummy!