the Special Banana Bread Recipe

The special banana bread recipe is only sometimes special because the secret special ingredient comes at a price (well at least here in Hong Kong) - walnuts. After much research online this bourgeois ingredient of baked goods seems to be quite the commodity in terms of pricing world wide. Considering China is the biggest growers and distributors/sellers of walnuts internationally (more than the USA by 40%), the question is why do Hong Kong supermarkets only sell American walnuts at top prices?

So besides the ethics of ingredients, here is the special banana bread recipe!!!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3 mashed ripe bananas

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp of baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup of walnuts (the special banana bread ingredient)

In a big mixing bowl melt butter and cream with sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat until smooth. Mash up and add bananas.

In another bowl stir flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Add this to the banana mix slowly. Then mix in the special ingredient if you feel rich! Pour into a bread pan and bake in the oven for 35 - 40 mins at 180 degrees celsius. Baking time does vary from oven to oven so do the toothpick test in different places! The time above allows the banana bread to remain moist inside but firm.

the New Breakfast

This weekend for the very first time I had breakfast at home on a table! YES! This was the first time I have eaten civilly in 2 years in my own home. It was an exciting moment in a number of ways.... new table, new percolator (meaning coffee after 2 months without!) and my special banana bread (recipe to be posted later). 

the Perfect Weekend Breakfast

my German Pasta Salad

After much a do about nothing I can finally add a new recipe!

Below is a feel fantastic summer salad that may not necessarily be clearly German but I certainly ate it on hot days out in the garden in London stirred up by my German friends.

With no garden insight, my alternative for alfresco fare is Kennedy Town praya or Pok Fu Lam reservoir (where I have spontaneous picnics & hikes!)

Ingredients:

500g of penne/fusilli pasta

90g of frozen mixed veg

400g of petit gherkins

3 - 4 Tbs of mayonnaise

pepper to taste

To start, boil the pasta as usual until a little more than just al dente. In a small bowl defrost and cook the frozen mixed veg for 3 minutes in the microwave. While all this is happening slice the gherkins into mini chunks.

When the cooked items are cooked, leave to cool, then toss into a big bowl along with the gherkins. Spoon in the mayo, pour a little of the left over vinegar (and mustard seeds) from gherkins and grind in some pepper. Stir together and serve!!!

Enjoy!