Tava Ghee

Several years ago, the Minx and I were wandering through an Indian market looking for exotic things to cook with. The lady behind the counter asked if there was anything in particular we were looking for. We replied, "no," but she started naming some Indian products we might be interested in. "Some ghee, perhaps?" The Minx's eyes lit up and she gratefully allowed the woman to lead her to the aisle with the ghee in it. After we left, I asked, "What is ghee?" She said, "It's like clarified butter." I thought she was going to say something more interesting considering how excited she got about it. It wasn't until later that I realized how versatile the product can be. 

Traditional clarified butter involves removing the liquid from butter through simmering and also separating the fat from the milk solids. Ghee retains the milk solids that are caramelized in the simmering process. Therefore, ghee has a nutty flavor and aroma. You can also flavor ghee for different cooking applications. Ghee is a staple of Indian cooking, but it can be used in virtually any cuisine as a replacement for butter or oil.

Recently, we received some samples of a new ghee product. Tava Ghee is an organic, gourmet, flavored spreadable butter that comes from 100% grassfed cows. Created by founder Raquel Tavares Gunsagar in her kitchen, she quickly turned her product into a highly successful business. Tava Ghee has since moved from Raquel’s home to a factory kitchen in downtown Los Angeles.

Along with the original ghee, there's also vanilla ghee, green chili ghee, and Himalayan pine salt ghee. We used the vanilla ghee in place of some of the butter in a chocolate cake to enhance the vanilla flavor. I even ate it on crackers. The vanilla flavor is subtle but pleasant, and there's no sugar added, so don't expect it to be sweet. I also used the green chili ghee for some shallow frying of my hand-cut French fries. I only seasoned the fries with salt and garlic powder, but the chili flavor from the ghee added a spicy element.

Tava Ghee is steadily popping up in specialty grocery stores across the country, but if it isn't sold in a market near you, you can order it directly from their web site.

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Posted on Minxeats.com.

Bananascotch Pudding

At last month's Family Meal media dinner, we ate the most delicious dessert: a twist on banana pudding made with butterscotch pudding. Just a few days later, I found an easy-sounding butterscotch pudding recipe on the Food 52 site. Entirely by accident--I wasn't looking for it. So it seemed that I was fated to make my own variation of banana scotch pudding.

I didn't want to do anything too elaborate; I am no pastry chef. My favorite nanner pudding recipe requires only pastry cream, shortbread cookies, bananas, and whipped cream. My banana scotch version is much the same, I just swapped out the pastry cream for butterscotch pudding. I think a really delish and over-the-top version might include both the pastry cream and pudding, maybe with a layer of whipped cream somewhere in the middle there, too. I didn't want to go crazy though--this is just a simple weeknight dessert.

There's booze in the pudding, folks, so you might want to keep it away from the kiddies.

Bananascotch Pudding 

8 Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
Pinch salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons bourbon or Irish whisky
3 bananas
Whipped cream
Flaky sea salt

Put the cookies in a plastic bag and crush them into crumbs. I used a meat tenderizer, but the bottom of a heavy glass will do. Divide half of the crumbs between four lowball glasses. Set the remaining crumbs aside. Peel and cut the bananas into 1/4" slices.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a sauce pan until it stops crackling and starts to brown, 2 minutes or so. Stir in the brown sugar and pinch of salt, then whisk in the heavy cream. Turn the heat to low.

In a bowl, whisk the milk into the cornstarch until cornstarch is dissolved. Pour this into the saucepan. Turn up the heat and allow the pudding to simmer, stirring constantly. Once pudding has thickened considerably, a minute or two, turn off the heat and add the additional tablespoon of butter, the vanilla, and the bourbon or whisky.

Spoon some of the hot pudding over the crumbs in each glass. Arrange a layer of banana slices around the edge of the glass, pushing them into the pudding so they stand upright. Put a slice or two, cut side up, in the middle as well. Add the remainder of the cookie crumbs. Repeat the pudding and banana layer, finishing with pudding. (If there's any pudding left, use a spoon to shovel it directly into your mouth.)

Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the puddings and refrigerate several hours until cold. Garnish with whipped cream and a pinch of flaky sea salt.

Serves 4.



Posted on Minxeats.com.