Banana bread that would make even Mark Bittman a little jealous

For Christmas, Osei got me a super nice mixer.  It is like the Lexus of standing mixers.  So, of course, we've been baking lately.  Osei has made 2 batches of banana bread with walnuts and chocolate chips so far.  We're in the midst of some playful banter, and unfortunately, Osei did not take my suggestion to use Mark Bittman's recipe and instead went with Joy of Cooking.  He did, however, use two very "a la Bittman" tweaks, including substituting whole wheat flour, and then the next day, toasting the bread and serving it to his wife (me!) for breakfast.

But this weekend we had banana bread that just blew us out of the water.  Actually, it blew our banana bread out of the water.  The amazing taste blew our minds, but I digress.  Our measly banana-flavored concoction suddenly appeared unsophisticated and frumpy, the way a community college dropout must feel when thrust into an intellectual conversation with Harvard PH.D's.  In the wrong league.

We were at a party celebrating the birthday of our friend, Myra, when in waltzed one of her roommates with a lit birthday cake.  Our hostess blew out the candles and eagerly passed around thick slices of the banana bread, warm chocolate chips oozing.  I got a slightly bigger piece, and Osei informed me he'd be happy to trade pieces with me, in case it was too much for me to handle.  Yeah, right.  Three of us, previously conversing (before the most amazing banana bread ever tasted), loaded up our first fork-full without hesitation.

The room went silent.  Slowly, the daze of stars circling our heads faded, and our vision shifted back into focus.  Our conversation buddy, Simon, remarked that he didn't think he could restrain himself from eating the entire loaf if he didn't physically remove himself from the room.  Osei whimpered slightly, overcome by the surprise burst of cinnamon-sugar topping coating the thick crust.  Bits of chocolate chips and flecks of bread coated his lips as the silky soft bread melted in his mouth. 

I pretended to kiss my husband.  Yes, I love him and can hardly keep my hands off of him, but this time an unusually large chunk of banana bread just sat there, abandoned, on his lower lip.  I kissed my husband so that I could eat a crumb off of his lip. 

I foolishly bated, "Something this good could only be Mark Bittman, agreed?"  Truly, I enjoyed the banana bread we made ourselves.  But this was comparing Jupiter to Mercury.  Practically a galaxy apart.  Even I knew the futility of my weak attempt to score a point for Mark Bittman and resolve our Joy vs Bittman debate once and for all..

Simon, unaware he'd inadvertently engaged in a marital showdown, gently reminded me that there was nothing Minimalist about this banana goodness.  We all agreed it could only be a Grandmother's recipe. 

Word quickly spread around the party that this was no ordinary banana bread.  Probably the best thing any of us had ever tasted.  Myra paused the ipod, interrupting Rihnna's "What's My Name," to give credit where credit is due.  Her roommate, Sam Schwartz, humbly smiled when the entire party acknowledged her amazing baking with rounds of applause and cheers.  No exaggeration either.  I've never before in my life had the urge to clap for banana bread.

Obviously, at this point, I had to speak to Sam herself.  I quickly got over being wrong for even suggesting that Bittman's recipe could rival this baby.  I had to find Sam and know more.  Indeed, this recipe had been passed down to her from her grandmother.  Sam showed me the original hand scripted notebook, and kindly allowed me to copy down the recipe. 

My life changed a little bit this weekend.  I arrived at Myra's house in a relatively ignorant state of Pre-Banana-Bread status quo, and both Osei and I returned home changed people.  Trying to re-create Sam's banana bread at home will be a tall order.  There appear to be small subtleties in technique, and I can't help but think that maybe Ghirardelli chocolate chips are truly qualitatively superior to Stop-and-Shop brand.  Maybe we need to wait until the bananas turn completely brown with ripeness.  And our healthy whole wheat flour?  I think we have enough compelling evidence to at least try it with white flour. 

Fortunately, we have an excellent mixer.  As far as settling our claims between Mark Bittman and Joy of Cooking, Sam's banana bread resolved nothing.  The marital debate continues, but Osei and I are both winners on this one.

You KNOW how reckless socks can be!

Osei and Amy are folding laundry together.  Osei is mating his two pairs of fancy wool socks my mom gave him for Christmas.  He laments that he would buy another pair himself, but he's holding out hope that the next pair from her are just around the corner... 

Osei: Your mom really knows high-quality wool socks!
Amy: Heh, I know!  Have you seen her with her precious socks though? She'll let me borrow them when we visit, but before we leave, she'll do a sweep of the entire house to make sure each and every sock is accounted for!
Osei: Why?  I mean, does she have a reason to need to count her socks when you visit her?
Amy: [Pausing] Well, you KNOW how socks are!

10 reasons why I appreciate my job

1. This Friday we have our annual holiday Gala at the Boston Harbor Hotel.  Prom for grownups
2. Sane working hours, especially compared to the craziness of New York City
3. The gym in the building basement, which includes weekly Zumba classes, and is dirt cheap, like $12.50-a-month-for-membership-cheap
4. Casual Friday, every Friday 
5. Kurig coffee maker, with more coffee choices than I can count, including flavored and fair-trade coffee.  Limitless juice, soda, and bubbly water too.
6. 100% covered health insurance, for both Osei and I
7. Casual-attire every time it snows. Occasionally, snow days too
8. Co-workers are all smart, good people
9. Lots of leftover snacks from meetings, and bagles for breakfast on Fridays
10. I definitely appreciate getting a paycheck

10 reasons why my husband is totally awesome

1. He makes me lattes on the weekends (we call it Maybucks)
2. He doesn't get mad that I inevitably steal the blankets (forcing him to snuggle against me to stay warm)
3. He wakes up early with me and packs my lunch for me, even though I would probably stay in bed if I had the chance to sleep in
4. He cooks and bakes all sorts of healthy and delicious goodness for me
5. At least twice a week, he also goes running with me, even when it is below 20 degrees outside and it is snowing
6. He isn't at all grossed out when I describe in detail everything I'm learning about childbirth and pregnancy in my Midwifery course
7. He thinks I'm totally hot, even when I surprise him with my ice cold hands up his back
8. He thinks I'm totally hot, even when I haven't showered in 2 days and am still wearing the same pair of socks
9. He let me take over both drawers in the bathroom, and about 65% of the medicine cabinet space too
10. He buys orchids and lillies and basil plants, and then pots them, so they will last longer

Mark Bittman, Don't leave me!

I just read today in the New York Times that my favorite columnist, Mark Bittman, is ending The Minimalist. I'm not saying this in a way to make my husband jealous, but I love Mark Bittman. I've written about him here and here and his "How to Cook Everything" cookbook is my go-to cooking resource. I also have my own binder of recipes, which is bursting full of The Minimalist columns and recipes I've printed and collected over the years. Click here for a list of 25 of Mark's favorite columns

Here are a few quotes that jumped out at me as Mark discusses the end of his Minimalist column.

"The column’s goal, my job, has been to help make home cooking more accessible." I agree that he has done his job well. Mark Bittman, I will miss your clever and simple cooking ideas.

"One goal has always been to demonstrate that few recipes are dogma; they can all be tweaked. And learning to tweak is part of becoming a cook." Mark, this is why I love your style. I hate following recipes, because they feel so rigid. I love the way you always encourage me to be creative and use the ingredients I like and already have.

"I refused to buy into the notion that there was a “correct” way to prepare a given dish; rather, I tried to understand its spirit and duplicate that, no matter where I was cooking." All I can say here is Yes!

On the plus side, Mark Bittman isn't leaving the New York Times entirely. He's going to be writing a new weekly column on the politics of food, (another topic very dear to my heart). For all those who had no idea food, farming, and healthy eating was so political, I highly recommend Michael Pollen's book, In Defense of Food.

Mark Bittman, I will miss your weekly column, but I am glad it is not over between us.  I still have 13 years worth of archived columns to get through, and I'll always be a devoted follower of your cookbook.  I wish you the very best. 

Mark, we raise our batter bowls and measuring cups to you.

Horse Back Riding

For my bachlorette party, my three amazing bridesmaids took me horseback riding. We had a blast! No one woke up the next morning with hangovers, though I think all of us were a little sore!


The talented photographer, Susan Horn, was even snapping pictures from the back of a moving horse.


Beautiful Colorado, just outside of Golden.


I forgot how green Colorado can be. It was a perfect sunny day in June.


We had an amazing day, and I am thankful to Suz, Becca, and Melony for making our wedding experience so memorable!

Lots of Love to go around in Loveland

A few days before our wedding, we took our recently-arrived guests to Benson Sculpture Garden in Loveland, Colorado. The park is conveniently named after my maiden name too, but that's actually just a coincidence. I remember how hectic we started feeling at this point with all the last-minute wedding preparations, especially now that family had begun to arrive and gather in Colorado. Osei's parents were hosted by the very generous family of my brother-in-law, and the rest of the group stayed with my sister and her husband.


We both had so much to smile about!


We sat in the grass while the grown-ups looked at the sculptures.


No one minded the two soon-to-be-newly-weds who couldn't bear to stand even a few feet apart!


We took a moment by ourselves to steal a quick whispered conversation.


I'm so in love with this amazing man!

How to Cook Everything with Joy

Osei and I are engaged in a loving debate about the best cookbook. Personally, I am a devoted follower of Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. After all, it teaches us how to cook EVERYTHING. It is simple, direct, and always uses the ingredients that I already have in my kitchen. Plus, Mark writes like he's talking to me personally. We practically converse in my kitchen as he sits on the stool, instructing me how to bake, for example, Bread Pudding.

I ask him, "Mark, do I need to cut the bread," and he just seems to read my mind, replying, "You can cut or tear the bread, but cut off the crusts if they are too thick." Thanks, Mark. Do I feel guilty substituting multi-grain oat bread for white bread? Absolutely not! After all, that is what Mark would do- he is always fully encouraging of me making healthy substitutions. And he even gently suggests ways to embellish my recipe- I can throw in some chocolate chips, raisins, chopped walnuts, orange zest, and the list goes on.

Most of all, I have so much respect for Mark because he knows that I can cook delicious and healthy foods best when I can cook simply. None of his recipes require an extra trip to the store for some obscure but necessary ingredient, like "3 pinches of saffron from the southern region of the Philippines." No offense here to Julia Childs, who is the notorious Queen of using intimidating and labor-intensive cooking ingredients and instructions. Julia and I both went to Smith College, so she obviously holds a dear place in my heart, though her style feels completely inaccessible to the everyday woman (i.e. someone like me who neither buys ducks, keeps cream and creme fraiche in the house, nor has a desire to de-marrow a bone).



Simple Recipes for Great Food. I couldn't put it any better myself. Though I generally attempt to refrain from circular references during debates with my husband, the New York Times even refers to How to Cook Everything as "A more hip Joy of Cooking." Also, check out the two little stickers on the cover. Winner. There you go. Bittman takes the cake.



My husband Osei, on the other hand, prefers the Joy of Cooking. Meh. We flipped through it this morning to see a small illustration of how to peel and cut a pineapple while leaving the pineapple chunks attached to the core. Fancy schmancy, but who actually carves a pineapple but leaves it all connected like that? Do you really think you're going to be able to rip your little chunk of fresh pineapple off of that core with just a toothpick?

Plus, Joy of Cooking is a little outdated, in my opinion. My grandmother was a talented cook and all, but still, I can't help but think that Bittman's How to Cook Everything is a much more relevant resource for us "hipster cooks" today. Let's leave Joy of Cooking for those who want to make fancy centerpieces out of pineapples.

One more reason I'm a true supporter of my friend, Mark is that he cooks things that Osei and I actually eat! For example, check out Mark Bittman's "The Minimalist" coulmn in the New York Times. It is all about making whole grain pancakes. We love whole grain pancakes. In fact, Osei is probably the lead experimenter in our weekend pancake adventures. He's played with whole wheat flour, buckwheat, oats, carrots, nuts, raisins, and banannas, so far.




Don't these pancakes look delicious? Mark Bittman is just like us. He likes whole grain pancakes, and all the variations you can imagine, just like Osei and I do. In case my husband is still not convinced that How to Cook Everything is our go-to cookbook, perhaps I can sway his mind this weekend when Mark and I bake some oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cranberry-walnut cookies.

Apple Picking

On our 3rd date, Osei took me apple picking at a farm north of Boston. He claimed he knew how to pick a good woman, so picking apples should be a breeze. I agree with his taste in women, naturally.



I pretty much remember laughing and smiling like this the entire day. I came home with aching cheeks. It was fantastic.



I tried my first apple cider donut. I like the cinnamon sugar mixture in the bottom of the bag.



It was the perfect day together of playing outside and enjoying fall in New England. I enjoyed taking pictures of other people's kids playing amongst the pumpkins.



After our apple picking date, we baked an apple pie. Whole wheat crust, of course.

I need a sunny picture today

Here are a few pics from our second engagment session in front of the Boston Public Library. All photos by Susan Horn of In Harmony Studios

This is Why You Need a Marshmallow Puffy Jacket and Sorel Boots in Boston

Last week Boston got pounded by Blizzard #2 of the season. Unlike Blizzard #1 where I got my first grown-up snow day, this time I was considered "important enough" and had to come into the office. Here is the view of the Arborretum from our front porch.



To get to work, I walk up and down a gigantic hill to the train station. Most of the sidewalks were not yet shoveled. Trees were dropping branches right and left. I got pelted in the eye with a chunk of snow and was momentarily blinded (imagine that- everything went white) and then spent the rest of the morning with mascara smeared all over my face.

This is why puffy jackets and good boots are so essential for Boston winters. I found my boots, brand new Sorels, at a thrift store for $20. And my down puffer North Face jacket? Originally I bought it in college (I went to school in Western Mass). When I moved to New York, I gave the jacket to my big sister in Colorado, because no New Yorker wears a jacket that makes them look like the Michelin Man, no matter how cold it is. And then I moved to Boston, and my very dear sister re-gifted the jacket back to me. Best gift ever, too.



After the blizzard, despite the snow and all the related hazzards while walking to work, the next day was absolutely beautiful.

One year later... Pearl Street Mall

December 2009. Pearl Street Mall engagement pictures by the talented Susan Horn


November 2010. Pearl Street Mall. The frog is still there. Photos by a talented stranger walking by

Thanksgiving trip to Colorado

Osei and I sampling teas after a factory tour of Celestial Seasonings Tea Company


Osei, Bryan, and I helped Suz with an outdoor photo shoot


Suz and Bryan looking hot and Colorado-outdoorsy, as usual

Osei and Amy before my 10-year high school reunion. Yes, you're probably wondering. I graduated high school when I was only 12 years old.

One Reason I like Boston better than New York-Winter Preparedness

Since I moved to Boston from New York last March, I am most excited about a few subtle changes that have made my life so much more bearable here, especially in the winter. Namely, practical shoes and weather-appropriate attire.

In New York, one of my New Year's Resolutions was to not walk to work in high heels. Yes, I was lucky enough to live within a 12 minute walk of my office building (quicker if I timed the walk-signs perfectly). And yes, I would walk to work and back in high heels, thus necessitating a Resolution to wear flats to work.

So, I compromised with flat dress shoes. Not tennis shoes or practical walking shoes, but high-heels without the heels. I'd jump over puddles and walk on snow, and my little feetsies would absolutely freeze in the winter because I couldn't wear more than nylon stocking socks.

Now, I commute to work by train, with a 10-12 minute walk on either side. And I wear warm, practical shoes. Sometimes even sneakers. When there is snow, I break out my Sorel boots. Did I even own boots in New York? Only black leather zip up boots with a 3" heel. This is exactly my point- in Boston, people wear practical shoes and boots in the winter. In New York, the selection of winter boots for sale are practically all a) leather b) uninsulated (but sleek) and c) with pointed toes and high heels. My heels (the bones, not the shoes), arches, and cold feet are forever thanking me now that I'm a proud Boston resident.

Also in New York, I had a stylish black dress coat. Sleek, fitted. And thin. Obviously, too tight to throw a few wool sweaters and fleeces under that baby either. Not so good for a Northeast winter, but very elegant. Just like all the other New York women wore too. I had a winter jacket with a hood, but a hat would have messed up my hair too much. Ear muffs- perfectly acceptable. But a big ole' furry wool hat that actually keeps your head warm? No New York Lady would dare look that silly.

Since I moved to Boston, my hair has remained in a pony-tail since the weather dipped below freezing. The other day I wore TWO hats out in public. I now own (and wear) long underwear, and hardly remove my company-issued LL Bean fleece jacket. Sometimes I think I should just wear my jammies underneath my fleece jacket, which has now become my new Boston-winter uniform. I wear wool socks to work, and every winter morning, I bundle up into an unrecognizable snow-woman before my trek into the cold. I am far from sleek, and nothing close to stylish. Buy for the most part, I manage to stay toasty enough in all of my bulky layers.

Not to say I'm loving Boston winters, but after spending 5 winters in New York, I realized that I unnecessarily suffered through cold, slush, city blocks, and other hazards to my overall comfort and warmth. And why? All in the name of being a fashionable New Yorker. Now, I've happily traded my pointed-toe "walking" dress shoes and thin coats for some honking clunky shoes and poofy jackets. Score two points, Boston.

Top 11 Highlights of 2010

1. Let's start with the important stuff! On June 19th, I married the most amazing man in the world, Osei May. My name became an anagram, which is also pretty cool, but marrying my love takes the cake! I never imagined God would bless me so much by bringing Osei into my life, and that together we would get to enjoy a lifetime of adventures in marriage. Let the journey begin!
2. Jumping back to the beginning of the year, 2010 started out with a super amazing proposal on the steps of the Boston Public Library (that sweet nerd is now my husband). Osei made up some silly story about how we would meet some Smithie friend he knows for coffee and dragged me (complaining) outside the library into single-digit temperatures. He then signaled the Harvard Callbacks, an acapella group, to come down from the steps and serenade us while incognito crowds (our friends) gathered around us. After he kneeled down and ask me to marry him, an accordion player in a tuxedo played us a few more songs while we slow-danced. Osei planned an entire proposal operation via Facebook, complete with a timeline and assigned duties to guests. Ever the confident gentleman, Osei knew I was a shoe in, and indeed I said yes. Plus, by this point, we already had a wedding date, our deposit on a venue, and I had a wedding dress.
3. Comparatively, this was a year of slow running. Well, not technically "slow" in terms of speed, but for the first time in a few years, I did not run a marathon, and I only officially raced twice. (I bandit-ed another half marathon just for fun). However, in May, I set a 10K personal best in the Bolder Boulder (at altitude) and in October, I raced the Bay State Half Marathon. Out of 22 half-marathons I've run (not including the two halves in each of my full marathons) I ran my fourth-fastest time ever. Though I didn't run a marathon myself, I joined my husband for the last 9 miles of the Boston Marathon, and played pure spectator cheering for him during his first New York City Marathon.
4. In March, I traded in my Manhattan zip code for a Celtics t-shirt and moved to Boston! Somehow, the most outrageous logistical orchestration I could possible imagine for relocating actually happened. While still living in NYC, I found a cash buyer for my condo, signed a lease on a new place in Boston, was officially let go from my job (thank you, severance and unemployment benefits) four days before the moving van arrived to drive my stuff up to Boston, and closed on the condo sale at the end of March. This all happened practically flawlessly, though at one point I did have to drive all the way down to NYC and back just to hang a towel hook. Apparantly I wasn't supposed to take it with me!
5. Yes, I sold my condo. Admittedly, not a great time or real estate market to be a seller, but the new owners now have a sweet little studio overlooking the Hudson River that was my happy home for the past two years. As much as I loved the place, it is an amazing feeling to be free from a super expensive condo that kept me trapped in a job that I couldn't leave because I needed it to pay for my condo (and so on).
6. We had houseguests galore! Suz and Bryan spent a week visiting Boston around my birthday, and my mom and Grandpa visited in October. We took the Duck Tour, visited the Sam Adams Brewery, ate lobster and clam chow-dah, and walked the Freedom Trail. We also welcomed Osei's parents and some of his college friends. We had a mere 3 parties, but we wanted to set the bar low for next year.
7. 2010 marked five years of "grown-up-ness" celebrated with my five-year Smith College reunion. Osei and I spent a few days carousing around campus, catching up with old friends (many of whom I'd seen the month before at another Smithie's wedding), and sharing with Osei all of my favorite Smith places and memories. In fact, I had so much fun at reunion that I ran for class officer and won! I'm now the Vice President of the 2005 Smith College Class, which means I will be planning our 10-year class reunion in just a few more years.
8. Osei and I spent a week in Colorado before our wedding making centerpieces, playlists, and programs, writing our vows, and hanging out with friends and family. While staying with Suz and Bryan, we ran on the dirt roads of rural Colorado, ate delicious waffles under their pergola in the garden, played Rock Band in their basement, and spent a week of pre-wedding celebration surrounded by people we love.
9. After the wedding, Osei and I spent nine days driving across the country back to Boston on our (first) honeymoon. We wore flower leis the entire time (they are symbolic, of course), perfected our self-portrait-arm-photo in front of Mt. Rushmore, donated our blood to the mosquitoes while visiting lighthouses on the Northern shore of Minnesota, bought wild rice and Blue Willow china on the side of the road in Wisconsin, clogged our arteries at a roadside diner in the upper-peninsula of Michagan, walked across (and spit into) the lochs of Sault-Saint-Marie, and left our hair frizzy and wet from the mists of Niagara Falls. Finally, we unpacked our new home together in Jamaica Plain, Boston.
10. November felt like our heaviest travel month (but not to be outdone by the month of June, which took us to 9 states and Canada). After a weekend in NYC for the marathon, we flew 27 hours to the Philippines with a group of Boston-based volunteers. We spent a week volunteering with Peer Servants, a microfinance consultancy group, partnering with a local Christian microfinance cooperative called CCT to write case studies about microfinance. The trip was transformative and amazing to say the least! And, as if we hadn't traveled enough that month, the next week we flew to Colorado for a few precious days over Thanksgiving, which also coincided with my 10-year high school reunion.
11. Babies in the air, and I'm gearing up to catch them! This fall I began the formal process of becoming a midwife by starting a year-long training course. This is my first delivery into the birth world (a stretch I know, but I couldn't resist). To most, the transition from financial services to baby-catching does not seem to be the obvious career path, but it fits me perfectly and I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. Unrelated to becoming a midwife (or not), I also have babies and pregnancy on the brain 24/7, so stay tuned to see what kinds of updates and adventures 2011 has in store!