Bananas in Performance

By Joy Cagil

Our feelings are far too paradoxical when it comes to bananas. We think bananas are an important food item; at the same time, we enjoy banana jokes. Someone falling over on a banana skin and getting up is slapstick hilarious. We say someone has gone bananas when he doesn't make sense. Joke books and websites teem with banana jokes. For instance:

Observe bananas. They are traffic lights reversed. For bananas green is, "Be patient and wait." Yellow is the right of way. Red is, "Beware, this banana is an alien."

Most banana jokes, however, are not G-rated.

The odd thing is, we also take bananas very seriously, even while we joke about them. Someone as formal as Mr. Greenspan warned the bankers, on September 26, 2005, by saying, "Don't slip on the banana." This was while he mentioned Adam Smith and the free markets.

In computing and website terminology, "banana problem" is the term about badly written and inaccurate conditions or an uncertain situation related to the termination of a program.

During the last decade of the 20th century, bananas were taken so solemnly that Europe versus United States and Banana Republics trade wars cropped up. "Banana Republics" are the banana raising countries in Central America.

Europeans called the banana "Indian Fig" during the fifteenth century and the first shipment of bananas to the United States during the colonial period was at the end of the seventeenth century. Not knowing what to do with a banana, the colonists experimented cooking it with all kinds of meat.

In Hawaii, about a couple of centuries ago, bananas were forbidden to women. If a woman ate a banana, she could be sentenced to death.

There are Banana Islands off the western coast of Africa, because--contrary to the belief that banana cultivation only belongs to tropical and subtropical countries in America--most of the world's banana crops are raised in Africa.

Bananas come in many colors. "The Ice-Cream Banana" is blue, but turns yellow when it ripens. Maroon or purple bananas are called "Red Bananas" and the flesh inside their skin is pink.

A banana plant is not a tree, although we call it that. It is a monster herb with huge, elongated, flat leaves and orange or purple colored flowers. Inside the trunk of a banana plant is a white tube that is edible when cooked.

We place bananas all around us as entertainment, even in songs. Remember the calypso "Banana Boat Song" and Woody Allen's movie, "Bananas"?

In our house, we buy so many bananas and so often that our grocer probably thinks we are hiding monkeys as pets. An almost daily statement in our kitchen is: "No breakfast (or lunch) for me. I'm in a hurry. I'll just grab a banana."

A banana finds its true sweet flavor when it ripens and the skin turns brownish. Aside from eating the banana as fruit, we make deserts from it such as banana splits, banana pudding, and banana bread.

What we call banana bread is not bread but a not-too-sweet cake, best when served with the afternoon tea. Here is what I put inside my banana bread:

about two and a half cups of flour (whole wheat and unbleached white mixed)

a pinch of salt

baking powder
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2 eggs or their equivalent of Egg-Beaters

about ¾ cup of light brown sugar

less than half a cup of corn oil (butter would taste better if you aren't worried about cholesterol)

three or four mashed bananas, when the fruit is brownish on the outside and softened inside the peel

chopped walnuts, coconuts, or almonds added as variety to taste

Enjoy your bananas. They play an important part in our lives.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/123133

Banana

Common Names: Banana, Bananier Nain, Canbur, Curro, Plantain

Origin: Edible bananas originated in the Indo-Malaysian region reaching to northern Australia.

Species: Musa acuminata Colla, M. X paradisiaca L. (hybrid)

Related species Abyssinian Banana (Ensete ventricossum Cheesman), Musa balbisina Colla, M. ornata Roxb., M. textilis Nee

Adaptation Bananas and plantains are today grown in every humid tropical region and constitutes the 4th largest fruit crop of the world. The plant needs 10 - 15 months of frost-free conditions to produce a flower stalk. All but the hardiest varieties stop growing when the temperature drops below 53° F. Growth of the plant begins to slow down at about 80° F and stop entirely when the temperature reaches 100° F. High temperatures and bright sunlight will also scorch leaves and fruit, although bananas grow best in full sun. Freezing temperatures will kill the foliage. In most areas bananas require wind protection for best appearance and maximum yield. They are also susceptible to being blown over. Bananas, especially dwarf varieties, make good container specimens if given careful attention. The plant will also need periodic repotting as the old plant dies back and new plants develop.

DESCRIPTION
Growth Habit: Bananas are fast-growing herbaceous perennials arising from underground rhizomes. The fleshy stalks or pseudostems formed by upright concentric layers of leaf sheaths constitute the functional trunks. The true stem begins as an underground corm which grows upwards, pushing its way out through the center of the stalk 10-15 months after planting, eventually producing the terminal inflorescence which will later bear the fruit. Each stalk produces one huge flower cluster and then dies. New stalks then grow from the rhizome. Banana plants are extremely decorative, ranking next to palm trees for the tropical feeling they lend to the landscape.

Foliage: The large oblong or elliptic leaf blades are extensions of the sheaths of the pseudostem and are joined to them by fleshy, deeply grooved, short petioles. The leaves unfurl, as the plant grows, at the rate of one per week in warm weather, and extend upward and outward , becoming as much as 9 feet long and 2 feet wide. They may be entirely green, green with maroon splotches, or green on the upper side and red-purple beneath. The leaf veins run from the mid-rib straight to the outer edge of the leaf. Even when the wind shreds the leaf, the veins are still able to function. Approximately 44 leaves will appear before the inflorescence.

Flowers: The banana inflorescence shooting out from the heart in the tip of the stem, is at first a large, long-oval, tapering, purple-clad bud. As it opens, the slim, nectar-rich, tubular, toothed, white flowers appear. They are clustered in whorled double rows along the the floral stalk, each cluster covered by a thick, waxy, hood like bract, purple outside and deep red within. The flowers occupying the first 5 - 15 rows are female. As the rachis of the inflorescence continues to elongate, sterile flowers with abortive male and female parts appear, followed by normal staminate ones with abortive ovaries. The two latter flower types eventually drop in most edible bananas.

Fruits: The ovaries contained in the first (female) flowers grow rapidly, developing parthenocarpically (without pollination) into clusters of fruits, called hands. The number of hands varies with the species and variety. The fruit (technically a berry) turns from deep green to yellow or red, and may range from 2-1/2 to 12 inches in length and 3/4 to 2 inches in width. The flesh, ivory-white to yellow or salmon-yellow, may be firm, astringent, even gummy with latex when unripe, turning tender and slippery, or soft and mellow or rather dry and mealy or starchy when ripe. The flavor may be mild and sweet or subacid with a distinct apple tone. The common cultivated types are generally seedless with just vestiges of ovules visible as brown specks. Occasionally, cross-pollination with wild types will result in a number of seeds in a normally seedless variety.

Cholesterol Lowering Foods That Taste Great!

Cholesterol levels are very important when it comes to leading a healthy life. Many Americans suffer from high levels of cholesterol. High cholesterol can be caused by foods that are high in cholesterol, smoking and lack of exercise, just to name a few. Most people are conscious of the foods that are high in cholesterol and try to stay away from them. There are actually a lot of foods that can help to lower cholesterol levels as well and many people are not aware of these wonder foods. Here are some foods that can help ease your high cholesterol levels.

Fiber Filled Foods
Fiber can be found in many foods. Fiber can benefit the body in many ways, including lowering cholesterol. Foods that are high in cholesterol include oatmeal, apples and prunes. You can also find foods in the grocery store that advertise high amounts of fiber, like granola and snack bars. Pay attention to the amount of fiber in different foods the next time you go to the grocery store.

Whole Grains
Many common foods can now be purchased as whole grain products. Whole grain can be found in foods like pancakes and bread. If given a choice, you should always choose the whole grain option. Consuming foods with whole grain will also lessen your chances of developing heart disease. It's a win-win situation when it comes to whole grains!

Gobs of Garlic
Garlic is used in many dishes and food products because of its great flavor. Surprisingly, something so tasty can actually be good for you. Researchers have found that a component in garlic actually triggers the liver and forces it to stop producing cholesterol. Garlic works to lower cholesterol when both raw and cooked. Next time you prepare a meal throw a little more garlic in!

Seafood
Seafood, fish in particular, is a great source of fiber. This is a tasty way to get your fiber fix. Salmon is the fish that has the most fiber, as well as protein. The unique thing about the fiber found in fish is that is decreases the amount of bad cholesterol and actually increases the production of good cholesterol.

Nuts, Nuts and More Nuts
Many varieties of nuts contain large amounts of fiber. Nuts also filled with protein, reduce the chances of heart disease and increase the elasticity of arteries. The varieties of nuts with the most fiber are walnuts and pistachios. The only disadvantage of eating nuts is the high amounts of calories they contain.

Get Your Veggies
Vegetables, specifically ones that are dark green in color, are filled with fiber. This includes vegetables like cabbage, collard greens and spinach. You will consume more fiber by eating these foods raw. Drinking juice made from these vegetables will not give you any fiber. Dark green vegetables are extremely beneficial to the body because they also contain vitamin C and can lower blood pressure.

These are just some of the foods that can actually lower your cholesterol. Eating these types of foods will also benefit your body in many other ways!

Low Glycemic Index Fruits

Fruits are one of nature's wonders. They are chockfull of nutrients - vitamins, minerals and proteins - and are indeed so nutritious that they can form the basis of a full meal. As a matter of fact, many people can and do subsist mainly on fruits alone. There is an extremely wide selection of fruits available from all over the world, and many of them are very tasty, making them an integral part of the diets of many people the world over.

However, eating a large amount of fruits can have a negative effect on one's blood sugar. The sugar contained in some fruits can be considerable, and eating them can definitely raise the level of one's blood sugar. For many people this is far from optimal, of course, and so one should seek to eat more of the sorts of fruits that may bring about less of a rise in blood sugar levels than other fruits.

Fortunately for those who would like to eat fruit but would like to minimize the amount of sugar they consume, there are a number of fruits available that are low Glycemic Index fruits. That is to say, eating a certain amount of any of these fruits will raise one's blood sugar level only a certain amount relative to a certain amount of glucose. And, importantly, when these fruits are eaten, one's blood sugar will rise only a certain amount compared to eating other fruits that are higher in sugar content.

So what are some examples of fruits with low GI? One great example is the apple. Apples are excellent fruit and can be found year-round all over the world. They have red skin and white, firm flesh, and can be eaten raw or cooked in a multitude of ways - they can be stewed, for instance, baked in a pie or served with cream, or even served as part of a main dish. The heavy fiber content in apples makes them excellent breakfast, snack time or dessert fruit - fiber can help bring about a full feeling in the stomach in order to fool the stomach into thinking that it is full. Apples have low GI, with a GI value of just 38.

Another good example of a low-GI fruit is the cherry, which has an even lower GI value of only 22. Cherries are a red fruit with sweet, juicy flesh and a large pit in the center, which must be removed prior to cooking and/or eating. As with apples, cherries may be eaten ripe and raw or may also be incorporated into desserts such as cherry cobblers and pies, and can also be part of a main dish as well.

Lastly, many citrus fruits are also excellent low-GI fruits. Oranges have a GI value of 42, grapefruits 25, and lemons (whose GI values are not often given since lemon juice is too sour to be consumed in large undiluted amounts - as a matter of fact, lemon juice, like vinegar, can be used to lessen the overall Glycemic Index value of a certain food item).

Guay or banana

Banana or 'glauy' is one of the most useful plants of the tropical Thailand. It is available all year round. We enjoy the fruits fresh or prepared as dessert and use the banana flower in various dishes. The leaves are used to wrap up food and made into containers. The inside young stalk can be used as hog feed. The tougher outside is torn into small strips and dried so that it can be turned into a durable type of string.

The banana plant grows in almost any type of soil and tolerates short floods. It requires neither fertilizer nor pesticide. It replicates by shooting out young plants around the original plant. Some types have such prolific roots that they don't have seeds. Banana plant flowers at 7-9 months and takes about 3 more months for the fruit to ripen. After harvest, the plant is cut down because it will not bear fruit again.

There are so many different types of bananas in Thailand, most of which I've not seen in the US:

- Gluay Nam Wah - Short and Fat
- Gluay Hom - Like US ones
- Gluay Kai - Short and thin skin and very strong scent
- Gluay Leb Muh Nang - name means "Lady's Fingers" - Skinny and short
- Gluay Hug Mook- Big one with Thick Skin - normally grilled, but great flavor also comes out when microwaved.
- Gluay Tani - It has a lot of seeds and some people believe a lady angel's spirit lives in the tree, so people generally don't eat them.

Banana Pudding Pie

Ingredients:

* 1 (9-inch) graham cracker or chocolate cookie crumb crust
* 1 (4 serving size) package chocolate or vanilla instant pudding, along with milk as package directs
* 3 or 4 bananas, thinly sliced
* whipped topping or whipped cream
* shaved chocolate for garnish, if desired

Preparation:

Prepare pudding following package directions. Spread in crust. Top with sliced banana. Chill well. Spread whipped topping or whipped cream over the top. Garnish with shaved chocolate if desired.
Shared by Coweyes Brown

Red banana

Red bananas are a variety of bananas with a reddish-purple skin. They are smaller and plumper than the traditional Cavendish banana. When ripe, raw red bananas have a flesh that is cream to light pink in color, and their texture is somewhat softer and sweeter than the yellow Cavendish varieties, with a slight raspberry-banana flavor. They are best eaten soft, but not bruised. They are imported from Costa Rica and are a favorite in Central America.

They are best firm and free from bruises or cracks in the peel; the color should be a bright red. This indicates the banana is ripe. The redder the fruit, the more carotene and the higher the vitamin C level. If the color of the peel is lighter, the banana is not ripe. As with common yellow bananas, red bananas will ripen in a couple of days at room temperature. Red bananas are available year round at specialty markets and larger supermarkets. Red bananas should be stored at room temperature and not refrigerated.

Red bananas are eaten in the same way as yellow bananas, by peeling the fruit before eating. They are most frequently eaten whole raw or chopped and added to desserts or fruit salads. They can also be baked, fried or toasted. Red bananas are one of the varieties commonly used for store-bought dried bananas.

A common misconception among people wishing to broaden their banana tastes is that a Red banana may be eaten immediately, regardless of how under-ripe it may be. The result of this action is the generally agreed upon taste of eating white chalk.

The first bananas to appear on the market in Toronto (in the 1870s and 1880s) were red bananas.

In February 2006, Marks and Spencer introduced red bananas to UK supermarkets.. In April 2008, the supermarket Morrisons followed suit. A spokesman for Morrisons said that the red bananas were proving to be very popular, although he did not expect them to become more popular than yellow bananas