4 • March 2015 • UPBEAT TIMES.com The Exotic Fruit


Calistoga, CA. ~ It is credited with hiding the serpent in the Garden of Eden and shel- tering the sages


of ancient India. The banana has been enjoyed for thousands of years in Southeast Asia. They were brought west


by the Arab conquerors, and around 300 B.C. moved from Asia Minor to Africa. Two centuries later, Antonius Musa, the personal physician to Roman Emperor Augustus, promotes the cultivation of the exotic African fruit. By the early fi fteenth century Portu- guese sailors began shipping bananas from West Africa. From there the fruit made it to the new world through the Spanish conquistadors. Most of this early history encompasses the red or green plantain, the bananas cooking cousin. The yellow, ready to eat, sweet variety is a mutant


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strain discovered in 1836. Jamaican Jean Francois Pou- jot found one of the plants on his plantation bearing yellow fruit that tasted sweet in its raw state. Mass production began then and the banana trade had exploded by the 1880’s. Soon they were being imported from the Caribbean thru New Orleans, on to New York and Bos- ton. Bananas were a rage at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition where they cost a hefty ten cents each. They were such an exotic treat that they were eaten on a plate with a knife and fork! Today it is one of the most important fruit crops in the world and provides an inex- pensive staple for millions. We simply distinguish between dessert bananas, eaten raw, and plantains which need to be prepared to be palatable. Des- sert bananas do have variety


names, e.g. Cavendish or Gros Michel, but are sold under brand names instead like Chiq- uita, Turbana and Del Monte. Bananas are actually a huge herb plant which requires fi f- teen to


new sprouts. This fruit provides inexpen-


sive nutrition to millions of people. They are high in starch and


carbohydrates but eas-


ily digested. World wide an- nual per capital consumption is almost 30 pounds which becomes hundreds of pounds per person, where they are a staple food. There are over 100 types of bananas grown throughout the world. Bananas have a dramatic


eigh-


teen months for matu- rity. The “trunk” is composed of a very porous mass of inter- twined leaf sheaths. Each stem sprouts ten or


more overlapping ‘hands’ with 12 to 16 ‘fi ngers’, or bananas in each hand. A single stem can carry 120 to 200 fruit but will only bear fruit once. The bananas roots are perennial and will continue to produce


starch-to-sugar ratio change during their ripening. The ratio is 25 to 1 in mature but unripe fruit which transforms into 1 to 20 in the ripe fruit. This and their easy preparation, make them a standout in muffi ns, breads, pancakes and desserts. Here is an easy, creamy des- sert, spiked with bananas and dark chocolate sauce.


BANANA BREAD PUDDING WITH HOT FUDGE


1 loaf brioche, cut into 1” slices 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, melted, plus 2 tablespoons cold butter 1 ½ cups sugar


1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 8 large eggs


1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup whole milk 1/8 teaspoon salt


1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for serving


Brush both sides of bread slices with melted butter. Stir together ½ cup sugar and cin- namon and sprinkle on both


JOKES & Humor # 2


One day a rather inebriated ice fi sherman drilled a hole in the ice and peered into the hole and a loud voice said, “There are no fi sh down there.” He walked several yards away and drilled another hole and peered into the hole and again & the voice said, “There’s no fi sh down there.” He then walked about 50 yards away and drilled another hole and again the voice said, “There’s no fi sh down there.” He looked up into the sky and asked, “Oh, great fi shing god, is that you?” “No, ” the voice said, “it’s the rink manager.”


sides of bread, reserving 2 ta- blespoons. Cut each slice into big croutons, place on baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven until crisp all over. In large bowl whisk together the eggs, remaining 1 cup sugar and va- nilla. Whisk in cream and milk and stir in salt and bananas. Add brioche and stir to coat. Pour the mixture into a lightly buttered 9-by-13 inch baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Dot the top of pudding with cold butter and reserved sugar mix. Bake, at 350 for 40 to 45 min- utes until puffed and golden. Serves 8 to 10. For Sauce: in a sauce pan, bring 1 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons each, butter and light corn syrup. Off heat add 8 ounces fi nely chopped semisweet chocolate, stir until creamy.


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4 • March 2015 • UPBEAT TIMES Luck never gives; it only lends. ~Swedish Proverb


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