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Ripe Bananas for Baking: How Ripe Should Bananas Be?

Experienced bakers know that the best bananas for baking — you know, for banana muffins, banana bread, even banana cake — are very ripe bananas. But how dark, how ripe, should we let bananas go? In a happy accident, I've discovered what I call "black bananas". They streeeettttch the ripening time by many weeks and draw out even more of that luscious banana flavor that banana lovers crave. Bakers, prepare to exercise great, great patience before baking with bananas. When Is a Ripe Banana Ripe Enough for Baking? left/top ~ A "green banana" is an "unripe" banana. It may be tinged with green but is often yellow. A green banana makes for unremarkable banana-baking. center ~ It's tempting to start baking with a banana once it starts to develop some brown spots. But patience, patience, that banana's not ready yet! right/bottom ~ A banana must be really ripe — nearly all brown and even, if you want, well into "black" — to yiel

Banana Streusel Muffins Recipe

A super-moist banana muffin, sweetened with very ripe bananas and much-reduced sugar, capped with a crispy crumb topping called "streusel," a mix of brown sugar, toasted nuts and cinnamon. A real treat for breakfast or an afternoon snack – or maybe on a Mother's Day menu? Warm Muffins, Made from Scratch with Everyday Ingredients. Fresh & Family-Tested. Big on Flavor, Lower in Sugar. Budget Friendly. Potluck & Party Friendly. Rave Reviews.

Sweet Potato Salad Recipe
with Roasted Poblano, Roasted Corn & Chipotle

A sweet potato salad for summer, a colorful and mouth-watering blend of sweet potato, roasted poblano pepper and roasted corn. No mayonnaise so perfect for a "dish to carry" for potlucks, picnics and family dinners. ~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~ COMPLIMENTS! "This is a keeper for summer. Thanks for the inspiration." ~ Anonymous "It is just wonderful!" ~ DLA in OKC "This is the perfect summer sweet potato recipe!" ~ Holly Add yours, leave a comment, below! A Most Important Mother ... a "Vinegar Mother" Please welcome Mario Aranda of O Olive Oil, my guide to the pleasure of fine olive oils and artisan vinegars for a couple of years now. And meet Mario’s mother, too, his "vinegar mother", that is. ~ Alanna Mario writes ... "Vinegar is essentially sour wine; even the word itself is taken from the French for Vin Aigre, sour wine. "To make vinegar, you start with wine, then trigger the a

A Give-Away for Mother's Day

To celebrate Mother's Day, a special give-away just for the readers of Kitchen Parade. SWEET DEALS on ARTISANAL OLIVE OIL & VINEGAR from O OLIVE OIL FOR PURCHASES, A 15 PERCENT DISCOUNT Between now and Mother's Day on Sunday, May 9, 2010, use the discount coupon code "mother" when purchasing goods at O Olive Oil . (Would you like to know more about how good vinegars are made with a 'mother'? It's quite a story! Read it and get the recipe for a summer Sweet Potato Salad too.) A GIVE-AWAY JUST for READERS of KITCHEN PARADE TWO-BOTTLE NATURAL GIFT BOXES One winner per fifty comments, limit 4. Winners choose which pair of olive oil and vinegar combinations will be sent. I'm especially fond of the champagne vinegar and Meyer lemon olive oil, also the sherry vinegar and Tahitian lime olive oil. But they're all good, let your senses guide! I'm not the only one who loves O Olive Oil, so does O Magazine, Saveur, Bon Appetit,