Bananas Foster Fascination

It is again the season of afternoon practices, extra loads of laundry, wet tennis shoes and ravenous teenagers. This is also the season of bananas; every runners favorite snack. Bananas have vitamins and minerals including calcium, magnesium, protein and vitamins A, B-6, C and E. Eating a banana right before or after a competition or workout can boost energy and athletic performance, as well as muscle activity.

But, bananas are a tricky fruit: one minute they are a perfect yellow with a pale green tint, and the next they are an unpalatable brown. Between the perfect-eating stage and the not-on-a-bet stage, you have what we call “The Foster's stage.”

Dom and I first experienced Bananas Foster at Mr. B’s Bistro in New Orleans in 1990. Watching the blue flames licking the banana portions as the gooey caramel bubbled and formed around them permanently whet our appetites for this Cajun specialty. Once home, Dom perfected the recipe as well as the flambé technique. One memorable evening, in his enthusiasm for the beloved dessert, he mistakenly reached for cayenne pepper instead of cinnamon which resulted in our feverish consumption and an urgent quest for more ice cream to soothe our smoldering mouths.

Our boys first introduction to this scrumptious treat was also in New Orleans at the Ritz Carlton, when after they had accompanied the gorgeous vocalist in the cocktail lounge, she arranged for each to have Bananas Foster made tableside after our meal in the dining room. When Sonny said, "This is pretty good," we both laughed out loud and said in unison, "You think!!"

• 4 bananas, quartered (first lengthwise, then halved)
•  ½ stick (¼ cup) butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon (or cayenne pepper!)
• ¼ cup banana liqueur
• ¼ cup dark rum
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a sauté pan. Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan.


When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum. Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum. Swirl the pan until the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately.

Technique of the Week: Flambéing

Flambéing is a cooking technique in which alcohol is added to a hot pan to create a surge of flames. The word flambé means “flamed” in French and is most often associated with tableside presentation of certain liqueur-drenched desserts, such as bananas Foster, Crêpes Suzette or cherries jubilee. It is also a procedure used in making coq au vin and other sauces, using spirits, before they are brought to the table. Although the practice of igniting food for show can be traced to the Moors in the 14th century, modern flambéing became popular in the late 19th century.

By rapidly burning off the volatile alcohol, flambéing can infuse a dish with additional aroma and flavor, and moderates the harshness of raw, high-proof spirits. The flames result from the partial combustion of the flammable alcohol, which is quickly consumed, while some residual flavor remains. Only liquors and liqueurs with a high alcohol content can be used to flame foods, and those with a higher proof will ignite more readily. Beer, champagne, and most table wines will not work. Liquors and liqueurs that are 80-proof are considered the best choices for flambé. Those above 120-proof are highly flammable and considered dangerous. While there is debate as to whether flambéing effects the flavor of dishes, it is an indicator as to when the alcohol has finished vaporizing.

Safety Tips:

• A sauté pan, large skillet, or large chafing dish with rounded, deep sides and a long handle works best for this technique.
• Always remove the pan with the sauce from the heat source before adding the liquor to avoid burning yourself. 
• Never pour liquor from a bottle into a pan that is near an open flame (the flame can follow the stream of alcohol into the bottle and cause it to explode). Pour the alcohol from a fire-proof vessel like a Pyrex measuring cup.
• Once you add the liquor to the pan, do not delay lighting. You don't want the food to absorb the raw alcohol and retain a harsh flavor. 
• Always ignite the fumes at the edge of the pan and not the liquid itself. 
• Ignite with a long match or a long barbecue lighter to avoid burned fingers and hands.
• When attempting to flambé tableside, light the dish at the table as far away from guests and flammable objects as reasonably possible. 
• If the dish doesn't light, it's probably not warm enough. Cold/refrigerated liquor will not ignite; if cooler than room temperature, you can heat it briefly in a microwave or in a saucepan, with high sides, just until bubbles begin to form around the edges. Do not let the liquor boil, as the alcohol will burn off and it will not ignite. Bear in mind that the boiling point of alcohol is much lower than water. 
• Never lean over the dish or pan as you light the fumes. 
• Let cook until flames disappear (this means all the alcohol has burned off).

Taste of Atlanta is Coming Giveaway

It is that time again… Atlanta restaurateurs are preparing their dishes for the 11th Annual Taste of Atlanta! This must-do event will have something for everyone. Vegetarian; no problem. Craving sushi: no problem. Sweet tooth; definitely no problem! So, when we were asked to be promotional partners, you can see why we just couldn't say “No.”

In addition to innovative concepts from your favorite haunts, there will also be cooking demonstrations, a Georgia Specialty Foods market and even a Top Chef Kids Competition. With samples from more than 80 of Atlanta's favorite restaurants, you will certainly have a difficult time selecting from all the delectable morsels available for tasting.


BUT, we are giving you the chance grab a fork and explore the best of the best! Yes, you read that correctly. We are giving away two sets of 2 General Admission tickets on Sunday, October 7, 2012 for the Atlanta Foodie Event of the Year! Getting hungry?




The rules are simple:

1. (Mandatory) Comment below this post telling us which restaurant’s treats you are most excited to try at Taste of Atlanta.

2. (Bonus Entry) Like us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/weliketocook and then come back and leaving a comment letting us know that you did.

3. (Bonus Entry) Share this delicious giveaway on your Facebook timeline and then come back and leaving a comment letting us know that you did.

4. (Bonus Entry) Follow @welike2cook on Twitter and tweet: “I entered the @welike2cook giveaway for 2 tickets to @TasteofAtlanta. You can enter too at http://bit.ly/SJ28oC." Come on back and leave a comment letting us know that you did.

This contest ends on Tuesday, September 25th at 11:59 p.m. EST. Two winners will be chosen at random from all the entries. Entries will be verified, so please ensure that you have read all the rules for valid entry above.


In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, we are disclosing that we received complimentary tickets to Taste of Atlanta in exchange for this post and giveaway. A favorable review was not required; the review of the product is based solely on our personal opinion and experience and may differ from those of our readers.

Technique of the Week: Extruding

Extruding is a process by which a mixture of ingredients is forced through a pierced plate or die. After passing through the plate, the mixture can be cut to a specified size by blades (think Cheerios!) The machine which forces the mixture through the die is called an extruder, and the mix is known as the extrudate. The extruder consists of a large, rotating screw tightly fitting within a stationary barrel, at the end of which is the die plate.

Food products manufactured by extrusion usually have a high starch content such as pasta, breakfast cereals and ready-to-eat snack foods. Other food products often produced by extrusion include some breads (croutons, bread sticks, and flat breads), pre-made cookie dough, and some french fries.

Sausages, hotdogs and chicken nuggets are also food items that are manufactured by extruding. These items are often pre-cooked during the extrusion process using steam to heat the extruding equipment. Extrusion is also used to make confectionery products like chewing gum, licorice, and toffee. Home cooks use the process of extrusion when they use a garlic press, potato ricer or a pastry bag to frost a cake.

Everyday Was Playdough Day

It is hard to believe that there is actually a national Playdough Day. When our boys were little, everyday was play dough day! We have wonderful memories of them sitting for hours at the kitchen table molding, folding, kneading, pressing, extruding and otherwise manipulating the colorful craft dough. The malleable properties of the dough made it fun to experiment and explore while they secretly developed fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination and general concentration as they squashed, squeezed, rolled, flattened, chopped, cut, scored, raked, punctured, poked and shredded with pure joy.

Poking in straws provided a challenge and a new physical skill. Squeezing it through a garlic press lead to excitement at seeing its shape change while using a gross motor movement to accomplish it. Forming 3-D shapes and sculptures helped self-expression as well as enhanced depth perception. Providing a wide range of “tools”  such as stamps, cutters often lead to sorting, matching, ordering and counting, and cooking play; all naturally and with no pressure to learn.

Play-Doh® Brand Modeling Compound was originally introduced as an educational tool in 1956, when the non-toxic reusable modeling compound was promoted as a substitute for modeling clay. Initially manufactured as Kutol Commercial Wall Cleaner in the 1930s, the plastic modeling compound (similar in texture to bread dough) became obsolete with the introduction of natural gas for home heating and the invention of vinyl (washable) wallpaper. However, the inventors discovered that the putty was being used by school children to make Christmas ornaments. Originally only available in one color and size (off-white in a 1 ½ pound can,) the dough was soon offered in the three primary colors and marketed to pre-schools and kindergartens across the mid-west.

Playdough was so popular with our boys that I made new batches often. That way they didn't need to worry about mixing colors (which eventually all turns to a muddy brown), or throwing it away when it turned gummy and too dry after playing with their creations. The recipe I used was a variation on the “cooked” dough method.

2 cups of plain flour
4 tablespoons of cream of tartar
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
1 cup of salt
2 cups of boiling water
Few drops of food coloring

Instead of using cold water and boiling the mixture, I replaced the cold water with boiling water and stirred the mixture until it was smooth and silky. If it looks as though it is not going to mix correctly, be patient and continue to knead until it reaches the desired texture.

You can substitute a packet of unsweetened Kool-Aid for the food coloring to get really cool colors and great smelling dough. Or you can add a few drops of peppermint oil for a great smell and even longer lasting playdough (peppermint is a natural antibiotic and preservative.)

When stored at room temperature, in an air-tight container (or Ziploc bag), your playdough can last for months. If it starts looking a little dried out, wrap it in a damp paper towel and store in its container overnight. By morning, it should be softened and ready for more modeling fun.

"It's A Southern Thing" Boiled Peanuts

Growing up in the north Georgia, the appearance of signs along rural highways advertising “Boiled Peanuts” (pronounced bowled peynuts) signaled the end of summer and the beginning of football season. As the temperature began to drop, we would put away our flip flops, don our flannel shirts and head for the Appalachian Mountains to “see the leaves.” With Larry Munson calling the play-by-play in the background, we would stop at a roadside stall to buy a bushel of Rome Beauties or Arkansas Blacks, and a steaming paper sack of boiled peanuts with a jug of apple cider. The peanuts never made it home, instead they were consumed in a soggy frenzy that resulted in pruney fingers and damp sleeves.

For the record, our friends in the Northeast and Mid-West have never heard of boiling peanuts. In fact, boiled peanuts has even appeared in an episode of the Travel Channel's "Bizarre Foods." Readily available in Southern states, peanuts became a crucial nutritional commodity during the American Civil War. Using the ancient preservation technique, peanuts were boiled in salt water to eliminate impurities and kill bacteria. When troops of the Confederacy were without food, peanuts provided a high-protein ration that could be carried by soldiers and lasted for up to a week.

Peanuts were first brought to the southeastern United States during the late 17th century. Many historians assumed that peanuts were brought to this continent by slaves from Africa, but peanuts actually originated in Brazil and Peru; and, despite their name and appearance, peanuts are not really nuts, but rather members of the bean family.

While it may be difficult to replicate the country ambiance of a local produce stand, boiling up some “goobers” is actually pretty easy. You can use dried unroasted peanuts, but green (freshly harvested) work best and require far less cooking time.

• 2 to 3 pounds fresh green peanuts
• 1 cup salt
• Water
• 2 tablespoons Cajun spice mix or Old Bay seasoning (optional)

Rinse the peanuts thoroughly to remove dirt and debris and place them in a large stock pot. Cover completely with water and stir to "settle" the peanuts adding more water to cover the peanuts by at least 2 inches. Add salt (and seasoning if desired) and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let the peanuts simmer, covered, for approximately up to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Add additional water as needed to keep the peanuts covered.

To check whether they are done, pull 1 or 2 peanuts out of the pot and break them open. If they are still slightly crunchy, they are not done yet. When they are soft, then they are done.

Taste the peanuts, if you would like them to be softer, return them to the water and continue to simmer until they reach the consistency you desire. If they are not salty enough for your taste, add more salt. When they are done, drain and serve immediately.

Where There's Smoke There's Brisket

As with most things in life, even smoke, in moderation, has its advantages. The fire fighters of Atlanta’s Station House #29 agree! A brief poll of these everyday heroes revealed that while they most often eat spaghetti at the station house, their favorite thing to do is “fire” up the grill and cook some flavorful red meat. Whether it is steak, burgers or barbeque, nothing beats taste of red meat cooked over a smoky fire.

It comes as no surprise that people tend to take their barbeque very seriously! In the Southeast, barbeque usually refers to pulled pork with a spicy vinegar-based sauce, but in Texas and Kansas City barbeque refers to smoked brisket cooked long and slow served with a sweet and spicy tomato-based sauce.

Over the Labor Day weekend, Dom decided to try his hand at grilling brisket. Barbecuing a whole brisket of roughly 10 pounds for almost six hours sounded very intimidating, but even though the process was time consuming, it was actually pretty easy.

1 9-10 lb. full beef brisket, trimmed
1 cup spicy meat rub
2 cups favorite barbecue sauce

Apply dry rub liberally to all sides of brisket and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 48 hours.

One hour prior to cooking, remove brisket from refrigerator and unwrap. Ignite about 2 quarts of hardwood charcoal or charcoal briquettes in pile on one side of grill and burn until completely covered with thin coating of light ash.

Meanwhile, assemble a pouch of wood chips by wrapping about 3 cups wood chips (preferably mesquite) in double sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and poke 6-8 holes in the top of the pouch with a knife or fork to allow the smoke to escape. Place the pouch on top of the hot coals.

Set grill rack in place over the coals and position brisket, fat side up, on the side of the rack opposite he hot coals. Make sure that grill vents (top and bottom) are open. For optimal smoking, position the brisket directly under the top vent of the grill cover. Allow the brisket to smoke without removing the cover for about 2 hours so that the smoke flavor permeates the meat.

Once the brisket is well smoked, it will need to continue to cook at approximately 300 degrees for another 3 or so hours to allow the collagen in the meat to gelatinize. If you can regulate the temperature of your grill, you can continue to use it for this second phase of cooking, If not, adjust the oven rack to the middle position preheat your oven to 300 degrees.

Seal the brisket completely in heavy duty aluminum foil and place it on a baking sheet. Sealing the brisket in foil creates a moist environment which allowing the meat to cook at a higher temperature without drying out. Bake for about 3 to 3 ½ hours until the meat is fork-tender or an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest portion of meat registers 210 degrees.

Remove the brisket from oven and loosen foil at one end to release steam. Let the meat rest for 30 minutes. Drain the juices from the foil into a large bowl. Skim the fat from the juices and mix with an equal amount of barbecue sauce.

Unwrap the brisket and place the meat on a cutting board. A full brisket has two “cuts” or sections: the flat end and the point cut. The grain of the meat runs in opposite directions, so these two sections should be separated before slicing. Cut the brisket into thin slices by carving across the grain on a diagonal.

Moistening the sliced brisket with the meat juices adds flavor and moisture. Drench slices with some of the barbecue sauce mixture and transfer to a serving plate or layer on a slice of white bread with slaw and pickles and fold into a neat triangle, Kansas City-style.

Labor Day Rule Cantaloupe Sorbet

Growing up, Labor Day always marked the unofficial end of summer when the “Labor Day Rule” went into effect. It was time to pack away white clothes and shoes (until the next Easter), and replace them with the earthy hues of autumn. While most Southerners observe the Labor Day rule out of a sense of antebellum tradition, some historians think the adage originated during the turn of the century when lightweight clothes were a symbol of the affluence. In rural Georgia, however, there was a very practical reason for observing the rule; white clothes turned an indelible rusty-orange when hurricane season brought its heavy autumnal rains.

Labor Day means the beginning of football season, toasted marshmallows over an outdoor fire, and wondering whether the hot apple cider needs more cinnamon. On the other hand, it signals the end of lazy afternoons slurping down freshly picked watermelon and listening to cool jazz classics like Herbie Hancock’s “Cantaloupe Island” or Michael Frank’s “Popsicle Toes,” and time to say goodbye to cucumbers and tomatoes eaten straight from the garden.

Taking advantage of a seasonal favorite, cantaloupe sorbet seems to be a perfect farewell to summer. Egyptians wrote about this sweet melon as far back as 2400 B.C. which was introduced to America when Christopher Columbus brought cantaloupe seeds with him to the New World on his second voyage. The fleshy, orange-yellow cantaloupe hailing from the muskmelon family is a harbinger of health in delectable flavor. This sorbet is simple to make and offers the same taste as biting into a fresh piece of melon, only colder.

• Small ripe cantaloupe, pureed
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons gin

Choose a ripe cantaloupe by looking for bruise-free skin, and smoothness at the stem-area which should have a slight indent, and a sweet, fruity smell.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a small saucepan and place over moderate heat.  Bring mixture to a boil and cook until the sugar dissolves (just a few minutes,) then remove from the heat.  Corn syrup is used in this recipe to improve texture (corn syrup has a higher viscosity than sugar so it freezes differently). Pour into a small container and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, clean and cube cantaloupe.  Place in a blender and puree until smooth.  Stir in cooled sugar syrup and lime juice and pulse to combine. Cover and place in refrigerator to fully chill, at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Once chilled, stir in gin and pour into an ice cream maker (we use a Krups "La Glaciere") and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  The gin (or any other type of alcohol) is the secret to a soft sorbet. Alcohol itself does not freeze and adding a little bit keeps the sorbet from freezing too hard giving the sorbet a smoother more creamy texture.

Once the sorbet is frozen, place a piece of plastic or parchment over sorbet (to prevent ice crystals from forming on the surface) and freeze at least 4 hours until firm.