Last fall I got an email from a lovely young woman, Theresa. She is with BAM (Body and Mind, Before and After Middle School) and asked if I would be up to volunteering for the program and teaching a few kids how to cook. I quickly agreed. I thought it would be fun, it is a great way to give back to my community, and heck, I could handle a few kids in the kitchen. I’m a mom, I got this.
The first night we had 20, count ‘em, 20 kids. And these weren’t kids just looking for something to do. These were kids who truly wanted to cook, and most importantly eat. My kind of kids. They ranged from “What’s a stove?” to “Can we add pepper to our bacon?” What a wonderful bunch of students.
Our first night I went with a simple recipe of spaghetti so that I could gauge where they were with being comfortable in the kitchen. The best part was how eager they were to cook and eat, as well as how well they worked together. There were no conflicts; instead, they cooperated. They worked together in teams of five and made some darn good food.
At the end of the class, I asked them what they’d like to learn the next time and one sweet girl quietly asked, “Can we make simple scrambled eggs?” This got me to thinking about the diverse taste buds in this class and how we could make things simple and still challenging. The answer was frittatas. We made simple cheese frittatas, but they learned about what each of them would like to add when they made them at home.
At the end of this week’s class I once again asked what they’d like to do next week. The overall consensus is desserts. One student stated that we had made dinner and breakfast and now they should make desserts. He made a compelling argument. So desserts it will be next week.
I have been mentally reviewing my dessert recipes for things that are easy to cook and can be done quickly. The class isn’t quite 90 minutes, so I need to make sure they can prep the ingredients, cook the dishes, have time to enjoy the fruits of their labor, and still clean up their mess.
As I was conducting “research” a recipe idea came up in my Facebook feed. It was for Hasselback apples. I’ve made Hasselback potatoes before, but not apples. I didn’t open the link or read the recipe, but it start an idea germinating in my mind: Hasselback bananas. The term Hasselback comes from a restaurant called Hasselbacken, located in Stockholm, Sweden. The restaurant dates back to the 1700s. In the 1940s the chef at Hasselback created the now famed potatoes and subsequently cooks around the world are now using this technique on just about anything, including fruit.
For our breakfast class, the students made smoothies with bananas last week and they loved them. One had even told me she made the caramelized bananas with oatmeal for her family last week. OK, I’m not going to lie — that impressed and humbled me at the same time. The fact that a 13-year-old reads my column is astonishing, but she also makes some of the recipes. That was beyond anything I could have imagined, and motivated me to provide them with a dish that they could proudly share with their families and visiting dinner guests.
The trick to creating Hasselback bananas is to not cut them all the way through. This can be prevented by placing the peeled banana between two knives and slowly cutting slices along the banana. Then gently place it on the cooking sheet so that the topping can be added, which is the extra layer of flavor that makes them special. Add a little freshly made whipped cream and you have a dessert that is both visually appealing and delicious.
This week I present a dish that I am so excited to share with my students: Hasselback Bananas. It uses simple ingredients, prepared in a simple manner, with sophisticated results. I can’t help but wonder if this is a start to a cooking trend, like waffle-ing has been. It seems everything can be cooked in a waffle iron. I suppose we will have to wait and see. I’m sure my research on Facebook will let me know.
Until next time…
Eat and enjoy,
Midgi
1 whole banana, peeled
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts or pecans
Whipped cream
Preheat oven to broil. Place peeled banana between two knives or wooden spoons. Slice banana carefully, without going all the way through. This may be easier to do right on baking sheet so that you don’t have to move the banana.
In small bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Sprinkle over banana, try to get in between the slices. The banana may break in a few spots, don’t worry.
Broil about 3 – 5 minutes, until sugar mixture has caramelized and is golden.
Remove from oven. Top with nuts and whipped cream.
Serve with ice cream or as a stand alone dessert.
