Banana Cream Pie

Ok, so the title doesn't scream healthy, but this pie is worth it.

I hadn't really heard of banana cream pie until recently, when my friend Paddy came back from Hawaii talking of nothing else. A true banoffee pie fan, I wasn't sure if this simple pie would hit the spot, but I was prepared to take my chances, and I'm very, very glad I did.

This recipe is a slight adaption from the Martha Stewart recipe. It's worth making the pastry and the custard from scratch, but your secret's safe with me if the frozen pastry aisle calls your name (none of us are perfect, not even Martha Stewart).

Pastry (Pate Brisee)

1 1/4 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/8 to 1/4 cup iced water

In a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

With the machine running, add the iced water through the mixture in a steady stream, just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky.  

1. 
   Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface and shape into a flattened disc. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. 
   
   
   

Banana Cream Pie

All-purpose flour, for dusting
Pate Brisee (pastry)
1 large whole egg, lightly beaten, plus 4 large egg yolks
4-5 medium-ripe bananas
3 cups full fat milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons cornsflour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 190C. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 12-inch round, a bit less than 1/4 inch thick. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, trim crust so there's a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Fold under overhang so it extends slightly beyond edge of pie plate. Crimp edge as desired. Prick dough all over with a fork. Brush rim of dough with beaten egg. Chill pie shell until firm, about 30 minutes. (If you're worried about the pastry sticking to the dish don't fret, the butter acts as a natural grease and the pie shell shrinks slightly as it cooks, maing it easy to remove)

Line chilled pie shell with a round of parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges of crust just turn golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove pie weights and parchment. Return crust to oven, and continue baking until golden all over, about 20 to 25 minutes more. Place pie shell on a wire rack to cool completely.

 Prepare an ice bath; set aside. In a bowl, lightly whisk egg yolks; set aside. In a saucepan, whisk together milk, sugar, cornflour, and salt. Bring to a simmer (do not boil), and cook, whisking constantly, 3 to 4 minutes.

Whisk a quarter of hot-milk mixture into egg yolks; whisk in remaining milk mixture. Strain into a clean saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until custard is thick and bubbles appear in center, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface to prevent a skin from forming. Set in ice bath until completely chilled, 30 to 35 minutes. (Filling can be kept in refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, up to 1 day.)

Cut 2 or 3 bananas into thin slices. Beginning at the edge of the piecrust, arrange the slices in slightly overlapping rows. Cover with custard, using a spatula to smooth it into an even layer. Whip cream until soft peaks form, and spread the whipped cream on top of the custard. Refrigerate pie, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

Just before serving, cut 2 bananas into thin slices. Beginning at the edge of the piecrust, arrange the slices in slightly overlapping rows on top of the whipped cream. Ta-da! 

I know it doesn't look like anything thaaaat special, but trust me, this pie is a keeper and it's worth trying! 

BYO Lunch at SPQR

SPQR- Call it what you may, but it's an Auckland institution, and a bloody good one at that. Frequented by NZ celebrities (all 3 of them), loud groups of lunchers, every advertising agency in Auckland, and every other Ponsonby dweller in between, SPQR is the place to eat and drink the summer afternoons away.

Suzie, Mum and I were long overdue for a catch up, so over the weekend we decided to grab a few bottles of wine, and head into SPQR for their BYO Sunday Lunch deal, where for $55 each you are treated to a three course meal with BYO wine. Usually after a long afternoon of food and wine at SPQR your wallet might take a bit of a hit (especially if the magnum bottles of Veuve take your fancy), but this sneaky wee deal means you can walk out with your bank account intact.

Between the three of us we made our way through the entire Sunday Lunch menu. For entrees I started off with perfectly cooked crisp asparagus with goats cheese and pine nuts. Suzie went for the delicious oven baked scallops, and Mumma Bear went for the whitebait fritter. We swapped, tasted and happily nibbled our way through the dishes- our appetites perfectly whet for the mains to come.

A few glasses of wine down, and our mains arrived. The duck confit for Suzie, champagne snapper for Mum, and the scotch fillet for myself. The snapper was a lighter meal, and absolutely delicious, as were both the slightly more substantial and perfectly cooked steak and duck dishes.

Finally, we chose our desserts. I couldn't go past the tiramisu which was light, rich, creamy and served with sticky marinated strawberries, while Suzie photo-bombed her amazing chocolate orange tart, and Mum (who is determined to forever dislike desserts) went for the cheese.

All of the dishes were impeccable, and very good value for their money. I think my favourite was the champagne snapper, which was perfectly cooked and almost swimming (ha) in a buttery champagne sauce.

After catching the last rays of afternoon sun, and polishing off the rest of the wine, we nipped across the road to pick up some flowers, and left the remainder of the SPQR patrons to settle into their champagne filled afternoons.

La Cigale French Markets

Back in the day when Parnell was my stomping ground, I made it down to the French Markets almost every weekend, but these days I'm living on the other side of town, and ashamedly haven't been in a few months. Luckily, I found an excuse to go when I discovered that Georgia had never been. I took it upon myself to show her the ropes, and show her what she's been missing out on.

The French Markets are hosted by La Cigale on Saturday and Sunday, and are hidden away down the bottom of Parnell (just follow the nike-wearing, dog-walking, coffee-holding crowd, and you'll find your way there). The place is absolutely heaving with food stalls, live music, the smell of sizzling hot chorizo and the noise of grinding coffee beans. They even have their own creperie!

 After negotiating a slightly dodgy car park, and tripping over a few dogs, we made a beeline for The Organic Mechanic, an awesome smoothie stall my friend Graedon and a few other guys run. The Organic Mechanic are all about healthy living (and free hugs!), and their vegan, dairy free, gluten free, super health charged smoothies are just what you need to kick-start your weekend.

We tasted all of the different smoothies, but in the end we both went with the blueberry 'King Kong' which was amazing, and so incredibly filling!

Smoothies in hand, we wandered about the markets gazing at all the goodies each stall had on offer. There is an amazing array of food; from fresh ice-cream, to cured meats, to pastries, french cheese, scallops, whitebait, fresh pasta, macaroons, and even treats for your canine friends- and that's just to name a few! The variety of stalls at the French Markets is really fantastic, and there are quite a few which you don't find anywhere else in Auckland.

Not only are the stalls great though, the fresh produce at the markets is good value and good quality, and La Cigale itself is a fantastic cafe with a gorgeous selection of homeware on offer inside.

After grabbing some food to nibble on, and some treats to take home, we were almost ready to leave. We took one more lap around the place, and with our bodies fueled up on the best of market food scooted off to enjoy the rest of the beautiful weekend.