Visit with Ally & Jasper

Pepere and I are visiting Jerry & Ally's new home in Kentucky. I keep wanting to say Nashville because they were going to live in Clarksville, close to Nashville, and then found a place over the state line in Kentucky that we all love! Makes perfect sense to me. Jerry is away doing some training in New Mexico and we miss him but will see him over the Labor Day holiday. We're all looking forward to that family weekend.

As for cooking so far Ally is taking care of us! She made Israeli Couscous with Asparagus, Peas, and Sugar Snaps last night with a few variations as we were pantry challenged! Denis went to the store and we checked and had some nice sugar snaps that we were going to sub for the snap peas. I got them out to help and when I poured them out of the bag they were spoiled. So - we didn't have snap peas, chives, parmesan cheese, or chives! Oh and used orzo instead of Israeli Couscous It really should be called israeli Orzo, if you ask me, 'cause it's more like baby orzo. Little pearls of pasta instead of the grainy texture that couscous has. With all that said - this really turned out good. Jasper did not care for the asparagus or chicken today - we don't know why since he normally loves both but it's Friday........ Oops - almost forgot we sub'd chicken broth for vegetable broth. I think chicken broth always make a dish taste better than vegetable broth. (not to mention we didn't have any of that either!

After dinner we started talking about the over-ripe bananas in the kitchen and Denis made us a Banana upside down cake. He wasn't happy about using a recipe but this was really really good. Our pregnant girl was in heaven!

Bon Appétit | June 2010
by Jeanne Kelley
Israeli couscous is small, round, toasted pasta with grains about the size of peppercorns. Serve this dish chilled or at room temperature.
Yield: Makes 6 servings

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 large garlic cloves, minced, divided
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1 1/3 cups Israeli couscous (6 to 7 ounces)
1 3/4 cups (or more) vegetable broth
14 ounces slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut diagonally into 3/4-inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 cup shelled fresh green peas or frozen, thawed
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Whisk 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, 1 garlic clove, and lemon peel in small bowl; set dressing aside. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add couscous, sprinkle with salt, and sauté until most of couscous is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add 1 3/4 cups broth, increase heat, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and couscous is tender, about 10 minutes, adding more broth by tablespoonfuls if too dry.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add asparagus, sugar snap peas, green peas, and remaining garlic clove. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; sauté until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer vegetables to large bowl.

Add couscous to bowl with vegetables. Drizzle dressing over. Add chives and cheese; toss. Season with salt and pepper.


Test-kitchen tip:
To trim asparagus, hold onto the top of the stalk with one hand and bend the bottom of the stalk with your other hand. The stalk will snap, separating the woody end from the tender top.


Ingredient tip:
Some sugar snap peas have a tough string running along the top of the pod. To remove it, snap off the leaf end and pull the string.

Banana Upside-Down Cake
Bon Appt | April 1996
From Goldie's by the Bridge, North Tarrytown, New York.
Yield: Serves 8

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 firm but ripe large bananas, peeled, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Melt 1/2 cup butter in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add brown sugar and stir until smooth. Pour into 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Arrange banana slices in concentric circles atop sugar mixture, submerging into sugar mixture and covering bottom of pan completely.

Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar and remaining 1/2 cup butter in large bowl to blend. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Sift 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt into medium bowl. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Beat 2 minutes. Spoon batter over bananas.

Bake cake until puffed and golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean (cake will rise above rim of pan), about 1 hour. Transfer pan to rack and cool 5 minutes (cake will fall slightly). Place platter over cake. Turn cake pan and platter over, inverting cake onto platter. Let stand 15 minutes. Remove cake pan. Rearrange bananas if necessary. Serve warm.