I'm participating in Reverb10. Won't you join me?
December 6th | Make
What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it? (Author: Gretchen Rubin)
Bestemor's banana bread. Oh my - the goodness in that recipe is almost indescribeable! Its hugely rich, sweet aroma filling the house as it bakes; its dense, moist consistency just the perfect filler for breakfast or a mid-morning snack; the memories it evokes equally sweet and comforting.
I remember being a little girl and watching both Bestemor (my maternal grandmother) and my mother make this bread. They both did it with a deftness and confidence that is only borne of practice... and now, like them, I've been making it for so long that I no longer need to look at the recipe card (although I do pull it out each time I make the bread - the recipe card now spattered with batter stains and worn at the edges... it is somehow comforting to have it there, should I suddenly need it).
What I love most about this recipe - and about making it - is its simplicity. A few overly ripe bananas, some flour, sugar, eggs... maybe some walnuts if I've got them... and voila - it's done. I love that I can make something delicious from what might otherwise be thrown away... I love that every time I make it, I am almost instantly transported to a simpler time - a time before cell phones and internet and texting and 24/7 cable news.
It's easy to forget how meditative the process of cooking and baking can be. I get so caught up in the "necessities" of life that I forget that often what's most important is the simple act of nourishing both my body and my soul. This past year I had a goal of trying one new recipe a week... which fell quickly by the wayside, although I am not quite sure why. 2011 might just be the perfect time to recommit to that goal.
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