Banana, Pecan and White Chocolate Muffins

This recipe started out with mushy, brown, "fragrant" bananas on my counter. Staring me down in the way that overly ripe food does... implying guilt with every pass. "Save me, save me," is the subtitle in their pungent scent. My internal subtitle says, "get it together, Christine... don't you dare toss those bananas into the purgatory that is your freezer... until you throw them out as freezer burned shadows of what they could have been."

I started to think about the banana chocolate chip muffins that my mom used to make and then we used to make as kids. The recipe was so simple and there was very little better than tearing open that creamy muffiny goodness studded with semi sweet chocolate surprises.

Typically, I have the full gamut of options in my baking cupboard. Several different dried fruits, various chocolate chips and chunks, nuts, coconut and so on. Well, it looks as though my store has been pillaged. No standard dark chocolate chunks or chips here! I remember being quite concerted about using up several items but didn't realize that effort would stand between me and my perfect banana chocolate chip muffins now.

Regroup. Reassess. What did I have? I had a giant bag of pecan halfs, another of dried cranberries, smaller bags of peanuts, butterscotch chips, mint chips, white chocolate slabs and chunks... I grabbed the pecans and white chocolate chunks and got back on track.

Tea and a warm banana, pecan and white chocolate muffin

Only one place to be on April 30th... Eat Alberta in Edmonton!

I cannot think of a single better place to be on April 30th... in fact, I think the ONLY place to be on April 30th, if you can do it, is in Edmonton at Eat Alberta, presented by Slow Food Edmonton!

The array of speakers, keynotes and information session are just amazing... Just take a tour through the Eat Alberta site and see. Registration opened today, so move and shake your way over to Sign Up page and expand your culinary horizons.

Hope to see you there!

Pecan Coconut Brittle

I really haven't had much experience with candy. Aside from my annual batch of Chipotle Caramel Corn, a recipe which I can't seem to let go of quite yet, my candy thermometer rarely emerges from its place in my utensil drawer.

This winter, for some odd reason, I could not stop thinking about brittles. Not only would they be a great thing to package up for friends and family but I seem to keep refilling the tin that sits on my hutch... it's the perfect salty-sweet bite when I'm craving something after dinner on Saturday night.

Like so many other recipes, I think this is one of those where you create the candy base and can add to it whatever flavours you are currently enjoying... or those bits of nuts or chocolate or whatever are kicking around your baking cupboard. It's the candy equivalent of a fridge cleaner dinner... it's the pantry cleaner of sweets.

My Ratatouille

After the excessive consumption of the holiday season... too much sugar... plethoras of cheeses and meats and fats... I seem to find myself craving the colour and nutritional merits of proper vegetables.

Momma R either always made ratatouille or the times when it was made were extremely memorable for me. I remember the thick stew of vegetables perfuming the house before being plonked down in front of us, usually matched with a slice of bread. Though, on occasion... if we were so lucky, thick slabs of mozzarella were melted into the top. Lovely and decadent. And so good for you!

I don't think I have ever made Momma R's ratatouille but I haven't been able to get it out my head lately, so I decided to embark on my own ratatouille attempt.

Turkey Pot Pie

I'm not quite at the point yet where I despise my turkey leftovers... I hope you're not at that point yet either or this post will seem wholly unwelcome.

I can usually manage to eat one meal of turkey leftovers before I'm done with the traditional fare... the white meat, no matter how moist, continues to dry out. The potatoes go chalky. Buns stale. And the gravy runs out. At this point, I usually toss the remaining turkey into the freezer while I figure out what to do with the three pounds that remain.

Enter: Turkey Pot Pie. I figured that this was an easy-creamy-dreamy way to get rid of the last bit of turkey. I could freeze the pies for a time when my turkey-love returns. And I could cram these pies chock full of veg and feel virtuous about eating these leftovers... further justifying my breakfast of chocolate.