Italian Bread Salad

Last night we had an Italian Bread Salad - it's super easy and was super yummy. Being a Wednesday it was quick and easy tossed together dinner - next time though I'll add a bit more things (like red onions, artichoke hearts, etc). Here are the photos I took.

Sliced hard salami

Fresh cherry tomatoes (store bought)

Olives

Mozzarella (this wasn't the best it had no flavor) :(

Really whatever you want.

Then toast up some garlic bread and chop into "crouton" size bites

Toss it together with mixed greens and your favorite vinaigrette (we made our own)

Enjoy!!

Memphis Mafia Banana Bread

Memphis Mafia

So this banana bread has peanut butter and chocolate chips in it. Reminds me of the Voodoo Doughnut Memphis Mafia banana fritter (chocolate and peanut butter drizzled banana fritter). 

The first time I heard of this banana bread combination was from a friend (and fellow blogger) Marni. 

I had a White Elephant and Potluck party at work and with so many bananas in my freezer I figured there was no better time than now to give it a try.... and I turned mine into muffins instead of a loaf.

Here's the recipe I used but I altered it some (because of what was or wasn't in my cupboards):

ignore the baking powder above....it snuck into the picture

1 1/2 C ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 C cream cheese, softened

1/2 C peanut butter, creamy

3 Tbs butter, melted

1 egg

1/2 C white sugar

1/2 C brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 C flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 C semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400*

Cream bananas, cream cheese, peanut butter, butter and egg. 

Add sugars. Mix well. 

Add flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Blend well. 

Fold in chocolate chips. 

Spoon 2 TB worth of batter into papered muffin tins. 

Bake for 25 minutes. Yields 2 dozen. 

Cookin' a bit better

I came across these great tips on some cooking techniques and tips. I didn't copy all of them below so if you want to see more (boiling lobsters, seasoned meats, spice rubs, etc) go to the link.

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How to Cook Everything a Little Better

by Esquire.com

Cook Corn

Instead of boiling corn on the cob, dot it with a little butter, salt, and black pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast (350 degrees) until tender. Caramelize a little honey in a sauté pan and, when the corn comes out, brush with the honey.

—Alex Guarnaschelli, Butter, New York; host of Alex's Day Off (Cooking Channel)

Bread Meat

After you've breaded a piece of meat for panfrying (dip in flour, dip in a water-and-egg-white mixture, dip in bread crumbs), spray the breaded meat with a little water from a spritz bottle. The moisture will prevent the crumbs from absorbing too much oil while still preserving that crispy crunch.

—David Burke, David Burke Kitchen, New York

Make a Sandwich

Less is more. Proportion is key, making sure each element balances the next. I like a fresh slaw tossed in a light vinegar for some crunch and some acidity. Throw in the protein of your choosing, bearing in mind the salt that comes with cured or smoked meat. And when is adding a fried egg a bad thing? Butter the outside of your bread, griddle it, and that's a sandwich.

—Michael Schwartz, Michael's Genuine Food & Drink, Miami

Scramble Eggs

For two eggs, add two tablespoons of water and two tablespoons of heavy cream, season with salt and fresh-cracked black pepper, and whip the hell out of them with a whisk until frothy. Melt some butter over medium heat and cook the eggs, not touching them until they are partially set. Then start some light stirring until they're almost finished, and turn the heat off. They will finish cooking because the pan is still hot.

—Randy Zweiban, Province, Chicago

Grill Fruit

Start with ripe, juicy fruit with a high moisture content. Lightly brush on all sides with melted butter or coconut milk. Make a dessert rub by combining one cup sugar with one tablespoon cinnamon. Set up your grill for direct grilling — a preheated grate over a hot fire: Brush the grate clean with a stiff wire brush. Oil it with a paper towel folded into a tight pad, dipped in oil, and drawn across the bars of the grate. Oiling prevents sticking and gives you killer grill marks. Dip fruit in rub to coat on all sides, shaking off excess. Grill the fruit long enough to turn the sugar and fruit juices into bubbling, golden caramel.

—Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue Bible; host of Primal Grill (PBS)

Sauté Garlic

Start with a cold pan, add olive oil, then garlic, and turn burner to low heat. Through the gradual increase of temperature, you'll infuse the oil with the flavor of garlic while it turns slightly brown.

—Marco Canora, Hearth, New York; author of Salt to Taste

Sweet Brie Ring

We made this on Sunday morning for my sister's birthday. It was way rich but way yummy. Here are a few pictures I took while prepping the Brie Ring (super fast to make btw) - the ingredient list and directions are at the bottom.

This is enough for 2 rings. But we found 1 was more than enough.

Preheat to 400*

Remove Brie from paper wrapper and place in middle

Arrange crescents around the brie

Sprinkle brown sugar on the top

Now it's ready to bake!

In the oven for 20 minutes

And it's ready to devour!

Ingredients:
2 Pillsbury crescent roll tubes (the large ones work best)
1 round baby brie
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Brown sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Grease a baking sheet with sides on it with a Pam or oil.
Place 1 round baby brie in the center of the baking sheet and put the crescent dough around the brie. 
Spread the butter over the top of the bread evenly. 
Sprinkle approximately 1/8-inch brown sugar on top of the dough and a little less on the brie. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until the bread is golden brown. 
Cool at least for 10 minutes so you don't burn yourself on the sugar. 
Pull apart the individual crescents and spread cheese on the bread.

Bread Breakdown

Did you know there's a way to help figure out how fresh store-bought bread is? 

Just look at the twist-tie or plastic tab that keeps the bag closed. Turns out, it's color-coded to reflect the day that the bread is baked. It seems unlikely but Snopes.com dug into it and found that it became an almost-universal practice among commercial bakeries as a way to help grocery store restockers recognize which loaves to replace on their shelves. 

To remember which color is which day, put the colors in alphabetical order. Here's the breakdown:

Blue: Monday

Green: Tuesday

Red: Thursday

White: Friday

Yellow: Saturday