Blue Cayenne

Sad.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).  That kind of sad.

That’s what I think has been causing my sense of self worth to crater for the last week. Those menacing dark clouds and torrential rains may have nourished my garden, but they sure tipped my mood toward melancholia.

When I’m blue, I get food cravings. Big ones. Often, it is refried beans–straight out of the can. More times than I want to admit, it’s been gorgonzola. This week’s craving has been for oatmeal cookies–a  favorite indulgence from my childhood. As a little girl, I could put away a whole package of those crisp flat oatmeal cookies that came right off the supermarket shelves.

Lest I feel guilty about my cookie indulgence,  I want to say up front: oats are good for you! I know. I know. It’s a cookie. But still.

Sages from the ages, Hippocrates and Galen among them,  have noted the healing properties inherent in oats, giving oats credit for everything from curing a cold to acting as a desiccant for the skin. More recently, scientific evidence has identified oat and oat bran consumption as an effective tool in the fight against heart disease.

Despite long-held beliefs that oats were a part of a healthy human diet, the early cultivation of oats was skewed towards feed grain for animals. In fact, until the 19th century, only the Irish and the Scots incorporated oats as a regular and significant part of their diets.

According to a publication about oats by The American Association of Cereal Chemists (Yes. There is such a group.), the consumption of oats by the Scots led to a dust up of sorts with the English. The AACC credits Sir Walter Scott with chronicling the details of that English-Scottish tiff and with uncovering what is undoubtedly history’s most famous quotation about oats. According to Scott, the renowned English writer Samuel Johnson, in a moment of puerility, described oats as “a grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.” Johnson’s slur drew blood in Scotland and a prominent Scottish nobleman, Lord Elibank, responded to Johnson’s insult with a bit of trash talk, replying:  “True, but where can you find such horses, where such men?” Take that, Samuel Johnson!

So, it goes to figure that it was Scottish settlers who brought oats to North America. Interestingly, because oats were believed to be a food for the infirm, most oatmeal was sold in pharmacies in those early days  Gradually, oats got a reputation as a healthy breakfast cereal for broader public consumption and was moved to the grocery aisles.

Here is a very good recipe for oatmeal cookies. It’s easy. It’s quick. There are lots of healthy oats. You’ll feel better.

Me? It’s drizzling here this morning but, sitting here with a plate of warm cookies, a steaming hot cup of tea, and a dozing sweet Juliet in my lap, I’m seeing nothing but blue skies. Life is good.

The original recipe appeared on the AllRecipes site. A link to that recipe appears at the end of this post.

Oatmeal Cookies

20 minPrep Time

15 minCook Time

35 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

• 1 C. softened butter
• 1 C. brown sugar (firmly packed)
• 1/2 C. white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 t. vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 2 t. ground cinnamon
• 1 t. salt
• 3 C. quick-cooking oats
• 1 C. chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter, brown sugar and white sugar together in a large bowl. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each egg is added. Add vanilla. (I used my Kitchen Aid standing mixer with its paddle attachment for this step.)
3. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Add this dry mixture gradually to the butter/egg mixture. Add oats and walnuts. Mix until just blended.
4. Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of cookie dough onto the cookie sheets. Allow two inches between each cookie to allow the cookies to spread while cooking.
5. Bake at 325 degrees F. for fifteen minutes or until cookies are beginning to turn a light brown and are firming up. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.

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https://bluecayenne.com/oatmeal-cookies-trash-talking-scotsman

Here is the link to the original recipe:

Excellent Oatmeal Cookies

I have a parrot, actually an umbrella cockatoo, named Moti. Moti is twenty-seven years old and quite the diva, especially about her food. In Moti’s world there is no sunshine if she doesn’t find a half a banana in her food dish each morning. Moti is quite a foodie, too. She holds the banana in her claw with the cut side up and puts pieces of her other food on top of the banana so that she can mix the foods together as she eats.  Smart Moti.

Bananas are a very healthy part of any diet–human or avian. They are low in calories at approximately 110 calories per banana. They are fat free. A banana gives you 18% of your body’s daily requirement for potassium and 15% of your Vitamin C.  Interestingly, bananas are also rich in tryptophan, that mood-elevating neuro transmitter that can also help you fall asleep. What’s not to love?

Try as we may, though, Moti and I can’t seem to keep up with the bananas in our fruit bowl. We always seem to have some disgusting overripe ones. We can only eat so much banana bread (another of Moti’s fav foods–especially baked with lots of walnuts). What to do?

I recently saw this banana upside down cake recipe on David Lebovitz’ blog and I knew that I had to try it. It didn’t disappoint. It is rich and beautiful– a cinnamon and vanilla flavored cake underneath a very pretty caramelized banana crown.

By the way, bananas are the fourth largest fruit crop in the world (after grapes, citrus fruit and apples). Per capita, Americans consume an average of twenty-seven pounds of bananas each year. Whoa! That’s a lot of bananas.

Here is your banana trivia question for the day. Is a banana (a) a legume (b) a berry ( c) a grain (d) a nut?  You got it right if you chose answer “b.” Bananas are the seedless berries of a tree-sized herbaceous plant commonly, and incorrectly, referred to as a banana tree.

Trivia question number 2: Is a bunch of bananas referred to as (a) a hand  (b) a finger  ( c) a foot  (d) an elbow? Count yourself correct if you answered (a) a hand. The individual bananas are called “fingers.” I knew you would find that fascinating.

Trivia question number 3: Banana peels can be used for which of the following purposes? (a) polishing your shoes (b) rubbing on your forehead to relieve a headache ( c) fertilizing your roses (d) all of the above. The correct answer, according to the banana experts, is (d). Who knew?

You will find a link to Lebovitz’ blog at the end of this post.

Yields 10-12 servings

Banana Upside Down Cake

30 minPrep Time

30 minCook Time

1 hrTotal Time

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Ingredients

• For the banana topping
• 4 T. (55 g) butter (salted)
• 1/2 C plus 2 T. (110g) packed dark brown sugar
• 1 vanilla bean (split lengthwise and seeds scraped)
• 1 T. rum
• 4-5 medium bananas (about 1 1/4 pounds or 565 g)
• For the cake
• 1 1/2 C. (175 g) all purpose flour (sifted)
• 1 1/2 t. baking powder
• 3/4 t. salt
• 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
• 8 T. (4 ounces or 115g) unsalted butter (cubed and at room temperature)
• 3/4 C. (150g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 1/2 C. (125 ml) whole or low fat milk (at room temperature)
• 1 t. vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. For the topping
3. Heat 4 T. (55g) butter, brown sugar and vanilla seeds in a 10-inch cast iron skillet on top of your stove.Stir this mixture constantly until the ingredients are well mixed, liquified and beginning to bubble. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the rum and the split vanilla bean.
4. Peel the bananas and cut them lengthwise. Then, cut each banana piece into thirds lengthwise. . You will have long slender banana pieces. It is not a problem if some of the banana pieces break, Carefully arrange the banana slices on top of the brown sugar mixture in the skillet.
5. For the cake
6. Sift the flour into a large bowl and whisk baking powder, salt and cinnamon into the flour. Set this mixture aside.
7. Attach your paddle attachment to your stand mixer and beat the butter and the granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl between additions.
8. Turn your mixer to its slow speed and add half the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture. Add the milk and the vanilla. Add the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix these ingredients only until they are just incorporated. You need to be careful not to overmix or your cake will not be tender.
9. Pour the batter into the skilled and on top of the brown sugar and banana mixture you have prepared.
10. Bake cake for 30 to 35 minutes. When the cake is done, a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake will come out clean. Also, the cake should be firm to your touch when it is done.
11. Cool cake in the pan on a rack for ten minutes. Then, run a knife around the edge of the cooled cake. Invert the cake over a large serving plate. (Be careful when you do this. You don't want hot caramel on your hands.)

Notes

My cake was prettiest on the day it was baked. On day two, the bananas began to darken.

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https://bluecayenne.com/banana-upside-down-cake

Here is a link to David Lebovitz’ blog and to the original recipe:

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/banana-upside-down-cake-recipe/

OK everyone. All together now. Say cowpeas.

That’s what black-eyed peas are. They are a type of cowpeas, “one of the most ancient crops known to man” according to Purdue’s horticultural Jefferson Institute, and the real shocker is that they aren’t really peas at all. Instead, they are an African relative of the mung bean. Who knew?

Cowpeas are believed to have been introduced to the United States via the slave trade. And, as the story goes, the consumption of black-eyed cowpeas later became a New Year’s day tradition in the South as a result of the Civil War. According to Texas A and M’s website, the 40-day siege of Vicksburg left residents of that area on the verge of starvation and was illustrative of Southern food shortages and suffering during the war. As the Northern armies scoured the countryside for food, they apparently left the black-eyed cowpeas in the fields, thinking they were good only as animal feed. Southerners knew otherwise. Once the war was over, the consumption of black-eyed peas (along with greens and cornbread)  on January 1 became a Southern paean to survival both for southern whites and for newly-emancipated blacks.

Over the years, the New Year’s Day peas-greens-cornbread meal has also taken on other meanings. The three foods are humble food, so it is said that eating them on the first day of the year acknowledges one’s humility. Also, the black-eye has come to be associated with finding prosperity and wealth in the new year. As the saying goes, “peas for pennies, greens for dollars, cornbread for gold.” Some even believe that you need to eat exactly 365 black-eyed peas on January 1 to ensure that prosperity. (That’s a little less that 2/3 C. of dried beans. I was curious how onerous the 365 rule was and I counted.– I know. I know. I have no life. Even sweet little Juliet thought I was out of my mind as I counted the little dried cowpeas one by one.)

Today, the world’s largest crops of cowpeas are cultivated in Africa where Nigeria and Niger are leading producers, but black-eyed cowpeas are grown all over the world and are a major crop here in California. Worldwide, it is estimated that 1.24 million tons are grown from dry seed each year. That’s a whole lot of cowpeas.

No doubt a big part of the world-wide popularity of cowpeas is their ease of cultivation. The plants have a deep taproot that makes them more tolerant of drought and heat than other beans. Nutritionally, you get a lot of bang for your buck, too.  Low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, they are a good source of protein and fiber. In fact, a serving of cowpeas provides about the same protein as 2 ounces of meat.

I was searching around for an interesting recipe for black-eyed peas for my New Year’s meal and came across this Black-Eyed Pea Salad recipe. I enjoyed the addition of diced sweet potatoes to the black-eyes and was really taken by the tangy vinegar dressing that is tossed with the mixture.

Best wishes for a great new year. Remember to eat your black-eyed peas. Many of you missed the traditional January 1 meal, but it still can’t hurt to eat a few cowpeas for luck. A little prosperity couldn’t hurt either!

The link to the original recipe from which this recipe was adapted appears at the bottom of this post.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad for the New Year!

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Ingredients

• For the Salad
• 1/2 medium red onion or sweet onion (finely chopped)
• 1 small red bell pepper (finely chopped)
• 1/2 to 1 jalapeño (chopped)
• 2 T. chopped green onions
• 2 T. chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 pound roasted sweet potatoes cut into 1/4 inch dice
• 4 C. freshly-cooked or canned black-eyed peas (drained and rinsed)
• For the Dressing
• 1/4 C. unseasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 C. canola oil
• 1/2 t. sugar
• 2 T. honey
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 C. black-eyed peas (freshly cooked or canned) drained and rinsed

Instructions

1. Peel and dice sweet potato into 1/4 inch dice. Toss in a small amount of olive oil and spread on a roasting pan. Roast in a 350 degree F. oven until tender (20-25 minutes depending upon your oven). Let diced sweet potatoes cool.
2. Combine onion, red bell pepper, jalapeño, green onions, chopped parsley leaves in a large bowl.
3. Whisk rice wine vinegar, canola oil, sugar, honey, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Add to the onion mixture and stir to combine. Set aside to allow the flavors to marry.
4. Gently fold black-eyed peas into the dressing in the large bowl. Let the bean salad marinate in the dressing in your refrigerator for up to 8 hours before serving. Fold in extra dressing to your taste just before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Notes

The black-eyed peas absorb most of the dressing. I found that adding additional dressing to the beans just before serving gave the salad a boost.

I most enjoyed this salad served slightly warm or at room temperature.

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https://bluecayenne.com/black-eyed-cow-pea-salad-for-the-new-year

This recipe was adapted from a recipe that originally appeared on the Sweet Savant website. Here is a link to that recipe:

Black Eyed Peas Sweet Potato Salad