Tuesdays with Dorie: Lots of Ways Banana Cake

Two banana cakes in one week. Take it up with the cooking group gods--I just make the cakes. Today's banana cake was an extremely flexible recipe. With forgiving ingredients and a versatile nature, it could be dressed up or down, and nearly every ingredient could be substituted with another pantry staple.

I dressed it way down, and made a version using yogurt, butter and olive oil mixed, and dried red plums. It's addictive. Other TWD mavens created towering iced cakes, or mini-muffins. No one, however, seems to have taken Dorie's suggestion to cube the cake and use it as an element in a sundae. Given the weather, I'm surprised.

Even I, devoted Sweaty Baker that I am (seriously, it even says so in my profile), am a little undermined by the sweat bath that is a New York summer, so I've cut down on baking somewhat. Tomorrow, though, I'm going back to the bakery (albeit probably to make some ice cream), so things will be getting back on track.

The CSA posts have been on hiatus for a two weeks because, if you hadn't gathered, we've been out of town. Libby and Rob picked up the veg, and worked very hard to get it all used, which worked out for me too, as I was fed some very nice dumplings for yesterday's lunch. But look out for vegetables and the uses they inspire, coming soon.