moosewood banana bread and inner self

i thought i had perfected wheat-free, gluten-free banana bread. really. until i see the recipe from the moosewood cookbook.

by the way, the edition i have is itself a work of love. really. ms molly katzen compiled, editied, illustrated and hand-lettered the whole thing. seriously. she even hand-wrote cross-references of main ingredients. i am simply in awe of it. its loveliness and sweetness come off the pages. her pure heart, golden dedication touch my heart. this is a bundle of joy.

what about the recipes? say, banana bread. here's a tweak that puts me in disbelief. '2 cups mashed up ripe banana soaked in 1 cup strong black coffee.'

first of all i don't drink coffee but, over the last several months, i've been requesting hwubby to bring home all those single-cup-brew hotel packages whenever he does a work travel. part of me goes, what are you doing, suk wah, hoarding? is this residual tendency from poverty consciousness? but i just have this feeling from deep within that i can't let go of them. not just yet.

it all becomes clear when i see the moosewood banana bread recipe calling for strong black coffee. i say, i'm ready to go. so i make a cup of coffee with 5 single-cup-brew bags. let it cool, put in the mashed up banana, cover it, put it in the fridge and then go to bed. in the morning i strain out the coffee, let the mashed banana sit in the fine sieve and gravity does its thing while i work through the other parts of the recipe.

i don't know if this is the cause but this banana bread surely is the best ever. texture is more refined. sort of al dente. the little bite and bounce to the teeth is delightful. contrasts and balance the walnut bits just right. the subtle sweet taste has a roundness and fullness to it. the last teeny bit of soda taste is totally gone. flavor is a little richer. yet it is lighter.

salutations to ms molly katzen. and salutations to my inner self. i'm so glad i listened to you and saved up all those coffee.