Tag Archive for: Folly Beach

Race Day Bananas

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Tomorrow morning I am running my first ever race, the Folly Beach “Save the Lighthouse” half-marathon.  Here is a picture of the lighthouse- who wouldn’t want to save that!  I am getting fairly nervous as it has been snowing and icing since Tuesday, which means that I have not gone for a run since Monday, which actually is not really a big deal- more to the point, I am nervous about running and being able to complete 13.1 miles without crawling/crying across the finish line.  I have been googling all morning race day preparations, and a lot of websites and blogs suggest eating a banana and some toast for breakfast pre race.  Well, that is not much of a recipe so I thought I would share a great banana bread recipe instead, and while I will not eat this tomorrow morning, I will look forward to it on Sunday morning- if I can actually get out of bed.  Will keep you posted on how the race goes- wish me luck!

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Cook It Raw!

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cook it rawThis past Saturday, I got to go to an amazing event called Cook It Raw.  Here is the description from the website. “Cook It Raw BBQ Perspectives will feature more than 40 local and internationally acclaimed chefs preparing their interpretation of Lowcountry BBQ. This event will be a celebration of all things BBQ with a focus on the regional ingredients native to Charleston, rice, fish, game meats, as well as the bounty of the local harvest. Our chefs will place a focus on healthy and whole foods with a focus on vegetables and grains.”  It was held out at Bowen’s Island, which is a very special place on the way to Folly Beach.  The whole thing could not have been better planned, and the day could not have been more beautiful.  Tables upon tables of oysters, different types of fish, and BBQ of every kind, from goat to tongue to pig’s head, and on and on.  Even with over 500 people at the event, there were no long lines at the tables, and it all ran flawlessly.  Everything was served and cooked in beautiful Le Creuset Flame cookware, and there were several wineries and breweries on site offering delicious beverages.  And the chefs, ohhh the chefs- they ranged from Sean Brock and Mike Lata out of Charleston to Albert Adria from Barcelona and April Bloomfield from NYC to pit master Rodney Scott from Hemingway, SC.  Chefs from Sidney, London, Mexico City, California, and Canada were all on site to provide the most exquisite food.  My favorites, shockingly, were the goat (it was phenomenal) and the pork taco, followed closely by Rodney’s full pig BBQ, which is what the picture is of.  What a special day!

Leave the Cannoli

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I feel like we had our last real summer weekend this past weekend.  My brother and his wife invited us out to a beach house they had rented on Folly Beach for Friday night.  We went to Taco Boy for dinner and then sat around talking and listening to the ocean.  Saturday morning I got up early and took Nemo for a walk.  As we watched the surfers and the ocean, I thought back on our summer and how wonderful it was, and for some reason, I remembered the cannoli ice cream that we had up in the Catskills.  It is one of those flavors of ice cream that you don’t find very often, and the memory of it comes back at random times and just makes you happy that you were lucky enough to have tried it when you had the chance.  It is also one of those things that I will leave to the professionals.  Cannoli, however, I can do.  Here is a great recipe that I love.

Cannoli

Ingredients:

Shells:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons shortening
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 egg white
1 quart oil for frying, or as needed
Filling:
1 (32 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup chopped candied citron
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
(optional)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in the shortening until it is in pieces no larger than peas. Make a well in the center, and pour in the egg, egg yolk, Marsala wine, vinegar and water. Mix with a fork until the dough becomes stiff, then finish it by hand, kneading on a clean surface. Add a bit more water if needed to incorporate all of the dry ingredients. Knead for about 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
Divide the cannoli dough into thirds, and flatten each one just enough to get through the pasta machine. Roll the dough through successively thinner settings until you have reached the thinnest setting. Dust lightly with flour if necessary. Place the sheet of dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a form or large glass or bowl, cut out 4 to 5 inch circles. Dust the circles with a light coating of flour. This will help you later in removing the shells from the tubes. Roll dough around cannoli tubes, sealing the edge with a bit of egg white.
Heat the oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) in a deep-fryer or deep heavy skillet. Fry shells on the tubes a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. Use tongs to turn as needed. Carefully remove using the tongs, and place on a cooling rack set over paper towels. Cool just long enough that you can handle the tubes, then carefully twist the tube to remove the shell. Using a tea towel may help you get a better grip. Wash or wipe off the tubes, and use them for more shells. Cooled shells can be placed in an airtight container and kept for up to 2 months. You should only fill them immediately or up to 1 hours before serving.
To make the filling, stir together the ricotta cheese and confectioners’ sugar using a spoon. Fold in the chopped citron and chocolate. Use a pastry bag to pipe into shells, filling from the center to one end, then doing the same from the other side. Dust with additional confectioners’ sugar and grated chocolate for garnish when serving.