Fruit recipes

The banana is certainly, with many hot-country peoples, the ‘‘staff of life.’’ It is perhaps the best of all starch-foods and healthful when eaten with an understanding of the fruit’s very substantial and sustaining nature. From its composition and wholesome qualities a likeness is directly traceable to wheat bread. The nourishment to be derived from the banana is very great and it has been stated that ‘‘one pound of bananas is equal to three pounds of meat in nutriment,’’ which, however, should be considered conditionally or ‘relatively. Lean beef, for instance, contains chiefly protein (no carbohydrates) while bananas are essentially a starchy food, containing an exceedingly small per cent. of protein and made up almost entirely of the carbohydrates. With children the banana should be cut into bits or mashed, not merely because of the danger of choking on the larger, solid, slippery pieces so often mistakenly given them, but because, as with adults, it is usually not sufficiently masticated, gives trouble in the process of disintegration and so is considered indigestible: the difficulty being plainly with the people and not with the banana. (The M. Cavendishi, or Cavendish, and M. Orientum, or Hart’s Choice, or Lady Finger, are the most delicate for eating uncooked). — The luxuriance of the banana plant is typified in the long and broad rich leaves of soft, satiny texture, (though firm and somewhat velvety in the earlier stages}. But these elongated, vegetable elephant ears soon have their smooth surface disturbed, for the wind, brushing their helpless delicate weight, quickly tears them into fine-frayed ribbons. These, when first unfolding, have their tender, pea-green breadths cut up for cooking like vegetables among some of the tropical peoples. The banana blossom is one of the most beautiful creations of nature. It consists of fold after fold of close-sheathed, shell-like leaves, under each of which a circle of embryo bananas lies. These leaves, the lining of which is of a deep, delicate maroon, and the outside of dusty, silvery-gray richness, rise slowly up and back as the little bananas grow, protecting. them from too great degree of sun or dampness, finally curling and withering as the stem lengthens and the bananas, filling out gradually, need no longer their care. : ICED BANANA SOUP Mash four bananas; pass them through a sieve; measure, then add twice this quantity of cold milk, sugar to taste, a pinch of salt, and the grated rind of an orange. Place on stove and when at boiling point add two teaspoons of cornstatch. Cook five minutes; remove and cool, then place on ice. Serve in bouillon bowls, adding to each a few crème de menthe or maraschino cherries. BANANA SALAD Bananas may be sliced, diced or crushed, to be served with fine-sliced orange, or diced apple and nuts, on the tenderest lettuce. Pineapple or cherries may be added. Use the cream or liqueur-flavoured dressings given in Introductory Recipes. BANANA OMELET Beat three eggs separately, adding whites last, with a half-cup of sugar and breadcrumbs, a pinch of salt, and the pulp of three bananas. Into this stir the stiff whites and cook in omelet pan. BAKED BANANAS The banana may be baked whole, one side of the skin being stripped back in this case, or it may be peeled and cut in halves or quarters. The fruit should be placed in a baking-pan sprinkled with cinnamon, a half-cup of sugar, a pinch of salt, and tiny bits of butter. Pour into the pan a half-cup of water and baste frequently while baking in a quick oven. Lemon juice may be substituted for cinnamon, making it into a syrup before baking, then pouring over the fruit when placed in oven. Applesmay be baked with the peeled bananas, with delicious results, adding a dash of lemon juice. FRIED BANANAS