Foods Alive Feature Recipe & Newsletter
ANNA BANANA MEETS DEAR ABBY
The friends of our youngest daughter Anna will fondly remember her sixth birthday as we celebrated this event as the Anna Banana party. Imagine little girls dressed in yellow, sweets, cakes and games all centered around that favorite and versatile of all tropical fruits. If only I had known than that frozen bananas make awesome ice cream and smoothies…
Bananas hide a generous portion of potassium, magnesium and phosphorus in their sturdy fibrous skin that peels of nice and smooth and clean. No need for knives or a trip to the sink to wash sticky, sugary juice from your hands and chin. Or is there? Now this is where Anna Banana meets dear Abby. According to some reader’s responses to Ms. Abigail van Buren’s age old column, we should be scrubbing our hands especially well after peeling a banana. This is what some of her readers wrote...
- Dear Abby: My brother-in-law, a merchant seaman, said that he had seen banana’s loaded onto cargo ships complete with insects and poisonous spiders that infested them, along with the insect’ feces and eggs
- Dear Abby: As a youngster in New York City, I remember fruit vendors opening cartons of banana’s that had just been unloaded from the ships. It was common to see “banana rats” nursing their young among the bananas.
- Dear Abby: The Mayo Clinic is seeing an increased infestation of a parasite that takes a piggy back ride on the crooked backs of banana’s.
I will assume that we no longer transport nesting wild life in cargo ships, as the holds are fumigated with powerful gases that will stop illegal entry of tropical creatures both great and small. But what exactly is on those banana peels now?
Barring the accomplishment of a genius, or an especially gifted child, how is the average citizen going to enjoy the yummy pulp of a banana without touching the peel? I recommend that you soak your bananas in warm soapy water or an effective fruit and vegetable rinse before they end up in the fruit bowl or the lunch box.
BANANA SPLIT FOR A DAIRYLESS QUEEN.
2 ripe bananas split in half lengthwise
4 frozen bananas
½ cup frozen raspberries
4 dates, soaked (optional)
½ tsp vanilla
chopped almonds or filberts
Place serving containers in the freezer.
Blend the frozen bananas in a food processor until creamy smooth. Add vanilla.
Divide ice cream in half and save first half, the vanilla flavor, in your freezer until ready to use. Add raspberries and dates (if desired) to the remaining ice cream and process until smooth.
Assembly; Place banana halves on the sides of your bowl. Place a scoop of raspberry and vanilla ice cream in the middle. Top with chocolate sauce and sprinkle with nuts and a few saved berries. Whipped cream only if you turn six and have a banana theme party!