We All Eat

By SU STELLA/for The Herald  —  Here is a weird fact about bananas. Bananas are clones. It is easier for banana farms to clone banana trees instead of growing the plant by seed. This means that every plant has the same DNA sequence and is identical to every other banana.

The bananas that we eat are different from the bananas our grandparents ate. There used to be a sweeter variety called ‘Gros Michel,’ nicknamed ‘Big Mike.’ Unfortunately, in the 1950s, the sweetness attracted a fungus, and the disease spread rapidly through the fields, easily killing every plant.

The Cavendish variety proved to be disease-resistant and replaced the Gros Michel. Today we eat the Cavendish banana which has a milder taste.

Here is the spin: The reason that banana candy tastes so weird is that the flavor was invented a long time ago, based on the sweeter Gros Michel variety. I wish a smart foodie would re-invent banana flavor, so it tasted like our ‘nanas today.

Many of us grab a hand of bananas when we get to the grocery store. A hand is slang for a bunch of bananas with three to twenty fingers. An individual banana is a finger. The dark tip where the flower bloomed is called a fingertip. Multiple hands grow on a stalk or bunch.

Banana Boat -Day O is sung by Harry Belafonte. The song is about the night crew at the dock loading heavy ‘Six foot, seven-foot, eight-foot bunch’ of bananas. He wants the boss to tally up his count and pay him.

Raise your hand if you are sick of banana bread recipes. It is impressive how fast bananas go from green to brown, but instead of banana bread, let’s make some frozen bite-sized treats.

Banana Buttons
These buttons make a sweet, petite treat for people of all ages.
This recipe is extremely flexible because you can decide to use all chocolate ingredients or, if you are adventurous, add nuts, seeds, or even berries. It is easy enough to keep the kids busy for an hour or two, and there is minimal cleanup.

Ingredients
4 brown bananas
1 cup cereal-
1 teaspoon of cocoa powder
2 teaspoons of brown sugar (Optional)

Tools
Wax Paper for your treats
1 fork for mashing bananas
1 bowl for mashed bananas (batter)
1 bowl of crushed cereal (dredging)

Save 1 banana at room temperature for the ‘batter’
Peel and cut your bananas into bite-sized discs- ½ inch
Place each disk on wax paper, then freeze them for at least one hour
Mash your warm banana in a bowl to make a batter, add your cocoa powder and sugar
Stir until well blended
Remove your tray of bananas from the freezer
Crunch your cereal and put it in a bowl
Dip each disc into the batter, then dredge it in the crunchy mix
Place back onto your wax paper and refreeze your treats
Eat them up, yum

Air-Fried Banana Split
You will dance the happy dance after scarfing down this dessert. This list of ingredients is just suggestions because you are the master of you ice cream domain.

Ingredients
Bananas, Vanilla Ice Cream, Chocolate Syrup, Strawberries, Cherries, Whipped Cream… use you imagination

Peel your bananas and slice the long way
Place foil with holes poked in for air-flow in your air fryer
Add your bananas – air fry for 10-15 minutes until caramelized
Remove from your cooker
Grab a bowl and treat yourself

Before we go, I want to share a few fun tidbits. If you refrigerate bananas, the skin will turn brown or black, but the bananas will stay white.

When you eat a banana, you add potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B6. Bananas are also good for your blood pressure and heart. Be good to yourself and your family, and buy a bunch of bananas today.

*Unusual update- I visited Orchid Clinic and discovered that my latex allergy may include unexpected kiwi and banana allergies. Darn.

Take the time and enjoy a meal with your family.
Save me a bite! Su*