Banana Fritters

I know this picture looks like potatoes, but look carefully. Those are actually slices of banana encased in batter and fried. I love this cookbook! For those of you just joining us this week, mystery author Rosemary Harris (new one Dead Head) gave me some fabulous vintage finds when I saw her at ALA over the weekend in Boston. This cookbook is from 1942 and is chock full of weirdness.

To make Banana Fritters:
Melted fat or oil

3-4 firm bananas

1/4 cup flour

Fritter Batter:

1 cup sifted flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg, well beaten

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp. melted shortening

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Combine egg, milk and shortening. Add to dry ingredients and mix until batter is smooth.

Heat fat to 375F. Peel bananas and cut each into 3-4 diagonal pieces. Roll in flour. Dip into Fritter Batter. Fry 4-6 minutes, turning fritters frequently to brown evenly.

Wow.

My good friend Susan Miura is featured as cook of the week in our local paper here today, making Mochiko Chicken. She and her daughter are featured in an article about their cooking, too. Check it out - it will make you hungry: http://www.dailyherald.com/lifestyle/food/cookoftheweek/?id=352029

Brought home all the award winners from the library last night that I hadn't read yet, like Going Bovine, the Printz winner. I had read several others, but hadn't done that one yet by Libba Bray. I think her previous ones should have won something, like A Great and Terrible Beauty.