Are you bananas for bananas? Express your admiration for this tropical fruit on August 27th, Banana Lovers Day, opens a new window.
Persistent Banana Rumors
Every few years, I experience a jolt of panic when the news reports roll in again: "Bananas will go extinct within the next decade." Then I hop on Snopes, opens a new window and breathe a sigh of relief (and cease hoarding bananas) when I see my favorite fruit is still safe and sound.
Popular and Handy
Bananas are the most popular (and inexpensive) fruit available, with an average of 28 pounds of bananas consumed per person per year, opens a new window. They're extremely portable and easy to eat on the go. Monkeys love them--mainly because they tend to grow in hot, tropical places where monkeys live.
Another fun fact: a single banana is called a finger, and a bunch is called a hand!
Bananas in the Kitchen...or Campfire
My latest banana obsession is banana cream pie. It all started earlier this year in Palm Springs, when I had a slice of the ginormous banana cream pie at Sherman's Deli, opens a new window. Since then, I've been sampling banana cream pie around the Bay Area, with top contenders so far at Harry's Hofbrau, opens a new window in Redwood City and the HMB Coffee Company, opens a new window in Half Moon Bay. Try making your own banana cream pie with a recipe from Food and Wine magazine, opens a new window.
A future obsession--future, because I just now found out about it--is Grilled Banana S'mores, opens a new window. It's, like, gotta be healthy, because bananas have potassium and loads of vitamins! Right? Right??
Okay, fine. A healthy banana recipe I recently found out about from a friend is Grilled Banana Oatmeal, opens a new window. It steps up the oatmeal game quite a bit--and is really quite easy to cook!
B is for Banana and Book
Here are some sweet banana books to devour!
Final Question
How do you like your bananas? Greenish? Yellow and mellow? Yellow-brown and super ripe? Answer in the comments below.
Add a comment to: Attention Banana Lovers