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| Food for the Gods |
One of my favourite indulgences is Food for the Gods, a date square that leaves all others in the dust. It's a popular, time-tested dish—every lola has her family's recipe—and easy to make. The recipes I've seen all include dates and walnuts (I make mine without walnuts to appease Youngest Daughter) and a variety of sweeteners, including sugar, molasses, honey and corn syrup.
Recipes abound online—just be sure to search "food for the gods" (not of the gods). It's easy to make, uses very little flour (a plus for me, the gluten-free-ish gal) and popular. In the Phillipines you see it around christmastime, but at our house anytime is FFTG time. Only problem is that it disappears so quickly...
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| Banana Bread with Coconut |
My favourite banana bread recipe is still Bittman's, from his How to Cook Everything. I usually add more sugar than he calls for, and a touch more fat. (Everything's better with butter.) We eat a lot of bananas in my house, but often lose a few to over-ripeness. The ones with black spots are usually fine but the kids won't eat them because they're ugly, so I just toss them in the freezer without peeling them (the bananas, not the kids). When I want to make banana bread, I thaw three frozen bananas. The quickest and easiest way is in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water; takes less than 10 minutes. Don't let the kids see the bananas at this point—they look gross, practically liquid—but they're super easy to work with. I add shredded coconut but not walnuts, due to certain people's nut prejudices. DH and the kids love this bread, and it packs well for school lunches. It's also amazing toasted with peanut butter.