Banana Rum Bread

Like the ebb and flow of the ocean tides, inspiration seems to come and go with a steady rhythm. Some days it rides in on a large wave, electric and exciting as it washes over me. Eventually the inspiration is called back into the sea and I desperately grasp at the departing water, trying futilely to hold onto the last remains as it slides easily between my fingertips.

With the last burst of warmth before fall surrounding me, I've been feeling inspired by everything from the color of ripe peaches to the golden light before the sun sets.

This time the inspiration for this recipe unexpectedly stood out between a set of paragraphs—"Today I learned how to bake mean banana bread. The secret apparently is half a cup of dark rum." The baker in me, interest piqued, wondered if it could be true. Was this the secret to baking up a remarkable banana bread? With such a bold claim written in front of me, a secret ingredient exposed, the impulse to discover the truth propelled me forward.

The bananas were purchased. They rested on the counter until speckled and brown. The batter was mixed, the rum was added, and when the loaf emerged from the oven, hot and steamy, I didn't wait until it cooled to take a bite.

Puzzled, I took another taste. The rum, it seemed, was nowhere to be found.

In my sheer desire to taste the barest hint of rum, a third of the loaf disappeared in front of my searching eyes. Defeated, I divided up the rest to share with friends, hoping they could taste something I couldn't. Even so, the consensus was clear—though it was a good loaf of bread, it just didn't live up to my rum-infused expectations. I allowed myself to drift into other projects, forgetting about the loaf of bread. The banana bread, however, wasn't finished with me.

Out of the blue, my friend informed me that a couple of days later the banana bread had mysteriously changed in the night. It seemed the rum flavor missing on that crucial first day had finally come out to play. In disbelief, I rushed to the store to buy another set of bananas and the cycle repeated once more. With my patience tested, I waited the right amount of time for the rum to emerge before I took a bite. As promised, it was there, subtle and sneaky.

Inspiration, ever mysterious, likes to keep me on my toes, reminding me I can't always find it when I'm looking for it. Unpredictable, it can be found equally in a few words in a novel full of sentences or in the virtues of a friend who can hold out on a loaf of banana bread longer than myself.

Banana Rum Bread is a boozy twist on the traditional loaf of banana bread. Like a fine wine, the longer the banana bread rests on the counter top (or sits in the refrigerator), the stronger the rum flavor will develop. The first day the rum flavor is completely absent, but the subtle flavor slowly creeps in the following days, resulting in tingling tongues and happy taste buds. The banana bread batter is a very basic recipe so you could certainly throw in a pinch of cinnamon or a handful of chocolate chips if you desire, but the real star is the half a cup of dark rum.

Note: All of the rum does not bake out of the bread, so this is not an appropriate recipe to share with children.

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Cucumber & Zucchini Cream Cheese Slices

First and foremost, I want to apologize for my leave of absence for the last few weeks. I have not disappeared or taken an unannounced break from blogging. Instead, my explanation is rather simple, albeit mundane—computer problems. The moment I returned from vacation, my hard drive crashed spectacularly, rendering my computer completely unusable. Thanks to my wonderful father and his hard work installing a new hard drive, I have a fully functioning computer sitting in my lap this evening.

I can say with great sincerity that I have missed these small moments we share together.

August is one of my favorite months when it comes to food; it's the beginning of harvest. After a trip to the local farmer's market, my kitchen is suddenly host to my obsession with fresh vegetables. As they line the counter tops and spill out of the refrigerator, I often sit back and seriously question myself on what I've just done, convinced I'll never manage to eat my way through them on time. After a few pasta dishes and makeshift hashes topped with an egg, the vegetables quickly disappear and I find myself back at the market in a week's time.

This is a cycle I wish I could enjoy more than a few months out of the year.

On my most recent trip to the farmer's market, I picked up a bundle of cucumbers, zucchinis, and leeks, among many other vegetables. More often than not I don't have a plan for using them, choosing instead to find inspiration in front of the stove when dinner time comes around. This time the inspiration came from my mother.

During the summer months, she occasionally whips up traditional German summer fare (I come from a long line of German heritage). One of my family's favorite dishes is made with small dumplings which are covered in a cold cream sauce with thinly sliced cucumbers or lettuce. Without her recipe to guide me, I created an inspired version of the dish for myself, turning it into an open faced sandwich so I could easily pack it in my lunchbox during the work week. The ingredients may be simple, but the flavors in this dish are wonderfully complex (and it'll use up some of those ripe vegetables still sitting in the garden).

Cucumber & Zucchini Cream Cheese Slices is a deconstructed version of one of my mother's traditional summer dishes. Thinly sliced cucumbers, zucchini, and leeks are sprinkled with salt and pepper and splashed with vinegar. This salad is then placed on top of French bread spread thickly with cream cheese to create an open-faced sandwich. The acidity of the vinegar and the tang of the cream cheese complement the mild tones of the cucumber and zucchini (with a zing from the leeks) in an unexpected, but welcome manner.

A tip of advice: the thinner the vegetables are sliced, the better the salad comes together (if you have a mandolin, now is the time to pull it out of the cupboard).

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Multigrain Bread & Blogiversary

Today marks the second anniversary (and the 250th recipe!) of this blog. It feels surreal to know that I've sat down at this computer three times a week for the last two years to share photographs, recipes, and stories with you. When I started this blog, it was on a whim. I knew nothing about cameras or photographing food, very little about creative writing, and wouldn't have referred to myself as a baker to anyone. It's funny how a couple years can completely turn those statements around.

I caught myself looking back over old recipes this afternoon. I remember much of the inspiration and emotions surrounding each and every one, surprising even myself. It's the words and stories that have slipped my mind. Traveling back in time, sometimes I impress myself with my posts, scarcely believing the words on the page spilled out from my fingertips; other times I want to bury my face in my hands, embarrassed that I displayed such an awful photograph for all of you to see. They say that artists are their own worst critic and I am inclined to agree.

The most important thing I've learned about blogging is that it's a journey, not a destination. It's easy for blogging to become a list of mentions or a number of subscribers. Sometimes it's easy to lose sight of the reasons I started blogging in the first place. Blogging is a work in progress (and, to some extent, always will be).

Inspiration is the life blood of blogging. I let myself get swept away with the works of my favorite food photographers and writers. I try to push myself with food photography every time I'm behind a camera lens. I write in hopes of finding my elusive voice, wherever it may be hiding. I never let myself stray too far from the kitchen. As soon as I feel comfortable with where I am, I take a peek at the photographs of Katie Quinn Davies or open a book and read the words of Sue Monk Kidd and realize I have miles and miles left to go.

I love the journey.

Most importantly, I want to thank you. You continually inspire me with your emails and comments. You make me smile when I learn you've experimented with my recipes in your own kitchen. You refuse to let me forget all of the reasons I love blogging, especially needed on those long nights when I'm up late editing photos. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Now, who is ready to find out what the next year will bring?

Multigrain Bread is a hearty, healthy bread that's fitting for both special occasions and everyday eating. The bread is made with a mixture of bread flour, whole wheat flour, and oats. To give it a more diverse texture, sunflower and flax seeds are kneaded into the dough. Sliced thin, multigrain bread works well for sandwiches or toasted with a spread of butter for breakfast.

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