Cooking Part 2 and 3

Part 2: V4B

On Wednesday at the Farmer's Market I smothered our bananas in my backpack on our walk home. So the following morning, feeling adventurous, I shopped for baking soda and vanilla extract. It only took two stores stops (Carefour/Franprix are never stocked...you can't count on one store for anything! Patience when shopping is a virtue and necessity because if you are really shopping for a specific item, you should expect at least 8 store stops. Thus, I consider my two stops a success!) to gather our goods and we were on our way to V4B. V4B? Ah yes, Very Blackened Bottom Banana Bread!

I followed the recipe carefully, something I haven't been doing. Usually I follow a recipe as a suggestion for ingredients and improvise with amounts/additions. For this Banana Bread, I gathered all the ingredients and in my large mixing bowl, aka Pressure Cooker, mixed each item at the appropriate time. I went off recipe just once and added the leftover plain yogurt to the mix. The ladies each took a turn with the mixing spoon and soon we were ready to pour it all into our baking pan and bake. I set the timer, the temperature, and placed the bread in the oven.

At the 25 minute mark, Elise and I checked on the V4B, although technically at 25 minutes it was, let's say, R in M, Raw in Middle. I decided to give it another 5 to 7 minutes to finish and then we'd be on our way to enjoying delicious 2B. However, about four minutes later the bread was done: perfectly done on the top/middle and VERY done on the bottom and sides. It happened so fast! The toaster oven went to town on my 2B in that four minute time period and I lost it to V4B. However, Elise and I didn't mind. As Celia napped and Brian was at work, the two of us thoroughly enjoyed the middle of that Banana Bread. I must say, the yogurt was a nice touch for the parts that were not over-cooked were fabulous! ;)

Part 3: Scallops!

On Friday, our good friends The Daniels shared with us two big bags of delicious scallops: fresh North Carolina farmed scallops and a bag of breaded popcorn scallops. While the ladies devoured the breaded scallops, (I should add they were fried in a layer of boiling butter in the frying pan. Who wouldn't love that?), I found a fabulous recipe for a creamy wine sauce and gave it a go for dinner that night. Unlike the V4B, the scallop pasta turned out deliciously. A combination of shallots, garlic, wine, and cream created a fabulous sauce for our pasta. And I cooked the scallops for just enough time; something I was a bit nervous about. You go too long on those guys and you could end up with a chewy dinner!

I learned this week that while my cooking skills are flourishing in Paris, my baking skills are depleting. But I'm not complaining, who needs to bake when you can stop by any Boulangerie and pick up a delicious treat any time. I think it's safer to my waistline that my baking is taking a holiday while my cooking improves! (Yeah right...who am I kidding? I'm cooking with butter and cream!)