Banana bread should be many things. It should be very banana-y. It should be a beautiful golden brown. It should be studded with toasty nuts or melty chocolate chunks. It should be fresh, flavorful . . . homey. Must most of all? Banana bread should be outrageously, unbelievably moist.
What is better on a warm spring afternoon than a chilly, fizzy margarita???
Yeah, me neither!
Another veggie that screams “spring is here!” to me is yellow squash. We get all sorts of heirloom varieties of squash from our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)* farm, and it’s always an adventure trying to figure out how to cook them. But there’s nothing better than keepin’ it simple with some salt, pepper, and olive oil – and then letting the grill do its thang. Wonderfully sweet and smoky, these grilled slices of squash are the perfect side for any summer meal.
*No worries if you are not familiar with CSAs, because I will be doing a very detailed post on our very own CSA in May! We get baskets of fresh fruits and veggies from a local farm once a week all through the growing season. Look for a post around Mother’s Day – that’s when their harvesting season kicks off.
As a southern girl, it is my right – nay, my duty – to use copious amounts of cheese in my cooking. For me, this is not a problem. At all. Not only is my favorite food macaroni and cheese, but I really am a very big fan of cheese all-around, as you can tell from the sheer number of posts on this blog that involve cheese.
These perfect little guys are the best for popping into your mouth as you run out the door in the morning. Hot out of the oven, they fill the house with an unbelievably comforting scent of apples, spices, and homey goodness. Their edges are ever so slightly crispy, their centers are as moist and light as a cloud. You are going to be surprised by how many you can eat!
My Grandpa, my dad’s dad, grew up in Augusta, Georgia – an interesting spot for my original Irish ancestors to wind up. This is my main claim to being actually southern. After attending Georgia Tech and becoming a hell of an engineer, this southern boy moved to Detroit.
And even in Detroit, my Grandma managed to find grits to cook for her husband. My dad grew up with grits as a breakfast staple, and to this day he makes the best grits I’ve ever tasted.
Here is a wonderful spin on the traditional hummus recipe I blogged recently. The roasted red peppers give hummus a tangy sweetness, and an extra zesty spice.